Exercises to strengthen an arthritic knee?

Exercises to strengthen an arthritic knee?I'm wanting to try to strengthen my knee, but am unsure what exactly to do other then just to flex and hold it.

I'm looking for things, if any, I can do at home. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

- joe r
Well, my father is a pharmacist and suggests regenicare see univeralifesciences.com or you can type in regenicare on myspace. let me know if you have any questions, Joe

- Janice
Arthritis is a real balancing act between exercise and rest. If you exercise too much, you may flare it up. If you exercise too little, it will become weak, unstable, and easily aggravated.

I'm a physiotherapist and recommend addressing the two primary problems that occur with arthritis:

1. The inflamed joint capsule will scar and contract resulting in stiffness. It is therefore imperative that you move it through its full range of motion regularly. That is the exercise that you describe - flexing it (bending it all the way) and holding it. You should also extend it (straighten it) all the way, as far as it will go and hold it.

2. Chronic inflammation in the joint results in inhibition of the quadriceps muscle that supports it. This can cause muscle wasting and joint instability. To address this you need to work the quadricep muscle.

Sitting in a chair with your knee bent at 90 degrees, lift your foot off the floor and straighten your knee. Hold this for 5 seconds and then slowly lower it. Repeat this for 3 sets of 10. If you have pain during this exercise, don't work it through the full 90 degree range - just work within your painfree range for now, and as your strength improves you may find that you can work through a larger range of motion. If you have no pain during this exercise then you can add a light weight to your ankle and try that.

Because I cannot examine your knee here I can only make a general recommendation. For more specifics you should see your physical therapist.

A couple of more exercises you can try are on the following web pages:

http://www.exercise-ball-exercises.com/stand1-lunge.html
http://www.exercise-ball-exercises.com/wall1-squat.html

Remember to only squat down as low as you can WITHOUT pain. Keep the movements very slow and controlled. Start slowly and see how your knee responds.

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