A meniscus tear in Jacksonville, North Carolina, can cause symptoms like pain and decreased range of motion. Using therapeutic exercises, physical therapists in your area can help treat injuries to the meniscus. There are two exercises that are perfect examples of the kind you’ll learn in physical therapy for meniscus tears.
1. Heel slides
One goal of therapeutic exercises used for meniscus tears is to improve your range of motion. This is the extent to which you can move your knee joint, and it can be greatly reduced by this type of knee injury. To help counteract decreased range of motion, your physical therapist may introduce you to the heel slide.
To do heel slides, you’ll need to lie down on your back on the floor, and you may want to lie on a yoga mat to increase your comfort. Once you’re lying down, bend your right knee so that your foot is resting flat on the floor. This is the starting position for heel slides. From this position, slowly slide your heel along the floor until it’s as close to your butt as possible. After you’ve moved the heel as far backward as you can, slowly return your foot to the starting position. Repeat the movement until you’ve done 10 reps with your right leg, and then repeat these steps to do 10 reps with your left leg.
2. Short arc quad exercise
Another type of exercise you’ll be asked to do in physical therapy for meniscus tears is strengthening exercises. These exercises are used for several reasons. For one thing, they can help increase the strength of muscles that support the knee. They’re also intended to improve knee alignment and reduce your risk of future knee injuries. An exercise from this category that may be included in your therapy plan is the short arc quad exercise.
The quadriceps, or quad, is a large muscle on the front of your thigh, and it helps bend and support the knee. The short arc quad exercise is designed to target this muscle. To begin this exercise, lie down on your back on the floor with a rolled-up towel under the affected knee. You can also use a round object like a soccer ball or basketball in place of the towel. Once the towel is under your knee, tighten your quad muscle to straighten your knee. Hold this position for three to five seconds, and then slowly relax the quad and bend your knee. Try to repeat this exercise 10 times with the injured leg. You can also use these steps on the unaffected leg as well.
Peak Performance in Jacksonville, NC, has meniscus tear physical therapy for you
Peak Performance has a clinic in Jacksonville, and our team here is experienced with many knee injuries and medical conditions. We offer free screenings that can help you learn if your pain is caused by arthritis, meniscus tears or another knee issue. Our team can also create personalized therapy plans for every patient, and our plans may include therapy techniques such as:
- Aquatic therapy
- Manual therapy
- Therapeutic exercise
- Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
Take the next step to get our help with your knee pain. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
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