The knee is an essential joint of our bodies, and is responsible for allowing us to walk, run, and do many of the things we enjoy doing. But what happens when our knees become injured or need surgery? When things go wrong, the aftermath can be frustrating for individuals who aren’t used to being sidelined in day-to-day activities. More importantly, knee injuries can result in further problems down the road if they are not rehabilitated correctly.

Pilates in Naples can give you the opportunity to rehabilitate your knee and get back to what you love doing faster and with greater success.

The Makeup of Your Knees

Before we discuss how Pilates can help your knee rehabilitation, let’s first discuss what this hinge joint is comprised of. The knee is made up of three parts, all of which play a role in its ability to function properly.

• The Bones– Three bones make up the knee, the tibia, the patella, and the femur.
• The Ligaments– The ligaments of the knee are responsible for ensuring the tibia and the femur are attached and provide stability. However, they can easily become damaged if the knee is hit from a certain angle or if it is twisted.
• The Muscles– Several muscle groups, including the hamstrings, quadriceps, and hip abductors create movement in the joint and support it. These muscles must be balanced, however, if overuse injuries are to be avoided.

After Knee Injury: Pilates for Rehabilitation

If you’ve become injuries, either because of an accident, overuse, or long-term wear and tear of the ligaments and muscles supporting the knee, Naples Pilates can help. In fact, a study published on the National Center for Biotechnology website found that Pilates can even improve rehabilitation after total knee replacement surgery.

How exactly does Pilates help? Pilates can help by using exercises to rehabilitate your knee that focus on leg alignment, strength, gait, and flexibility. These will bring balance to your knee so you can get back to doing the activities you love.

Some Pilates for rehabilitation exercises can include:

• Footwork– Footwork improves alignment and strength in your entire lower body. By increasing or decreasing range of motion and resistance, you can safely perform knee extension and flexing. Cuing will help you correctly align your legs and increase your knee’s mobility. The exercises can even focus on a single leg so strength achieved through specific patterns.
• Feet in Straps– Using feet in straps Pilates exercises can help develop strength in the hamstrings and abductors. This also gives you the ability to keep muscles active and flexible until you’re able to return to normal activity.
• Pelvic Lift– This type of exercise focuses on your gluteal muscles and your hamstrings. At the same time, however, it stabilizes the back of your knee. By focusing on the injured leg, Naples Pilates can help correct your alignment and assess lateral leg tightness.

Don’t let a knee injury keep you from doing what you love. Take the time you need to rehabilitate your knee and use Naples Pilates to do it. Pilates, Fitness & Therapeutics can help you increase flexibility, strength, and alignment so your knee can heal completely.