Stretching and self-massage of the knee, calf and thigh muscles helps improve blood circulation, stimulate metabolism, reduce chronic joint pain, and restore mobility. It is better to start such exercises with an instructor, and then you can continue on your own, at home. If you do not want to use the services of physical therapy specialists and want to do stretching on your own, we will share with you several effective exercises that you can use at home or anywhere else.
Anatomy and mechanism of movement of the knee joint
The knee joint is one of the most complex and important joints in our body. It connects the thigh and shin. The correct anatomical structure and normal functioning of the knee joint provide a full and painless range of motion.
The knee joint is made up of three bones: the femur, tibia, and patella. They are connected by ligaments that provide stability to the joint. The knee also contains menisci and cartilage that act as shock absorbers, absorbing shock when walking and running, and synovial fluid that lubricates the joint surfaces to reduce friction.
The mechanism of movement of the knee joint includes flexion, extension, rotation and slight displacement of the shin to the side. The biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus, popliteus and gastrocnemius muscles are responsible for flexion, and the quadriceps femoris is responsible for extension.
When the knee muscles are tense or shortened, imbalance in the joint and deterioration of its mobility are possible. With prolonged weakening of the muscles, knee pain often appears, the risk of degenerative processes increases. These problems can be solved by therapeutic physical training and massage.
The purpose and features of exercises for stretching the knee muscles
Stretching your knee muscles helps you make your tissues more elastic, improve blood circulation, and reduce the risk of injury during sports and physical labor. But this type of exercise is much less conducive to muscle growth than strength training.
Stretching exercises can be part of a training program in physical therapy. They are also used to improve flexibility and maintain good physical fitness in completely healthy people who want to maintain healthy knee joints.
Knee Stretching Exercises
Use this seven-exercise routine to stretch your muscles and tendons:
Exercises 1. Stand facing a wall, about half a meter away. Raise your arms and rest your palms on the wall. Step forward with one leg with your knee bent. Keep the other leg straight and apply pressure to it when you are in a stretched position. Hold for half a minute, then repeat on the other side. If the standard exercise becomes too easy for you, you can increase the distance to the wall.
Exercise 2. Get down on your left knee and place your right shin on the floor. If the surface is too hard for you, use a mat. You need to move your right leg back and place both palms on your knee and push forward. Hold for 20 seconds. Then repeat on the other side.
Exercise 3. Grab the back of a chair to help you maintain balance. Bend your left leg and grab your ankle with your hand. Pull your leg up with your hand. Your torso should remain straight, and you should not tilt your head. Hold the leg in the highest position possible for half a minute, then repeat with the other leg.
Exercise 4. Lie on your back. Extend your right leg while bending your left. Grab your knee with your hands and pull it toward your body. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, then repeat the same action with the other leg.
Exercise 5. Perform in a standing position, with your legs wide apart. Start moving your feet in diverging directions. Now lunge first to one side, then to the other, feeling the tension in your thigh muscles. Hold each position for 30 seconds.
Exercise 6. Sit on the floor and bring the soles of your feet together to form a diamond. Spread your knees to the sides, trying to press them to the floor. You don’t have to reach the floor, just spread them as far as you can. You can press them with your hands. Then lean forward, feeling the stretch in your thighs. Hold this position for half a minute.
Exercise 7. Performed lying on your back. Bend your left leg and place your foot on the floor with its entire surface. Raise your right leg as high as you can. Hold it in this position without bending your knee. Feel the tension under your knee. Hold this position for half a minute and repeat the same trick with the other leg.
Self-massage techniques
Even the most inflexible people can easily reach their knee. It is the most accessible joint for self-massage among all joints of the human body.
The ideal way to learn self-massage is to go to a professional massage therapist and have a few massage sessions. You will see what the massage therapist does and can ask him questions about the massage technique.
You can contact Dr. Waqas Javed’s Clinic in Moscow. We specialize in the treatment of joint diseases, and our specialists have special massage techniques that are selected individually, depending on the diagnosis or purpose of the massage effect.
If you want to try a massage right now, following the instructions from the Internet, then it can also be effective to some extent, although it is possible that the results of such a procedure will be worse compared to a professional massage.
Knee joint massage technique:
- Feel your knee and warm it with your palms.
- Rub your knee. Move your palms up and down, stroking it.
- Perform rotational movements with the centers of your palms.
- Apply gentle pressure to the skin around the knee joint from the sides. Do not use this technique if there is swelling or fluid accumulation in the knee.
- Massage with your fingers under the knee.
These movements describe the massage effect on the knee joint itself. But in case of knee problems, the thigh and shin muscles are also massaged – they are the ones that control the knee joint.
It is difficult to do such a massage on your own, if only because during the massage the leg should be straight and relaxed, and in this position it is impossible to independently influence the back of the leg. Not all patients can reach the front of the shin either.
Therefore, if you need a massage of the muscles that control the knee joint, contact Dr. Waqas Javed’s Clinic in Lahore. We have experienced massage therapists who will perform this procedure safely, technically correctly, with good results. And if you are concerned about knee pain or other symptoms, you can get a consultation with an orthopedist at our center.