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Therapeutic exercise for the knee. The most effective exercises from exercise therapy (physiotherapy exercises) for arthrosis of the knee joint. Expected results of classes

Article publication date: 07/02/2015

Date of article update: 02.12.2018

The main task of physical therapy is to stimulate the mechanisms of natural restoration of the joints. Exercise therapy for arthrosis of the knee joint has a very beneficial effect both on and on the body as a whole, but it is critical to do it correctly. Read on for a detailed description of the right exercises, important rules and non-obvious nuances of really effective workouts.

The priceless benefits of exercise

Regular quality gymnastics:

Increases range of motion in the joint.

It reduces muscle tone, thus preventing the development of contractures (degeneration of muscles into scar tissue).

Improves blood circulation in the diseased joint, improves nutrition of the destroyed cartilage.

It has a positive effect on the whole body, makes a person more mobile and improves the quality of his life.

Reduces pain.

Six main principles of proper training

Physical education must be performed according to certain rules; The most important principle is do no harm.

Don't rush things. The load and range of motion must be increased gradually, forcing the training load only worsens the situation.

Exercise should not cause pain, it should not be overcome. Such "feats" can make you disabled. Exercises should be performed in such a way as to feel fatigue in muscle groups, and not pain in the joints - then exercise therapy is carried out correctly.

Avoid overload and don't chase fast progress. Remember the Polish folk wisdom: "so too much, then it's not healthy" (literal translation: what is too much is bad).

Regularity. Only daily training will help you achieve any visible results.

Physical education for arthrosis of the knee joint should be carried out only during the period of remission. During an exacerbation of the disease, when the knee is enlarged and swollen, it is better to provide him with comfortable rest.

Load both joints equally. Many patients ask the question: "How can I train if I only have one knee pain?". With unilateral arthrosis, a sick person instinctively begins to spare the problem joint, while the load on a healthy joint increases significantly. So arthrosis can also begin to form in the opposite knee, so exercise therapy should load both joints.

Click on photo to enlarge

The right complex of exercise therapy from a doctor

So, we come to the main thing - the creation of a set of exercises for a sore knee. The task of exercise therapy is to make the muscles work without loading the joint.

Exercise 1

Static option. Starting position (IP): lie on your stomach with straight legs, arms along the body. Slowly raise the leg straightened at the knee 15 cm from the floor and fix it in this position for 30-40 seconds. It is important that the leg lift is carried out by the efforts of the muscles of the thigh and buttocks.

We perform with each foot one time.

dynamic option. We perform the same as the static one, but we hold the leg above the floor for 1-2 seconds. We perform 10-12 times with each leg.

Exercise 2

IP is the same, only now one leg is bent at the knee at a right angle. Without changing the angle of flexion, raise the leg above the floor by 10 cm and hold in this position for 30-40 seconds, 1 repetition for each leg. The effort should be applied exclusively due to the muscles of the thigh and buttocks.

dynamic option. Hold is performed for 1-2 seconds, do 10-12 repetitions with each leg.

Exercise 3

One of the variants of the famous exercise "Swallow". IP as in exercise 1: raise both legs 10–15 cm above the floor, slowly spread them apart, and then bring them together. Without lowering your legs, repeat 8-10 times. It is necessary to ensure that the effort, as in the previous exercises, is carried out only by the muscles of the thigh, and not by the body.

Exercise 4

IP: we lie on our side, the lower leg is bent at the knee. Raise the straight upper leg above the floor by about 450 and hold in this position for 30-60 seconds. 1 rep for each leg.

Exercise 5

IP: we sit on a chair. We straighten the leg at the knee joint and raise it above the floor as far as we can, hold it in this position for 30-60 seconds. Do 2-3 reps with each leg.

Exercise 6

IP: we stand, holding hands on the back of the chair. We slowly rise on our toes and linger in this position for about one minute, slowly lower ourselves.

dynamic option. We do 10-12 repetitions, lingering at the top point for 1-2 seconds.

Exercise 7

IP ex. 6. Leaning on the heels, raise the foot up, linger at the top point for 1-2 seconds and lower to the floor; 10-12 reps.

Exercise 8

IP former. We stand on the toe of the left foot, then the right heel goes up, and the left one goes down - smoothly "roll" on the toes 10-12 times.

The workout should end with a self-massage to further warm up and relax the thigh muscles.

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Physical education classes for arthrosis of the knee joint, as well as other procedures and activities are mandatory. Indeed, in diseases of the musculoskeletal system, a good effect is achieved only after a comprehensive healing course.

Importance of physical activity

Osteoarthritis of the knee joint (or gonarthrosis) develops as a result of deformation of the tissues of the knee cartilage. This leads to a gradual decrease in the level of fluid within the joint space.

In childhood and / or in youth, arthrosis of the knee usually develops as a result of severe injuries. In middle age, the main cause of the development of pathology is recognized as insufficient physical activity.

Arthrosis is especially dangerous for the elderly. At an older age, constant morning exercises will help protect against it. A few simple exercises will ensure the mobility of the knee joint and the safety of all its components.

If a person is used to constantly playing sports to the best of his ability, this will be a good protection against arthrosis. Of course, if the intensity of the load is properly balanced.

A dangerous consequence of gonarthrosis is a decrease in motor activity. At rest, the joint does not hurt. Therefore, a person tries to move less to avoid discomfort. However, this is fundamentally the wrong approach. After all, hypodynamia accelerates all painful processes. As a result, the joint can completely atrophy. The patient becomes disabled.

The degree of development of the disease

Pathology in the absence of proper treatment and training goes through 4 degrees of development:

Arthrosis of the knee of the 1st degree causes subtle discomfort in the area of the affected joint. In parallel, there is a slight decrease in motor activity. During flexion or extension of the knee, a crisp characteristic sound is heard - crepitus. X-ray allows you to track the reduction of the intra-articular gap.
At the 2nd degree of development of arthrosis, the above symptoms are noticeably intensified. Also begins the destruction of bones and atrophy of adjacent muscles.
Arthrosis of the knee joint of the 3rd degree is manifested by acute intense pain, swelling of the patella, local hyperthermia. The limb as a whole loses motor activity.
The final stage - the 4th degree of arthrosis of the knee joint - leads to the complete destruction of the cartilage and the cessation of the release of joint fluid. In this case, surgical intervention is necessary. In some cases, the leg is amputated.

Therefore, gonarthrosis is better not to run. If you have any doubts, you should visit a doctor. After the examination, complex treatment will be prescribed. The exercise therapy instructor will recommend a set of exercises and the degree of intensity of the load.

What to Consider

Exercise therapy for gonarthrosis of the knee should be started immediately after diagnosis. Physical exercises for the medical complex must be selected together with exercise therapy - an instructor according to the doctor's instructions.

The intensity of a particular exercise should be determined very carefully. After all, insufficient mobility will lead to joint atrophy. Excessive load will cause the intensification of pathological processes and the gradual destruction of cartilage tissues and the element as a whole.

Exercise therapy for arthrosis is necessarily included in the complex treatment program along with such methods as:

taking oral medications;
therapeutic injections;
external means;
massage;
motor activity correction.

Therapeutic gymnastics is prescribed taking into account such indicators as:

patient's age;
the cause of arthrosis;
general condition of the body;
specific stage of the disease;
normal level of physical activity;
the presence of comorbidities.

Is it possible to continue active sports with arthrosis of the knee joint, the doctor decides. In the early stages of the disease, it is usually recommended to adjust the intensity of such activities. This will avoid overstrain and prevent atrophy of the articular tissues.

Therapeutic gymnastics for arthrosis of the knee joint is a set of exercises performed in a standing position, sitting, lying on your back or stomach. The main thing is that the initial position of the body is not strictly fixed. During the exercise, you can not squat or sit in a chair.

For classes you will need:

sportswear;
gymnastic rug;
stable chair with high back and hard seat.

During classes, you should periodically relax and rest. This will prevent overload of the knee joint and the entire musculoskeletal system. You need to work constantly.

If the pain increases, the exercises must be interrupted, completely relaxing the joint. It may be necessary to suspend gymnastics for 2 or 3 days on the advice of an instructor or attending physician.

Mode of conduct and preparation for classes

Depending on the condition of the knee joint, physiotherapy exercises need to be done from 30 to 40 minutes daily. In order for the load on the joints to be optimal, it is better to perform exercises 3 or 4 times a day. The duration of each lesson is no more than 10 minutes.

At first, exercises are done 5 times. Over time, the number of repetitions gradually increases. As the mobility of the joint is restored, the amplitude of training movements also increases. Exercises should be performed 30 minutes before the next meal or 90-120 minutes after it.

The workout starts with a light warm-up. After that, the exercises recommended by the exercise therapy instructor are performed. The specified order must be followed. Motor activity and physical activity increases gradually.

Fast and abrupt movements during exercise should be avoided. It is necessary to bend and unbend diseased joints very carefully. At the same time, you need to carefully monitor your condition. When performing the exercise therapy complex, only slight discomfort is allowed. When pain occurs, you need to see a specialist.

After the end of the next workout, you need to do self-massage and relax a bit, completely relaxed. More on this will be discussed below.

Exercise therapy in the prone position

Classes begin in the supine position. To do this, lay a special rug or thick bath towel on the floor.

Lying down, pull your heels forward. The toes are pointing straight up. This will relax the muscles.

Firmly press the back and especially the lumbar region to the mat. Straighten your arms along the body. Stretch your legs and lift them alternately, trying not to bend your knees. The extended leg is held on weight for about 5 to 10 seconds.

Press a straight back to the litter. Stretch your arms to the sides. Bend the legs alternately at the knee and pull them to the abdominal region or to the chest. After a few seconds, gently return the leg to its original position.

An exercise that simulates cycling is performed with smooth, alternate movements from a prone position. On the advice of a specialist, you can use.

Horizontal swings are performed in a supine position. The legs alternately rise above the surface by about 20 cm and are laid aside.

Lie on your right side. Align your back, stretch your left arm parallel to the body. Bend the right leg at an angle of 90 ° at the knee joint. Left - stretch and lift 10 - 15 cm. Hold on weight for a few seconds. Lower slowly. Roll over to your left side and repeat the exercise with your right leg.

Lie on your stomach, pressing your chest lightly against the mat. Straighten your arms along the body. Gently bend the legs in turn at the knee joint. After holding for a few seconds in a bent position, gently straighten.

Lying on your stomach, press your chest and pelvis tightly against the mat. Straighten your arms along the body. Stretch your legs and alternately raise them 15 - 20 cm from the surface. Point your toes towards yourself. When performing the exercise, only the femoral muscles work.

Static exercise therapy sitting and standing

To perform such exercises, you need to choose a comfortable and stable chair with a high back and a hard seat. Sitting on it, you need to align your back. Gradually raise the outstretched leg to the possible height. Hold in this state for no more than 30 seconds. Then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise with the other leg.

Stand near a chair and grasp its back with your left or right hand. Straighten your back and straighten your legs. Gradually rise on your toes or stand on your heels, lingering in this position for 3 to 5 seconds.

Without changing the starting position, slowly roll from toes to heels and back, imitating the movement of a sea wave. The intensification of blood circulation at the same time will improve the condition of the joint.

Sit on a chair or table. Straighten your back. Hands rest on the surface. Lower your legs and relax. Gently shaking the lower limbs, alternate flexion and extension of the knee joints.

Therapeutic classes in the pool

A good effect in arthrosis of the knee joint is exercise in the water. In summer, you can perform them in open water. In cold weather - visit the pool for this.

The main thing is that the water temperature is pleasant. This will relax the joint. Water significantly reduces the intensity of pain in knee pathologies, so the load during such exercises can be slightly increased.

Basic exercises for arthrosis of the knee joint in water:

slow;
flexion and extension of the joint;
smooth swings in any direction;
squats;
rotation of the knee joint;
oscillatory movements.

Before starting such training, you should consult with a specialist.

When all the exercises are done, you need to conduct self-massage. To do this, with smooth movements in the forward and reverse direction (from the groin to the knee), the hips are gently rubbed in front and on the side.

When the massage procedures are over, you need to lie down and relax your knees and all other joints and muscles. After 5-10 minutes, you can start normal activities, trying not to overstrain the diseased areas of the limbs.

The structure of the knee joint is an anatomically complex unit, due to which it is the most mobile in the human body. When performing active movements: walking, running, jumping and much more, this joint takes on the main load. As a result of all this, in domestic, professional or sports conditions, an injury can occur. Also, people quite often develop inflammatory and degenerative pathologies that disrupt nutrition and blood supply to the knee. Against this background, thinning of the cartilage layer, intra-articular surfaces occurs, menisci are injured or destroyed, muscles and ligaments do not work well.

To treat all the processes described above, doctors prescribe exercise therapy for the knee joint to patients, which, in combination with drug therapy, allows you to recover fairly quickly. It should be noted that the load and the direction of gymnastics largely depend on the type of pathology, as well as the stage of progression of the disease. Therefore, we will figure out why physical education is needed at all, whether it helps, and what exercises are better to do.

Many people wonder why gymnastics is necessary, if now in modern pharmaceuticals there are many effective drugs that can save almost all diseases.

The thing is that it is impossible to achieve the results of therapy only with drugs that last for a long time. Most patients note that even with an advanced form of pathology, when they regularly performed the recommended exercises, the following effects were achieved:

The mobility of the damaged articular joint was restored almost in full;
The tension in the muscles has decreased significantly, they have learned to relax;
Doctors noted that the quality of nutrient transport improved;
Muscle tone has increased.

The treatment process, in which gymnastics is used, can also work in the direction of reducing excess weight, because if it is present, the load on the knee joint increases significantly. The only thing that is required is to dilute the exercises with vigorous movements that will help get rid of excess body fat.

Rules

In order to quickly restore an injured or painful knee, experts recommend following some tips:

It is also worth noting that if the patient suffers from a severe limitation of the motor ability of the joint, or the discomfort increases in a standing position, you need to do it while sitting, and sometimes lying down.

All exercises for classes should be selected by a qualified specialist, and justified by the condition of the patient's joints. With a clear inflammatory process, it is forbidden to engage. At the beginning of exercise therapy, the first 10 days, it is necessary to do no more than four repetitions of each exercise, but gradually the number of times increases to ten.

Also, experts say that at the initial stages it is not necessary to strive to complete the entire complex, it is permissible to start with the easiest, and then complicate the process. A maximum of three times a day is recommended to perform the entire cycle of exercises.

Everyone who performs exercise therapy should be aware that sometimes in the process of training there is a feeling of fatigue. It is better to wait this time lying on the floor with legs stretched forward. You should not put anything soft under your leg, due to the high likelihood of developing flexion contracture, which is difficult to treat.

A feature of exercise therapy is that all exercises in the complex are quite simple. Thanks to this, you can knead damaged joints immediately after a night's sleep, early in the morning, and without getting out of bed. The first step is to perform light sips, which will allow the muscles to prepare for the subsequent load.

After that we do the following:

For those patients who do not suffer from severe pain and discomfort, it is recommended to do exercise therapy in a standing position. You can use a wall, a chair, an armchair or a window sill as a support. It is necessary to carry out the abduction of the leg (straight) to the sides, then back and forth. It is also good to squat, but only in the way
joints allow, and you still need to walk, while raising your knees high.

When the level of training is high, and all actions can be performed without the presence of pain and discomfort, patients are allowed to diversify yoga classes. In this case, it is necessary to opt for those poses that work towards the knee joint. If you train constantly, then the elasticity of the joint will be increased.

Forbidden

Pay attention to the fact that exercise therapy is physical therapy, which is why all exercises are designed in such a way that only people with knee joint pathologies can perform them. The thing is that due to degenerative changes in the tissues, the articulation does not work properly. Therefore, not a single complex contains actions that require the patient to stand, sit, lift weights, or make jerky movements for a long time.

Accordingly, patients are prohibited from making exercises heavier, as well as exercising on exercise bikes. It is necessary to carefully approach the process of choosing yoga poses. They do not have to be very complex, choose only sparing options.

After the patient has gone through a period of exacerbation, and has also undergone a course of drug treatment for pathology, the main rehabilitation process will consist in regular exercise therapy. It is also equally important to develop a daily plan in which the patient will have a sufficient amount of rest and exercise therapy. So the patient will always feel good, and the mood will remain upbeat, which will help improve muscle and heart tone. Thanks to the right physical activity, including exercise therapy, yoga, swimming and massage, you can protect yourself from the development of various pathologies of the knee joint.

Complex (video)

Degenerative diseases are now the most common disorder of the musculoskeletal system. The number of cases especially increases with age: by the age of 60, every third suffers from arthrosis. Moreover, it is most susceptible, since it bears the greatest load. Gradually, the destruction of cartilage tissue in the joint cavity leads to the fact that the heads of the bones also begin to collapse. This causes pain with any movement, so patients try not to step on the sore leg. Helps to restore relative freedom of movement in arthrosis of the knee joint. It will only be effective if the exercises are performed correctly.

Features of arthrosis therapy

This pathology is characterized by degenerative processes in the articular cartilage. With age, this tissue loses water and becomes thinner. Because of this, the articular cartilage in the knee becomes brittle and begins to break down. It can no longer perform normally its depreciation properties, therefore, the heads of the bones also suffer. To prevent further destruction of the joint and restore the ability to move, arthrosis must be treated at its initial stage. Only a doctor can prescribe the right set of therapeutic measures. It usually includes:

Tasks of exercise therapy for arthrosis

Moderate is very important for any joint diseases. Special exercises help to activate blood circulation, stimulate the processes of self-healing of the joints and prevent the development of complications. If you exercise regularly, then physiotherapy exercises for arthrosis of the knee joint of the 2nd degree can restore knee mobility. And at the beginning of the development of pathology, exercise therapy is able to completely restore the function of the joint.

When a person instinctively tries to move less. This affects the general condition of the patient, the health of his heart and blood vessels. And because of this, the function of the knee joint deteriorates even more. It turns out a vicious circle, from which you can get out only with the help of therapeutic exercises.

Why exercise therapy is useful for osteoarthritis of the knee joint

Photos of exercises performed by sick people show that people at any age can do it. Even in the advanced stage of arthrosis, dosed physical activity will only benefit. Regular gymnastics has the following effect on a sore joint:

Features of exercise therapy at different stages of the disease

Therapeutic exercise for arthrosis of the knee joint should be different depending on the severity of the course of the disease. All patients benefit from such loads: exercise bike, swimming, yoga, walking on a treadmill or using a stepper. The strength and intensity of the load should depend on the stage of the disease.

Therapeutic exercise for arthrosis of the knee joint of the 1st degree is designed to improve blood flow, relieve muscle spasms and prevent limitation of joint mobility. At this stage of the development of the disease, intensive movements can be performed. They will help restore the functions of the musculoskeletal apparatus.
Therapeutic exercise for arthrosis of the knee joint of the 3rd degree, when the bones have already begun to break down, should include less vigorous exercises. They are designed to improve the blood supply to the joint, lymph flow, and relax the muscles around the problem area.

Class rules

Therapeutic exercise for arthrosis of the knee joint will be useful only if the exercises prescribed by the doctor are used, and several rules are followed when performing them:

you need to start exercising under the supervision of a specialist in the exercise therapy room;
training should be regular;
the load must be increased gradually, starting from 10 minutes a day;
classes should be started during the period of remission;
all exercises are performed slowly and smoothly;
even if only one knee hurts, both joints need to be loaded equally;
effective exercise therapy will be if you do at least 40 minutes a day, you can divide this time into two or three approaches;
the exercise is repeated from 4 times at the beginning to 10 times;
every 10 minutes of training, you need to give your knees a rest: lie on your back, stretch your legs and relax.

What is prohibited in arthritis

Some patients believe that if exercise therapy is useful, then you need to work out as hard as possible. But this approach can lead to disability. There are certain restrictions that apply to performing gymnastics with this disease. Patients need to remember not to:

to allow the appearance of pain in the joint during exercise;
exercise during an exacerbation of the disease;
perform sharp movements in the knee joint;
step on the knee;
squat a lot.

Lying exercises

Most often, with arthrosis, the lesson is carried out in the supine position. The simplest exercises are done even with a severe course of the disease. More complex - only during the period of remission at the first stage of its development. Therapeutic exercise for deforming arthrosis of the knee joint may include the following exercises:

alternately bend the feet without lifting the legs;
simultaneously bend both legs and raise the pelvis;
bend your knees, alternately straighten one, then the other;
while inhaling, simultaneously raise both arms and one leg;
imitate cycling with your feet;
perform crossing movements with straight legs.

There are also effective exercises from the supine position. You can swing your legs up, forward and backward. If you roll over on your stomach, you can bend the legs at the knees, raise the straight legs, spread them apart, or raise the upper body.

Standing and sitting exercises

During the period of remission, sitting on a chair is also necessarily added. And with a mild course of the disease, on the recommendation of a doctor, you can add standing exercises.

Sitting on a chair, you need to raise your legs alternately, holding them in a position perpendicular to the body. Holding on to the chair with your hands, raise both legs, bending them at the knees. You can add this exercise: get up and sit on a chair, helping yourself with your hands. All other types of squats for arthrosis are not recommended.
From a standing position, leg swings are usually performed to the side, forward and backward. In this case, you need to hold on to the back of the chair with your hands.

Approximate exercise therapy complex

Therapeutic exercise for arthrosis of the knee joint should train the musculoskeletal apparatus without straining the joint. It is very important to strengthen the muscles of the lower leg, thigh and buttocks. Types of exercises and features of their implementation depend on the severity of the course of the disease. All of them are selected individually. Often, patients in the exercise therapy room are recommended such a complex:

Therapeutic exercise for arthrosis of the knee joint according to Bubnovsky

There is also a special complex, which has recently received more and more positive reviews. Dr. Bubnovsky has developed a special technique that allows you to recover from this disease in a short time. Such exercises can only be used under the supervision of a specialist. If performed incorrectly, they can aggravate the course of the disease. The Bubnovsky system has the following exercises:

kneeling, sit on your heels and sit like this for up to 2 minutes;
from a position lying on your back or sitting, you need to pull the toe of each leg towards you as much as possible;
holding on to a chair or wall, slowly squat, spreading your knees so that the joint forms a right angle.

The knee joint is one of the most complex and mobile in the human body. It carries a heavy load while walking, running, jumping, climbing stairs, static loads. As a result of injuries, inflammatory and degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the knee joints, blood supply and tissue nutrition worsen, the cartilaginous layer of the intra-articular surfaces of the bones becomes thinner, the menisci are destroyed, and the functioning of the musculoskeletal apparatus is disrupted.

Arthritis, osteoarthrosis, changes in the integrity of bones and ligaments lead to chronic progressive inflammation and impaired mobility of the knees. For the treatment of diseases, drug treatment, surgical methods of therapy, physiotherapy and exercises to strengthen the knee joints are used. Physiotherapy exercises (exercise therapy) are prescribed at different stages of the disease and significantly improve the function of the musculoskeletal system.

Tasks and rules for conducting training

A complex of therapeutic exercises is prescribed by a doctor depending on the nature and severity of the pathological process, concomitant diseases, and the age of the patient. Full-fledged training begins during the period of remission of the acute phase of the disease - a decrease in pain, normalization of body temperature, and a decrease in local inflammatory manifestations. The main task of gymnastics is:

increased elasticity of the ligamentous apparatus of the knee;
strengthening the muscle groups of the thigh and lower leg, involved in the process of motor activity of the knee joint;
normalization of blood circulation, as a result of which metabolism improves, synovial fluid synthesis is activated, cartilage tissue cells are restored;
improvement of general well-being and emotional background, which favorably affects recovery.

Exercise therapy can be done in groups under the supervision of a specialist

With the daily performance of a set of exercises, the function of the knee joints is restored completely or partially, depending on the degree of violations of the anatomical structures.

During exercise therapy, you should adhere to the following rules:

training should be regular, the course of treatment is from 14 to 30 days;
gymnastics must be done 2-3 times a day for 10-15 minutes, the total exercise time is 30-45 minutes;
the load on the joints of the knees should gradually increase, the frequency of repetitions of exercises starts from 3-4, bringing up to 10-15 in one approach;
the amplitude at the beginning of the workout is low with an increase towards the end of the gymnastic complex;
each exercise is performed carefully, muscles and ligaments are well worked out;
after physical education, you should rest in a prone position on a hard surface with knees bent, which helps restore blood flow in the trained joints;
after a set of exercises, you can take a contrast shower, perform self-massage of the affected joint and surrounding soft tissues;
gymnastics should not bring discomfort and pain, if discomfort occurs, you should stop training;
pain syndrome during subsequent workouts requires a visit to a doctor.

You should not expect a quick positive effect, exercise therapy improves the condition of the knees in arthrosis and arthritis as a result of long-term patient treatment, which does not exclude other types of therapy.

A set of exercises according to the Evdokimenko method

An effective exercise therapy complex for the rehabilitation of inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the knee joints was created by the Russian academician, rheumatologist and psychologist Evdokimenko Pavel Valerievich. Based on his many years of experience, he developed exercises that positively affect the musculoskeletal system and improve the emotional mood to fight the disease.

Most often, dysfunction of the knees occurs in osteoarthritis, which is characterized by the destruction of cartilage and bone tissue, impaired synthesis of synovial fluid, and a decrease in the range of motion of the lower extremities. The disease develops after an injury, as a result of a metabolic pathology, an inflammatory process of the structures of the knee joint (arthritis, periarthritis, bursitis).

The complex structure of the knee joint and its mobility lead to the frequent development of pathology

Before you start physiotherapy exercises, you should familiarize yourself with the list of contraindications to classes:

arterial hypertension;
increased intracranial pressure;
abdominal hernia and inguinal hernia;
acute blood diseases;
severe chronic diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
acute inflammatory process in the internal organs;
increase in body temperature;
menstrual bleeding;
recovery postoperative period within a month.

The complex of physical education for arthrosis of the knee joint includes 9 exercises that must be performed in the proposed sequence.

Lying on the stomach, arms are located along the body. Alternately raise the straightened leg up to a distance of about 15 cm from the floor and hold it on weight for 40 seconds. In this case, the pelvis is tightly fixed, and the movements are carried out due to the muscles of the thighs and abdomen.
The starting position is the same. Bend your left leg at the knee joint at an angle of 90 degrees and slowly raise it to a height of up to 10 cm from the floor, holding it on weight for at least 10 seconds. Then do the exercise with your right foot.
The starting position is the same. Slowly raise both legs to the highest possible height, then smoothly, without jerking, spread your legs apart and bring them together. Exercise may increase blood pressure and should therefore be used with caution by patients suffering from coronary heart disease and hypertension.
In the position lying on the right side, bend the leg of the same name, and straighten the left lower limb and lift it as high as possible, hold for 20-30 seconds. Then repeat the exercise on the left side.
Sitting on a chair, alternately straighten and lift your leg, holding it in weight for up to a minute. If your knees hurt a lot when doing gymnastics, reduce the range of motion until the feeling of discomfort stops.
Turn to the back of the chair with your face in a standing position and, holding on to it with your hands, gently rise on your toes, linger in this position for 3 seconds and lower your feet to the floor.
The starting position is the same. Now you need to stand on your heels, lifting your feet as high as possible.
The starting position is the same. Raise the left leg to the toe with the right leg stationary, then do this exercise with the other leg. It turns out a roll from one foot to another. Feel the rush of blood to your knees.
At the end of the gymnastics complex, self-massage the anterior-lateral surface of the thigh from the knee joint to the groin for 5 minutes. First, rub the skin, then knead the muscles, at the end of the procedure, stroke. After the massage, pleasant warmth should be felt.

Articular gymnastics according to the Evdokimenko method is available for patients of all age categories

Exercises for knee arthrosis improve its motor function and relieve pain from the first days of training, however, to consolidate the positive effect, it is important to complete a full course of physiotherapy exercises. For the correct implementation of gymnastics, you should consult a doctor who will help you put the training technique. In addition, numerous visual videos are posted on the Internet that explain in detail the features of exercises for diseases of the knee joint.

Exercise therapy for the knees effectively restores their functional activity and is an important part of the complex treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The correct approach and following the recommendations of a specialist when performing gymnastics will help maintain the health of the knee joints and prevent the progression of the pathological process.