Quad Strengthing Exercise

VastBreak

So, it looks like I have torn my meniscus. Not sure of how badly yet until I get the MRI.

The Dr told me no running until we see how severe the injury. Also said NO elliptical, not a natural motion for the knee! Very surprised at this remark! Also mentioned to try to remain as actively as possible!

I was told that if the injury is severe I would most likely require surgery. If the damage is minor I can most like work with physical therapy to increase my quad strength.

My question is how can I begin increasing my quad strength without further injuring my knee? I don't even have full range of motion at this point. I cannot bend my knee completely to tie my shoe. Squats are out!

I know it will be a couple weeks until I get an MRI and then possibly setup with a PT.

just_Jennie1

I'm sure there are a lot of "quad strengthening exercise" out there and people will probably give you some but is it really worth hurting yourself more? Why don't you wait until you get your MRI before even attempting to do any sort of exercise.

If you feel the need to exercise then walk on the treadmill and do some upper body lifting.

jacksonpt

Just stop. Wait and see the extent of the injury, then get on a good PT routine.

You're not going to make any meaningful gains in teh week or 2 it takes to evaluate your knee. Nor are you going to see any significant losses.

AllanMisner

Until you know how badly injured you are, you're best suited resting.

If you do therapy, they'll likely use rubber bands for your quad strengthening. This will be fine (thicker bands can be used) until you're fully healed and can start squatting.

VastBreak

True, I'm not really looking for gains or losses and I understand it will only be a couple weeks.

I already walk pretty regular. So I don't think that will help build quad strength. Just trying to figure out a few ways to stay in a routine until I can move forward.

jacksonpt

I'd keep your lower body work light... walking, maybe swimming or cycling if Drs approve. But there's no reason you can't get into a good upper body lifting routine.

FourIsCompany

I have the same issue. Torn meniscus in both knees. Do leg lifts, on your back and on your side, weighted if it's comfortable. There's a book called Heal Your Knees. It's saved me from surgery, I swear. I was in two knee braces and used a walker... Now, I'm walking a mile at a time. AND doing squats! LOL

http://www.amazon.com/Heal-Your-Knees-Prevent-Surgery/dp/1590771249

fxdl2k2

Listen to your doctor and the PT.

When I injured my knee last May, the exercises for strengthening the quads were all stretching exercises such as crossed legs and leaning over to touch toes, laying on side and doing leg lifts, superman lifts, and even lower ab work.

scottaworley

squat only way to build quad. squat and deadlift. turns out its a fact

VastBreak

Thanks! I'll look into the book!

An upper body routine and core exercises would probably work really well. Haven't done too much of either all summer!

I actually went cycling this weekend and that didn't bother my knee at all! I raised my seat just a smidge higher and kept to a route that gave me a couple shorter options that I could loop back if needed. Hope to go again later this week and hopefully this weekend too, weather permitting! It is beautiful around New England this time of year.

Azdak

So, it looks like I have torn my meniscus. Not sure of how badly yet until I get the MRI.

The Dr told me no running until we see how severe the injury. Also said NO elliptical, not a natural motion for the knee! Very surprised at this remark! Also mentioned to try to remain as actively as possible!

I was told that if the injury is severe I would most likely require surgery. If the damage is minor I can most like work with physical therapy to increase my quad strength.

My question is how can I begin increasing my quad strength without further injuring my knee? I don't even have full range of motion at this point. I cannot bend my knee completely to tie my shoe. Squats are out!

I know it will be a couple weeks until I get an MRI and then possibly setup with a PT.

One week will not make any difference one way or the other, so I wouldn't be overly concerned. If you end up having surgery right away, there is not enough time to "prehab" the knee, and if you end up trying therapy, you will be going into a structured program anyway, so there is no need to push it at this point.

Keep in mind that a meniscus tear is a structural injury that cannot be "cured" like tendinitis or some other type of soft-tissue injury. A surgeon can either attempt to repair it or cut away the loose parts.

Going the "rehab" route will mean you are attempting to increase muscle strength and lower body balance to try and stabilize the knee in order to minimize the pain from the torn meniscus. It won't heal anything. With medical management, you are trying to determine the conditions under which symptoms (pain) occur and then try to modify those conditions so that you can push back the threshold at which pain occurs. Then you have to determine if that is a satisfactory outcome. For example, one might find that they can do a lot of different types of vigorous exercises, but still not be able to run. Or to be able to do everything except heavy squats or walk down steps. Or you may get lucky and find that the damage is minor enough that you can't resume all activities.

I think most people ultimately opt for surgery because they find that, with medical management, there is still too much pain or too much activity limitation. But...you can always do surgery, so one doesn't necessarily lose anything by being cautious--except time.

cafeaulait7

If you do some of the straight-leg leg lifts like you find in Pilates or ballet, they are great. But don't use weights on your ankle! There are men's ankle weights that go up fairly high in weight that might fit around your thigh. You can use them on your thigh for the leg lifts, or with a cable attached to the thigh. You can work the quad without using your knee at all, as long as holding up the knee (and lower leg) isn't a problem.

But don't put weight on the ankle with a knee injury and then lift up the leg. Or only do that if your PT says it's OK

bumblebums

Here you go.

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/knee-pain/medial-cartilage-meniscus-injury/rehabilitation-meniscus-injury

FrnkLft

Seriously, nobody who has answered is an expert or doctor. Do what your doctor is telling you and don't push it.

How would you feel if you made it worse because you listened to somebody on a forum?

AndyTwoSlow

I had an ACL/meniscus repair several years ago and did a lot of different post-op exercises in PT.

I will say, between my injury and the surgery I had about a month wait, just between the MRI and scheduling it took a while. In that time, I was walking fine, I was just pretty slow going up stairs and was careful not to twist at the knee. One night the wife and I were at an Angels game and walking down the stadium steps something popped in my knee and I couldn't walk at all. Wife had to act like a crutch to get me to the car. So yeah, let that be your guide for how something simple like going down the stairs can complicate things.

My PT had me work on a lot of exercises that worked on balance and assymetrical loading. I was locked in an immobilizer after surgery so I had to retrain my gait, relearn how to walk up stairs, the whole deal. Had to reteach my brain where my foot was in space and how to swing my leg while stepping forward.

One example, he'd put several 8" cones in front of my in an arc and I would stand on one foot while touching the top of the cones with the bottom of my foot. Feet shoulder width apart, Reach out with foot, touch cone, reset to standing, repeat with next cone. Then switch off to the other foot.

Another similar one, he'd put the same cones on a coffee table height bench, and I'd squat down to touch the top of the cones with my hand. Same deal, squat down slightly touch, stand up. squat down slightly, touch.

We also did a lot of exercises stepping onto a bosu ball ('ball' side up), with support rails on both sides. Step up with 'bad' knee, step up with good knee, step backwards with bad knee, step backwards with good knee, repeat. Later we'd flip the bosu ball upside down and stand on the flat side, in a slight squat, while the PT would toss weight balls to me to catch then toss back.

Another one was standing against a wall with an exercise ball behind me, leaning at a slight angle and do squats. We'd also do simple things like walking across the face of an incline. Moving medicine balls around by rolling it with my foot. Oh, another was sitting on a wheeled stool, reach out with your 'bad' knee, and pull yourself foward (keeping your back straight and upright, don't rock back and forth). You'll feel it in your hams pretty quick.


Of course, every injury and every situation is different and as mentioned above, I'm not a doctor or PT, just relating my experience.

bumblebums

Seriously, nobody who has answered is an expert or doctor. Do what your doctor is telling you and don't push it.

How would you feel if you made it worse because you listened to somebody on a forum?

Normally, I would agree with you. Except that when I had my meniscus tear, a doctor (yeah, a real one with a degree and everything) told me that it would "heal on its own". I hobbled about for a few weeks before finally going to another doctor, who laughed and laughed at doctor number one. And then booked me for arthroscopic surgery three months into the future. So in the time I had to wait, my muscles atrophied quite a bit, because Dr. #2 did not tell me what to do (and this was before the internet so I couldn't look this stuff up easily).

Sports injuries are some of the easiest things to self-diagnose and/or self-treat, and there is a lot of information about meniscus tears out there. OP could do own research, sure, but what would be the fun in that for the rest of us?

Unknown

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JNick77

You don't even have MRI results yet? I don't know, I would honestly lay low on leg exercise until I knew more. I guess if bike riding is tolerable then you've found your exercise. Just be careful, no use in damaging it further or putting yourself in a bad position that causes other damage to your body.