Photo: Ben Smith, Flickr Creative Commons
Knees are the most injury-prone part of our bodies because of the everyday wear and tear of walking, bending, and climbing stairs. Injury, overuse, and aging all cause knee pain, which only worsens with age. Pain can range from uncomfortable to severe, hampering daily activities. Many people think a knee replacement is their only option, and a painful one that may not offer significant relief or permanent results. But are there other options?
The best way to avoid chronic knee problems is with prevention. If your knees are beginning to trouble you, there are some exercises you can do to strengthen the muscles that support your knees and improve your range of motion and flexibility.
Knee Strengthening Exercises
- Quad Clenches: This exercise focuses on strengthening your quad muscles, the group of four muscles on the front of your thigh.
– Sit or lie down with your leg straight out in front of you.
– Tighten the muscles on the front of your thigh by pushing your knee downwards. – You should experience a tightening of your quadriceps.
– Hold this position for about 3 seconds, then relax. Repeat 5 to 10 times per leg.
- Long Arcs: Not only is this exercise great for strengthening the leg, they are an excellent way to prevent your knees from getting stiff if sitting for extended periods of time. If you are stuck at your desk, take breaks to perform this exercise and keep your knees limber.
– While sitting, place both feet flat on the ground with your knees bent.
– Slowly raise one foot until your knee is straight, then hold this position for 3-5 second before slowly lowering your foot.
– Do 5-10 reps per leg at least 3 times throughout the day.
- Kick Backs: This exercise focuses on the hamstring, which is located at the back of your thigh.
– While standing upright and holding onto something sturdy, lift one leg toward your bottom as far as you can, bending the knee.
– Hold for 3-5 seconds, then lower your leg. Do 5-10 reps per leg.
With all these exercises, you should only push yourself until you feel the stretch. Trying to push further can cause more problems.
Get Pain Relief for Your Knees with Stem Cell Therapy from Lyceum Physical Medicine
Many people wait until a joint is in total deterioration before they seek treatment. However, you get much better results if you seek treatment early – and you’ll save yourself from living in unnecessary pain!
Lyceum Physical Medicine offers a wide array of treatment options, from physical rehabilitation, to injections, to groundbreaking stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy offers significant pain relief to patients who thought knee replacements were their only option.
Call us today to schedule a consultation. Remember: You can always have a knee replacement after stem cell therapy if you still think it’s necessary, but you can’t have stem cell therapy once you have an artificial joint. Avoid painful surgery and try stem cell therapy today.