Knee Recovery Stretches and Exercises

As I promised before, the following are the stretches and exercises I was given for my routine by my PT’s at ProActive Physical Therapy. Please check with your doctor or physical therapist before using these:
1) Hamstring stretch – Sit on a flat surface with legs stretched out in front of you, like the side of bed. Leave the surgery knee stretched out in front of you and let the other leg hang off the side. Bend your body as close to your knee as possible, keep foot relaxed and knee flat as possible. You should feel the stretch in the back side of your thigh and into the upper part of the knee.  Hold for 30 count. Do 3 x
2) Calf stretch – Stand arm’s length from wall or chair back leaning or holding on it, while stretching recovering leg by stepping it back about 18 inches behind the good leg, with straightline from foot to neck and holding for a 30 count. 3x’s
3) Quad strengthening. Sit on a flat surface with legs stretched out in front of you. Tighten the quad (muscle on top of thigh running up from the knee) as much as possible and hold for 3-5 count. Do 20 tightenings. Rest it, then do 20 more.
4) Leg Raises: Lay on your back on a flat surface. Bend the knee of your uninvolved leg (the one that wasn’t operated on) to a 90-degree angle with your foot flat on the surface. Keep your involved leg straight without the knee bent. Slowly lift the involved leg six inches off the floor. (by contracting the front thigh muscles). Hold for five seconds. Slowly lower your leg to the floor. Relax and repeat 10 more times. (The knee of the raised leg should remain straight throughout this exercise. Focus on lifting by using the muscles on the front of your hip joint.)
5) Side Leg Raises: Lay on your side on a flat surface with uninvolved leg bent on bottom and recovering leg straight on top. Lift recovering leg about a foot and lower but to about 3 inches above the other leg. Lift slowly and lower 10x’s  do 3 sets.
6)Floor Slides: sitting on the floor – tile or smooth surface is better – with back against a wall or stationary furniture. Starting with both legs lying flat out in front of you, slide the foot of the recovering knee back toward your seat, bending the knee as much as is comfortable. May need to grab ankle to move knee back. Then straighten it back out again flat. Do 20 then rest a minute and do another set of 20.
7) Crab Walk – Using an elastic band around ankles tied so it is taut with about a shoulder width between feet. Bend knees slightly and if feet pointed straight, slide step 15 paces to one side and back again. Do three sets.
8) Medicine Ball Wall Slides – place the ball between you and the wall, leaning against the ball, move feet out a few inches in front of you. Bend knees only as far as is comfortable and not so low that you can’t see your toes or the knees are out in front of your toes, (not to 45 degree angle). Do 30 times.