Osteoarthritis Exercises

By: Vert Mooney, MD

While it may seem paradoxical, for those with so much osteoarthritis pain that it hurts to move, exercise is actually beneficial and will help manage the pain.

Exercise helps manage osteoarthritis pain in a number of specific ways, including:

• Flexibility and stretching exercises can expand or preserve the range of motion and elasticity in affected joints and thus relieve the stiffness that leads to pain
• A consistent low impact aerobic exercise program can aid in controlling weight, which in turn lessens impact and stress on the joints
• Repeated motion of the joint is necessary to maintain normal joint health
• Aerobic exercise that increases heart rate produces endorphins, the body’s natural pain relieving hormone, which in turn lessens the pain associated with osteoarthritis
• Maintaining normal muscle strength is necessary to control impact to the joints. Good muscle strength acts like shock absorbers around the joints. This is true for the spine as well as for other joints.

• The cartilage damage in joints affected by osteoarthritis (also referred to as spinal arthritis or degenerative arthritis), and the attendant inflammation, can generate an extreme amount of pain, making everyday movement difficult. Understandably, the motivation and energy to exercise when suffering osteoarthritis pain can be elusive, and many osteoarthritis sufferers avoid any unnecessary movement that might jar joints.

  Pain management to make exercise tolerable

  For many, it is necessary to first address the pain undertaking exercise in order to make movement more tolerable. Gradual joint motion through increasing range at first in an unloaded manner will tend to reduce the pain of normal activity.

  The variety of options available to control pain is extensive, including:

• Heat therapy prior to exercise to warm up stiff muscles and joints and make them more easy to stretch
• Ice therapy or cold packs after exercise to cool swollen joints
• Over-the-counter medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen), to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation
• Prescription anti-inflammatories and pain medications, including corticosteroids, COX-2 inhibitors, to treat both acute and chronic pain
• Elastic supports, sometimes worn for several hours, are often effective.

Upper Back Exercises

Upper Back Pain Rehabilitation Exercises

You may do all of these exercises right away.

• Pectoralis stretch: Stand in a doorway or corner with both arms on the wall slightly above your head. Slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your shoulders. Hold 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
• Thoracic extension: While sitting in a chair, clasp both arms behind your head. Gently arch backward and look up toward the ceiling. Repeat 10 times. Do this several times per day.
• Arm slides on wall: Sit or stand against a wall with your elbows and wrists against the wall. Slowly slide your arms upward as high as you can while keeping your elbows and wrists against the wall. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Scapular squeezes: While sitting or standing with your arms by your sides, squeeze your shoulder blades together and hold for 5 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Mid-trap exercise: Lie on your stomach on a firm surface and place a folded pillow underneath your chest. Place your arms out straight to your sides with your elbows straight and thumbs toward the ceiling. Slowly raise your arms toward the ceiling as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Lower slowly. Do 3 sets of 15. Progress to holding soup cans or small weights in your hands.
• Thoracic stretch
  1. Sit on the floor with your legs out straight in front of you. Hold your mid-thighs with your hands. Curl you head and neck toward your belly button. Hold for a count of 15. Repeat 3 times.
  2. To stretch your right upper back, point your right elbow and shoulders forward while twisting your trunk to the left. Hold for a count of 15. Repeat 3 times.
  3. To stretch your left upper back, point your left elbow and shoulder forward while twisting your trunk to the right. Hold for a count of 10. Repeat 3 times.
• Rowing exercise: Tie a piece of elastic tubing around an immovable object and grasp the ends in each hand. Keep your forearms vertical and your elbows at shoulder level and bent to 90 degrees. Pull backward on the band and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Repeat 10 times. Do 3 sets.

Written by Phyllis Clapis, PT, DHSc, OCS and Pierre Rouzier, MD.

Published by McKesson Provider Technologies.
Last modified: 2001-09-21
Last reviewed: 2004-09-04

This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

For more back exercises, come to Ultra Fit SF.

These exercises will help with your lower back pain.

Low Back Pain Exercises

• Standing hamstring stretch: Place the heel of your leg on a stool about 15 inches high. Keep your knee straight. Lean forward, bending at the hips until you feel a mild stretch in the back of your thigh. Make sure you do not roll your shoulders and bend at the waist when doing this or you will stretch your lower back instead. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

  Repeat the same stretch on your other leg.

• Cat and camel: Get down on your hands and knees. Let your stomach sag, allowing your back to curve downward. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Then arch your back and hold for 5 seconds. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Quadriped Arm/Leg Raises: Get down on your hands and knees. Tighten your abdominal muscles to stiffen your spine. While keeping your abdominals tight, raise one arm and the opposite leg away from you. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Lower your arm and leg slowly and alternate sides. Do this 10 times on each side.
• Pelvic tilt: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles and push your lower back into the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then relax. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Partial curl: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your stomach muscles and flatten your back against the floor. Tuck your chin to your chest. With your hands stretched out in front of you, curl your upper body forward until your shoulders clear the floor. Hold this position for 3 seconds. Don't hold your breath. It helps to breathe out as you lift your shoulders up. Relax. Repeat 10 times. Build to 3 sets of 10. To challenge yourself, clasp your hands behind your head and keep your elbows out to the side.
• Lower trunk rotation: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles and push your lower back into the floor. Keeping your shoulders down flat, gently rotate your legs to one side, then the other as far as you can. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
• Piriformis stretch: Lying on your back with both knees bent, rest the ankle of one leg over the opposite knee. Grasp the thigh of the bottom leg and pull that knee toward your chest. You will feel a stretch along the buttocks and possibly along the outside of your hip on the top leg. Hold this for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Switch legs and do the same stretch again.
• Double knee to chest: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles and push your lower back into the floor. Pull both knees up to your chest. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 10 to 20 times.

Written by Tammy White, MS, PT, for McKesson Provider Technologies.

Published by McKesson Provider Technologies.
Last modified: 2004-09-26
Last reviewed: 2004-09-04

Hamstring Exercises

Here are some good exercises, if your hamstring has been strained.

Hamstring Strain Rehabilitation Exercises

You can begin gently stretching your hamstring right away by doing standing hamstring stretch. Make sure you do not feel any sharp pain, only a mild discomfort in the back of your thigh when you are doing this stretch.

• Standing hamstring stretch: Place the heel of your leg on a stool about 15 inches high. Keep your knee straight. Lean forward, bending at the hips until you feel a mild stretch in the back of your thigh. Make sure you do not roll your shoulders and bend at the waist when doing this or you will stretch your lower back instead. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

After the standing hamstring stretch has become easier, you can do the hamstring stretch on a wall. You should also stretch your calf muscle because it attaches near where your hamstring ends using the standing calf stretch.

• Hamstring stretch on wall: Lie on your back with your buttocks close to a doorway, and extend your legs straight out in front of you along the floor. Raise the injured leg and rest it against the wall next to the door frame. Your other leg should extend through the doorway. You should feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
• Standing calf stretch: Facing a wall, put your hands against the wall at about eye level. Keep the injured leg back, the uninjured leg forward, and the heel of your injured leg on the floor. Turn your injured foot slightly inward (as if you were pigeon-toed) as you slowly lean into the wall until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times. Do this exercise several times each day.

When the pain is gone, start strengthening your hamstrings using the next 3 exercises.

• Prone knee bends: Lie on your stomach with your legs straight out behind you. Bend your knee so that your heel comes toward your buttocks. Hold 5 seconds. Relax and return your foot to the floor. Do 3 sets of 10. As this becomes easier you can add weights to your ankle.
• Prone hip extension: Lie on your stomach with your legs straight out behind you. Tighten up your buttocks muscles and lift one leg off the floor about 8 inches. Keep your knee straight. Hold for 5 seconds. Then lower your leg and relax. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Elastic tubing hamstring curls: Sit in a chair facing a door (about 3 feet from the door). Loop and tie one end of the tubing around the ankle of your injured leg. Tie a knot in the other end of the tubing and shut the knot in the door. Bend your knee so that your foot slides along the floor and moves back underneath the chair, stretching the tubing. Slowly let your foot slide forward again. Do 3 sets of 10.

  You can challenge yourself by moving the chair farther away from the door and increasing the resistance of the tubing.

• Chair lifts: Lie on your back with your heels resting on the top of the a chair. Slowly raise both hips off the floor. Hold for 2 seconds and lower slowly. Do 3 sets of 15.

  You can challenge yourself by standing only on your injured leg and lifting your heel off the floor. Do 3 sets of 10.

After your hamstrings have become stronger and you feel your leg is stable, you can begin strengthening the quadriceps (the muscles in the front of the thigh) by doing lunges.

• Lunges: Stand and take a large step forward with your right leg. Dip your left knee down toward the floor and bend your right leg. Return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise, this time stepping forward with the left leg and dipping the leg on your right side down. Do 3 sets of 10 on each side.

Written by Tammy White, M.S., P.T., for McKesson Provider Technologies.

Published by McKesson Provider Technologies.
Last modified: 2005-11-01
Last reviewed: 2005-07-11

This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

See more here.

Knee (ACL) Exercises

Here are some strengthening exercises for your ACL.

(Knee Website)

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury Rehabilitation Exercises

You may begin with the first 2 exercises immediately. When swelling in your knee has gone down and you are able to stand with equal weight on both legs, you may do the remaining exercises.

• Heel slide: Sit on a firm surface with your legs straight in front of you. Slowly slide the heel of your injured leg toward your buttock by pulling your knee to your chest as you slide. Return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Quadriceps isometrics: Sitting on the floor with your injured leg straight and your other leg bent, press the back of your knee into the floor by tightening the muscles on the top of your thigh. Hold this position 10 seconds. Relax. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Wall squat with a ball: Stand with your back, shoulders, and head against a wall and look straight ahead. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your feet 1 foot away from the wall and a shoulder's width apart. Place a rolled up pillow or a soccer-sized ball between your thighs. Keeping your head against the wall, slowly squat while squeezing the pillow or ball at the same time. Squat down until you are almost in a sitting position. Your thighs will not yet be parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then slowly slide back up the wall. Make sure you keep squeezing the pillow or ball throughout this exercise. Repeat 10 times. Build up to 3 sets of 10.
• Passive knee extension: Do this exercise if you are unable to fully extend your knee. While lying on your back, place a rolled up towel underneath the heel of you injured leg so it is about 6 inches off the ground. Relax your leg muscles and let gravity slowly straighten your knee. You may feel some discomfort while doing this exercise. Try to hold this position for 2 minutes. Repeat 3 times. Do this exercise several times per day. This exercise can also be done while sitting in a chair with your heel on another chair or stool.
• Prone knee bends: Lie on your stomach with your legs straight out behind you. Bend your knee so that your heel comes toward your buttocks. Hold 5 seconds. Relax and return your foot to the floor. Do 3 sets of 10. As this becomes easier you can add weights to your ankle.
• Static and dynamic balance exercises
  1. Place a chair next to your non-injured leg and stand upright. (This will provide you with balance if needed.) Stand on your injured foot. Try to raise the arch of your foot while keeping your toes on the floor. Try to maintain this position and balance on your injured side for 30 seconds. This exercise can be made more difficult by doing it on a piece of foam or a pillow, or with your eyes closed.
  2. Stand in the same position as above. Keep your foot in this position and reach forward in front of you with your injured side's hand, allowing your knee to bend. Repeat this 10 times while maintaining the arch height. This exercise can be made more difficult by reaching farther in front of you. Do 2 sets.
  3. Stand in the same position as above. While maintaining your arch height, reach the injured side's hand across your body toward the chair. The farther you reach, the more challenging the exercise. Do 2 sets of 10.
• Knee stabilization: Wrap a piece of elastic tubing around the ankle of your uninjured leg. Tie the tubing to a table or other fixed object.
  1. Stand on your injured leg facing the table and bend your knee slightly, keeping your thigh muscles tight. While maintaining this position, move your uninjured leg straight back behind you. Do 3 sets of 10.
  2. Turn 90° so your injured leg is closest to the table. Move your uninjured leg away from your body. Do 3 sets of 10.
  3. Turn 90° again so your back is to the table. Move your uninjured leg straight out in front of you. Do 3 sets of 10.
  4. Turn your body 90° again so your uninjured leg is closest to the table. Move your uninjured leg across your body. Do 3 sets of 10.

  Hold onto a chair if you need help balancing. This exercise can be made even more challenging by standing on a pillow while you move your uninjured leg.

• Resisted knee extension: Make a loop from a piece of elastic tubing by tying it around the leg of a table or other fixed object. Step into the loop so the tubing is around the back of your injured leg. Lift your uninjured foot off the ground. Hold onto a chair for balance, if needed.
  1. Bend your knee about 45 degrees.
  2. Slowly straighten your leg, keeping your thigh muscle tight as you do this.

  Do this 10 times. Do 3 sets. An easier way to do this is to perform this exercise while standing on both legs.

Written by Tammy White, MS, PT, and Phyllis Clapis PT, DHSc, OCS.

Published by McKesson Provider Technologies.
Last modified: 2005-02-14
Last reviewed: 2005-01-25

Knee Exercises

If you have knee pain, especially when you jump, here are some exercises to help you gain mobility and strength.

Knee Website

Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper's Knee) Rehabilitation Exercises

You can do the hamstring stretch right away. When the pain in your knee has decreased, you can do the quadriceps stretch and start strengthening the thigh muscles using the rest of the exercises.

• Standing hamstring stretch: Place the heel of your leg on a stool about 15 inches high. Keep your knee straight. Lean forward, bending at the hips until you feel a mild stretch in the back of your thigh. Make sure you do not roll your shoulders and bend at the waist when doing this or you will stretch your lower back instead. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
• Quadriceps stretch: Stand an arm's length away from the wall, facing straight ahead. Brace yourself by keeping the hand on the uninjured side against the wall. With your other hand, grasp the ankle of the injured leg and pull your heel toward your buttocks. Don't arch or twist your back and keep your knees together. Hold this stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
• Side-lying leg lift: Lying on your uninjured side, tighten the front thigh muscles on your injured leg and lift that leg 8 to 10 inches away from the other leg. Keep the leg straight. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Quadriceps isometrics: Sitting on the floor with your injured leg straight and your other leg bent, press the back of your knee into the floor by tightening the muscles on the top of your thigh. Hold this position 10 seconds. Relax. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Straight leg raise: Lie on your back with your legs straight out in front of you. Tighten up the top of your thigh muscle on the injured leg and lift that leg about 8 inches off the floor, keeping the thigh muscle tight throughout. Slowly lower your leg back down to the floor. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Step-up: Stand with the foot of your injured leg on a support (like a block of wood) 3 to 5 inches high. Keep your other foot flat on the floor. Shift your weight onto the injured leg and straighten the knee as the uninjured leg comes off the floor. Lower your uninjured leg to the floor slowly. Do 3 sets of 10.
• Wall squat with a ball: Stand with your back, shoulders, and head against a wall and look straight ahead. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your feet 1 foot away from the wall and a shoulder's width apart. Place a rolled up pillow or a soccer-sized ball between your thighs. Keeping your head against the wall, slowly squat while squeezing the pillow or ball at the same time. Squat down until you are almost in a sitting position. Your thighs will not yet be parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then slowly slide back up the wall. Make sure you keep squeezing the pillow or ball throughout this exercise. Repeat 10 times. Build up to 3 sets of 10.
• Knee stabilization: Wrap a piece of elastic tubing around the ankle of your uninjured leg. Tie the tubing to a table or other fixed object.
  1. Stand on your injured leg facing the table and bend your knee slightly, keeping your thigh muscles tight. While maintaining this position, move your uninjured leg straight back behind you. Do 3 sets of 10.
  2. Turn 90° so your injured leg is closest to the table. Move your uninjured leg away from your body. Do 3 sets of 10.
  3. Turn 90° again so your back is to the table. Move your uninjured leg straight out in front of you. Do 3 sets of 10.
  4. Turn your body 90° again so your uninjured leg is closest to the table. Move your uninjured leg across your body. Do 3 sets of 10.

  Hold onto a chair if you need help balancing. This exercise can be made even more challenging by standing on a pillow while you move your uninjured leg.

• Resisted knee extension: Make a loop from a piece of elastic tubing by tying it around the leg of a table or other fixed object. Step into the loop so the tubing is around the back of your injured leg. Lift your uninjured foot off the ground. Hold onto a chair for balance, if needed.
  1. Bend your knee about 45 degrees.
  2. Slowly straighten your leg, keeping your thigh muscle tight as you do this.

  Do this 10 times. Do 3 sets. An easier way to do this is to perform this exercise while standing on both legs.

Written by Tammy White, M.S., P.T., for McKesson Provider Technologies.

Published by McKesson Provider Technologies.
Last modified: 2005-01-27
Last reviewed: 2005-01-25