Knee flexion is the extent to which you can bend your knee. Identifying your knee flexion capacity can guide you to understand your range of motion, which helps you recover from an injury or surgery. The most common knee flexors involved are hamstring muscles. They perform everyday activities like walking and running. The bending capacity of your knees is known as flexion. The opposite activity is known as extension. Opposing muscles manage both these opposite activities. You have an entire flexed knee where your heels can touch the hips.
It would help if you had proper awareness about the health of your knees. If the flexion decreases over time, the recovery procedure is relatively easy. There must be adequate knowledge about the seriousness of the condition. However, small sets of stretches can lead to backward journeys of top-notch knee health.
Characteristics/Clinical Presentation
Patients having flexion issues often have a walk following bent-knee gait. Individuals often complain about sleeping with a soft pillow below their knees, similar to a fetal position. All of such activities increase the flexion disorder. This supports rising stress on the Quadriceps Muscle with increased stress on contact power focusing the joints- patellofemoral and Tibiofemoral. However, the value of flexion deformity is considered to be more than 15 degrees for extensor lag.
Joint damage consists of Cartilage deterioration, Meniscal damage, Ligament Stress, related tightness of TFL and prominent muscles near the ankle and hip joint.
Levels of flexion deformity defined by Lombardi et al.
Grade I – moderate contracture having a deformity limit of less than 15°
Grade II – medium contracture having a deformity limit in between 15° and 30°
What Happens When The Range Of Motion In The Knee Is Reduced?
The knee is pivotal in managing and redistributing weights during activities like walking, absorbing shock, running, and exercising. This complicated knee joint linkage is present between the upper leg bone and the lower leg bones, which are covered by a flat frontal bone known as the patella.
These bones are related to each other by four ligaments:
- An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL)
- Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
Each bone is connected to the leg muscles of the upper and lower areas. The knee joint lubricates and protects from forces damaging the cartilaginous tissues, providing cushions or shock absorbers.
When Should I See My Doctor?
If an individual experiences a minor shock – like knee ligament stress – the decrease in range of movement will be a short-term condition, most commonly associated with the swelling response against injury. In such a case, treatment at home will be optimal to ease pain and inflammation and guide you to regain your knee performance in 14-28 days.
However, if you observe a degenerative joint ailment or chronic discomfort, the decreased range of movement may lead to recurring and prolonged impacts on your daily life. Moreover, reduced knee movement may be a sign of an ongoing neurological disorder which demands rapid medical attention.
Typically, you should consult pain management in Dallas if:
- You are unable to straighten or make your knees bend
- You often suffer from decreased knee mobility or prolonged ROM issues.
- Your routine activities have an impact on the loss of ROM.
It is mandatory to note that, with passing age, you tend to lose joint mobility more than younger individuals.
As aging is a normal condition, you must have the capability to maintain a functional range of motion. This accounts for the slightest range of movement that your knees demand to allow for routine movements like climbing stairs, sitting down, bending, riding a bike, walking, standing up after sitting, squatting, and tying the shoelaces.
The full range of motion for a healthy knee is 135 degrees. Most routine activities demand full extension with knee flexion of 110-120 degrees. In response, losing a few numbers of knee flexions is normal until you are not able to extend the knees fully.
How To Improve Knee Flexion?
Following stretching movements can be added to the daily routine to improve knee flexion. However, the best pain doctor in Dallas must be consulted before any therapeutic applications
1- Heel Slides
Heel slides involve lying down on your back with bent knees at an approximate angle of 90 degrees. Each leg at a time slides away from the hips to feel gently stretched. Hold the pose for 2-3 seconds, and bring back the knee. You can initiate two sets with 15-20 repetitions daily and manage your routine according to your body.
2- Prone Knee Flexion
Prone knee flexion involves lying down with the chest down and legs to be straight. Each leg, once at a time, keeps your feet away from your hips to the maximum. You will experience a gentle stretching movement in your thighs and knees. You can initiate this activity with two sets consisting of 15-20 repetitions each day. Remember to manage your movements according to the body.
3- Knee Flexion with Wall Assist
You can lie down on your back against the wall, placing your feet against the wall. Slowly move one foot toward the floor, holding it for a few seconds. You can stop the movement if a feeling is stuck while reaching the floor. You will observe a mild stretching in your knee. This exercise can start with two sets with 15-20 repetitions each day. As you move forward, you will observe your foot coming closer towards the floor. Adjust the repetitive sets according to your comfort level.