Important Note:
These exercises were designed as a place to start to address your symptoms. These exercises should not be performed or continued if they cause or increase your pain in any way. Using these exercises for self-management of your symptoms does not replace the value of being assessed by a Health Professional.
1. Massage Stick: Outer Thigh
Sit down on a chair. Use the massage stick to roll out tissues of the outside of the thigh, keeping your knee bent. Spend more times on areas that are
tender/tight/knotted but avoid or modify the pressure on the areas that are tender. 1-2 mins per area, 2-3 days a week or after exercise.
2. Heel Slides With Towel
If you don’t have full movement in your knee. In sitting, place a towel around the heel. Gently pull the towel to flex the knee to a comfortable bend. Use the towel to slide the knee, do not use your muscles. Then gently push your heel into the towel and slowly straighten. The goal is to work on slowly moving the knee into flexion (bending) and extension (straightening) and gradually progressing the range over the next few weeks. Do it frequently throughout the day to keep it moving and help decrease the swelling.
20-30reps x3 times a day.
3. Isometric Quads
Sit with your leg straight. Tighten the quadriceps muscle on the front of the thigh by trying to push the knee downward and lift the heel off the floor. Do not push into pain. You can put your fingers on the inner quad muscle to help it activate better. Hold for 5 seconds. Relax. Repeat 10 times, working up to 30 times, x2-3/day.
