Kristofer J. Jones, MD, brings a wealth of experience to his practice in Los Angeles, California. Among his areas of specialty are meniscus tear repairs and meniscus transplants.
These surgical interventions can restore healthy knee joint function and boost your independence and fitness.
The choices you make after your surgery can have a big impact on the success of the procedure. Dr. Jones provides detailed post-procedure care instructions, and adhering to this advice is a critical part of your recovery.
It’s also important to perform the right kinds of exercises to keep your healing progress moving forward. Today, let’s look at three types of exercises that can help you rebuild your knee strength after meniscus surgery.
During the early days of your recovery, it’s important to avoid placing too much pressure on your knees. The first types of exercises you’ll perform during physical therapy are contractions.
These exercises involve very little movement. The benefits come from engaging your muscles without placing much weight on your joints, relying on muscle contractions to do all the work.
For hamstring contractions, sit or lie with your knees bent at around a ten-degree angle. With your heels on the floor, tighten the muscles that run along the backs of your thighs. Hold for five seconds, then release. Repeat ten times.
For quadriceps contractions, lie on your stomach with a rolled towel placed beneath your ankle. Push your ankle down into the towel, allowing your leg to straighten as much as possible. Hold for five seconds, then release. Repeat ten times.
Because the biomechanics of your lower body have significant interconnectivity, you can help rebuild strength in your knees by moving your feet in specific ways. Foot pumps are a great place to begin, and can be done while lying in bed.
Simply extend your leg straight with a small pillow or foam wedge to support your knee. Slowly bring your toes up and toward your body in a flexing motion, then extend your toes down and away from your body in a pointing motion.
Repeat these movements around 20 times each day. Foot pumps can help reduce swelling in your lower body by encouraging excess fluids to move upward, where they can be processed and eliminated.
Toe raises are also helpful. Stand next to something sturdy you can use for balance support. Slowly rise onto your toes with your weight evenly distributed between your feet. Hold for five seconds before slowly lowering back down onto your heels. Repeat 20 times per day.
As you progress in your healing journey, standing exercises can help you build strength in your lower body. Straight leg raises involve standing with something nearby for support.
Slowly raise one leg in front of your body, keeping your knee straight. Don’t try to push through any discomfort, and don’t worry too much about how high you’re able to go.
Return to the starting position, trying to control the downward movement as much as possible. Repeat ten times.
Wall squats are also a wonderful standing exercise after meniscus repair.
Stand with your back facing a wall and with your knees bent at a slight angle. Slowly slide into a sitting position with your back against the wall. You can increase the angle over time, building up to a full 90-degree angle after a few weeks.
As you heal, it’s essential to avoid placing too much strain on your treated joint. While the impulse to build strength and improve joint mobility is understandable, it’s imperative that you follow our advice.
A round of physical therapy is the best way to learn these and other exercises that will help you recover properly. You’ll get personalized tips on proper form and have someone to ask about ramping up the intensity of your exercises over time.
If you have questions about how these simple exercises can help you get stronger after meniscus surgery, Kristofer J. Jones, MD, and our team are happy to help. Reach out to our office online or over the phone to book a visit.
