Orthopedics Physical Therapy Exercises Initial Exercises After Knee Arthroscopy By Laura Inverarity, DO Laura Inverarity, DO Laura Inverarity, PT, DO, is a current board-certified anesthesiologist and former physical therapist. Learn about our editorial process Updated on October 29, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Erin Pereira, DPT, OCS Medically reviewed by Erin Pereira, DPT, OCS LinkedIn Erin Pereira, PT, DPT, is a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Fact checked Verywell Health content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Heather Mercer Fact checked by Heather Mercer Heather Mercer is native to Northwest Ohio (go Walleye!) and graduated from Loma Linda University with two doctorate degrees (psychology and public health). She is currently a professor at Owens Community College, as well as a fact-checker for Verywell Health. She has gained experience in a variety of settings, ranging from corporate wellness and preventive medicine, to mental health, chronic disease, and end-of-life care. Learn about our editorial process Print After undergoing knee arthroscopy—also known as a "knee scope"—it is important to begin exercising your knee immediately to restore strength and the full range of motion. Working with a physical therapist can help you learn which exercises would be best for your specific condition. Initial exercises should be non-weight bearing in nature and should focus on gentle strengthening of the muscles surrounding the knee as well as increasing joint range of motion. As always, you should discuss starting any exercise program with your orthopedic surgeon prior to initiating it. Most physicians will approve an early rehabilitation program, however, others may ask you to wait a week or so after your procedure. What to Expect Initially, you will experience some swelling and discomfort in the knee for a few days post-operatively. You will most likely be given a prescription for pain medication and an anti-inflammatory drug to help alleviate these symptoms. You should expect to feel a gentle stretch while performing your knee exercises, but you should not experience any pain. Any activity that causes significant discomfort should be stopped immediately. It is also a good idea to ice and elevate your leg after performing these exercises to decrease any increase in swelling. The following exercises are appropriate for immediate post-arthroscopy rehabilitation. The movements should be gentle and steady. Bouncing or over-stretching should be avoided. Read on to review these four exercises. Quadriceps Contraction University of Iowa Clinic The quad set exercises is a great way to get your quadriceps muscles working after a knee scope. Here is how you do it: Lay on your back on a flat surface.Place a rolled towel under your ankle between you and the surface.Tighten the muscles on the top of the thigh and attempt to push the back of your knee down toward the ground. This will cause your knee to straighten as it moves toward the surface you are laying on.Straighten your knee as much as possible and hold the position for 5 seconds. (Avoid any type of bouncing motion.)Relax and repeat 10 more times. Bonus: Short Arc Quad Exercise Hamstring Contraction Your hamstring muscles help to bend your knee, and keeping them strong is important after knee arthroscopy. Here is how you get them moving: Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 10- to 15-degree angle.Without moving your leg, pull your heel into the floor, as if you were trying to bend your knee, but the floor is preventing motion from happening. This will cause the hamstring muscles on the back of your thigh to contract.Hold this for 5 seconds.Relax and repeat 10 more times. Gluteal Sets The gluteal set exercise is a great way to get your hips working and to help keep blood moving in your legs and hips after surgery. It is a simple exercise to do. Here's how: Lie on your back with your knees bent at a 10- to 15-degree angle.Squeeze your buttock muscles together, like you are holding back flatulence.Hold for 5 seconds.Relax and repeat 10 more times. Straight Leg Raises University of Iowa Clinics The straight leg raise is an important exercise to do after knee surgery, as it can help improve the way your hip and knee muscles work while still protecting your knee. Here is how you do it: Lie on your back on a flat surface.Bend the knee of your uninvolved leg (the one that wasn't operated on) to a 90-degree angle with your foot flat on the surface. Keep your involved leg straight without the knee bent.Slowly lift the involved leg 6 inches off the floor (by contracting the front thigh muscles).Hold for five seconds.Slowly lower your leg to the floor.Relax and repeat 10 more times. The knee of the raised leg should remain straight throughout this exercise. Focus on lifting by using the muscles on the front of your hip joint. The straight leg raise exercise can be done on your side as well to work different hip muscles. Later in recovery, the exercises can also be made more challenging by adding a cuff weight to your thigh or ankle. A resistance band may also be used to add some more challenge to the exercises. A Word From Verywell After a knee scope, exercise can be your main tool to help you restore normal range of motion and strength. This can help you regain normal walking and running ability. Check in with your orthopedic surgeon and physical therapist after knee arthroscopy, and then get started on knee exercises to quickly and safely get back to your normal activity level. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get exercise tips to make your workouts less work and more fun. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 2 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Knee Arthroscopy Exercise Guide. Kaye AD, Urman RD, Cornett EM, et al. Enhanced recovery pathways in orthopedic surgery. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol. 2019;35(Suppl 1):S35-S39.