Running & Hyperextended Knee

Running on a knee injured as the result of hyperextension can delay the healing process. Photo Credit Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images

Running regularly can help you stay healthy and fit, so it can be difficult to give up for even a short time, even if you have an injury. However, running with an injured knee can create unnecessary complications. If and when you can run with a hyperextended knee depend on the extent of any damage caused by the hyperextension. Understanding the risks involved can help, but you should consult a doctor before running if your knee is injured.

Hyperextension

Hyperextension of the knee occurs when the knee is bent backward past a certain point, which is slightly different from person to person, depending on each individual's flexibility. It is common in sports that require landing forcefully on the ground, such as volleyball or gymnastics. Injury can result from hyperextension, ranging from a mild swelling and bruising to severe damage to the cartilage or one of the ligaments in the knee, such as the anterior cruciate ligament.

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Strengthening Exercises for a Hyperextended Knee

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Running

Running places a lot of stress on your legs and feet, including the knee. If you have hyperextended your knee, it's possible no damage has occurred; however, if swelling, bruising or pain is present, running could further damage the knee, worsening the injury and increasing the time it takes to heal. Running on a severe injury that has not yet healed could produce the same effect. Regardless of the severity, if you have even the slightest of symptoms, consult a doctor before running or exercising the affected knee.

Treatment

Properly treating an injury caused by a hyperextended knee can help you return to a regular running regimen more quickly. Treatment depends on the severity of the injury but will definitely include a period of rest from physical activity. You might also need to wear a brace for a time as well as participate in physical therapy to rehabilitate your knee. If the injury is severe enough, surgery might also be required.

See Also: Hyperextended Knee in Yoga

Considerations

It can be tempting to start running too early in the healing process, particularly if you are a regular runner, but reinjuring your knee could cause permanent damage, possibly ending your running career. It's important to follow your doctor's recommendations and not run before he gives you permission. If you feel that you are ready to run before the prescribed time, talk to your doctor first. In some cases, tests can be administered that can determine the strength and readiness of your knee.

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Strengthening Exercises for Extended Knee

Strengthening exercises for a hyperextended knee will help improve your leg stability. Photo Credit Barry Austin/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Strengthening exercises for a hyperextended knee are designed to return your knee to its original level of stability and strength. After suffering from a hyperextended knee injury, it is important to keep off of the knee for several weeks, using cold compresses to reduce the swelling in the knee. As a result, strengthening exercises must be performed after the injury has healed in order to increase the stability of the knee. Consulting a doctor with about your hyperextended knee will help you get a proper diagnosis and decide if surgery is necessary.

Straight Leg Raises

This straight leg raise exercise will indirectly strengthen your knee by strengthening the quadricep muscles that support the knee. Lie down on the ground with your hyperextended leg straight and your other leg bent at a 30 degree angle from the knee. From here, tighten your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your injured leg off the ground, making sure not to lift it higher than a 45 degree angle. Hold for several seconds before returning to your original position. Perform 10 repetitions before stopping.

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Ways to Stretch With a Hyperextended Knee

Quarter Squats

These squats are designed to improve the range of motion in your knee as well as strengthen the muscles that support your knees. Place both of your hands on the back of a chair, with both of your knees slightly bent and back straight. From here, bend at the knees, keeping your back straight as you lower your body towards the ground. Your tailbone should jut back and your knees should not go forward of your toes. Stop your squat as soon as you feel resistance or pain in your knee. Hold for several seconds before standing back up. As your knee regains strength, try performing these squats on one leg.

Forward Step-Ups

This strengthening exercise will increase range of motion in your knee. Stand in front of a short stair or stool with your arms at your sides and knees slightly bent. Lift your injured leg up by bending at the knee and place your foot down on the stool. Press through the heel of the foot on the stool and keep the knee in line over the ankle, not bending past the toes as you step up. Once your injured leg is firmly planted on the stool, lift up your other leg and step up onto the stool. Return to your original position and repeat until fatigued.

See Also: At-Home Exercises for Hyperextension of the Knee

Hamstring Strengthening Exercise

This exercise is designed to strengthen your hamstrings and improve range of motion in your injured knee. Lie down on your stomach with your legs fully extended and your arms at your sides. From here, bend your injured leg back at the knee until you feel pressure or pain in the knee area. Hold this position for three seconds before slowly returning your leg to its original position. In addition to a stretch in your knees, you should feel tightness in your hamstrings as you perform this exercise.

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Knee Extension Exercises At-Home

A woman is holding her knee. Photo Credit Leslie Achtymichuk/iStock/Getty Images

A hyperextended knee is caused by excessive pressure that forces the knee backwards past its normal straightened position. You may experience pain, bruising or swelling while recovering from a hyperextended knee injury. Performing leg exercises from the comfort of your home can help strengthen the muscles around the joint. Get clearance from your doctor before doing exercises for a hyperextended knee.

Leg Raises

Perform leg raises to strengthen the muscles in your quadriceps. Lie on your back with your hands at your sides. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Extend your right leg straight. Lift your right leg about 6 inches off the ground and hold for a few seconds. Return your right leg to the floor. Repeat the movement eight times on each leg.

Leg Extensions

Execute leg extensions to stimulate the inner thigh and quadricep muscles. Sit straight up in a chair with your hands at your sides. Place your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Extend your left leg until it is completely straight in front of you. Keep your foot flexed and squeeze your leg muscles. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and release your leg to the floor. Repeat 10 times on each leg.

Butt Exercises That Don't Involve the Knees

Knee Bends

Do knee bends to work the muscles in your hamstrings and quadriceps. Lie on your back with both hands at your sides. Lift your left leg and place your hands behind your left thigh, with your knee bent. Keep your knee bent at a 90-degree angle. Flex your left foot and extend the leg straight, while squeezing the muscles in your quadriceps and hamstrings. Hold for a couple of seconds and release your leg back down to the starting position. Repeat 10 times on each leg.

Standing Leg Lifts

Standing leg lifts engage the muscles in your quadriceps and inner thighs. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with one hand on a chair for balance. Lift your right leg straight in front of you with your foot flexed. Aim to raise your leg to a 45-degree angle. Slowly lower your leg to the ground, but don’t let your foot touch the floor. Repeat 10 times on each leg.i

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Knee Exercises to Prevent Inflamation

Stretching the muscles around the knee is key to reducing inflammation. Photo CreditMedioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images

Inflammation, or swelling of the knee, is a common and painful symptom of a potentially serious knee injury. Causes of inflammation can range from tendinitis, arthritis, bursitis, a hyperextended knee or ligament damage.



If you develop inflammation in the knee joint, the proper first step is to contact your doctor and request an examination, which could include an MRI, to determine the exact cause of the swelling. If the diagnosis does not require surgery, there are exercises you can perform that should reduce the swelling and pain.

Warming Up

While the exercises themselves will lead to a decrease in inflammation, they should not be performed without properly warming up the body beforehand. Specifically, it is crucial to warm up the muscles around the knee that will provide it the most support during exercise.



According to Bigkneepain.com, warming up with 5 minutes of low-impact aerobics, such as walking or riding a stationary bike, increases blood supply to the muscles to help prevent injury.

Quadriceps and Hamstrings

The two most important muscles that support the knee, according to Bigkneepain.com, are the quadriceps and hamstrings.



The quadriceps runs along the front of the thigh and attaches to the front of the shinbone just below the knee. The quadriceps control knee straightening and movement of the kneecap. They are used to extend the leg and is essential for standing up, walking upstairs, walking uphill and running.



The hamstrings are muscles at the back of the thigh and attach to the back of the shinbone just below the knee. The hamstrings are used to bend the knee and are also needed when you are pushing against something.



The stronger these two muscles, either through stretching or strengthening exercise, the less wear and tear on the knee joint, which aides in reducing inflammation.

Stretching

According to Bigkneepain.com, stretching the muscles that support the knee helps to prevent injury. Flexible muscles are not as easily injured as tight muscles. If the muscles connected to the knee are tight, they can pull the knee out of alignment.



Stretching exercises may be done daily, but three times a week is sufficient. Some physical therapists may prescribe stretching twice a day during rehab. Each individual stretch should last between a minute and 90 seconds, whether as one long stretch or two or three repetitions. Stretches should be performed without any bouncing.



When doing stretching knee exercises, be careful to go slowly and not to overstretch. You do not want to tear a muscle.

Stretching Exercises

Among the recommended stretching exercises by thewalkingsite.com are for the quadriceps, hamstring and calf.



To stretch the quadrices, lie on your side with your hips and shoulders stacked. Grab the top ankle or shin and gently pull your leg up and away from the bottom leg. Hold in place for 20 seconds and repeat with other leg.



For the hamstrings, sit on the floor with one leg out straight, then bend the other leg at the knee and press the sole of that foot against your opposite inner thigh. Bend at the waist, keeping your back straight and touch the toes of your extended leg. Hold for 20 seconds, then stretch the other leg.



For the calf, stand about a foot from a wall and place your hands on the wall at shoulder height and at shoulder width apart. Take a step back with your right foot while pushing into the wall. Keep your back straight and press your right heel into the floor. Hold for 20 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

See Also: Remedies for Knee Joint Inflammation

Streghtening Exercises

According to Bigkneepain.com, there are some common exercises to strengthen both the quad and hamstring.



To perform a quad contraction, sit at the edge of a chair and extend your legs with the heels to floor. With your knees straight, tighten your thigh muscles. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times, doing two or three sets of 10 at a time.



For a quad partial squats, Stand and keep your back straight, knees hip-width apart and pointing straight ahead. Slowly lower and move your buttocks backward as if you were sitting down, bending the knee no more than 90 degrees. Hold position for a count of 5. Do ten squats. Stop if you feel pain.



For a seated hamstring contractions, bend the knees 45 degrees and keep your heels on the floor, toes lifted up. Pull back on your heels, digging them into floor. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat 10 times.



Lying on stomach, place your left foot onto the back of the right heel. Slowly pull your right heel toward your buttocks, resisting with the left leg. Hold for a count of 10. Repeat 10 times.

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