exercise to help build leg muscles while bedridden?

Dakky

Hi all,

As the title suggests, are there any exercise for those of you who have bad knees that can be done while confined to bed? I'm looking for ones that specifically target the quad and hamstring muscles.

I've seen ones online, but the majority of these involve the knee to some extent. I can't use them as my knees are a constant source of pain, and anything that involves the knee bending just leaves me in real bad pain.

I was also wondering if someone had suggestions for pain relief for those of us who can't take anti-inflammatory drugs due to stomach issues. I have co-codamol, but these seem to be next to useless, especially when combating tendon pain.

I don't see my doctor again for nearly a fortnight, so would welcome ones that can be bought from a pharmacy, as well as ones I could suggest to my doctor when I next see her again.

Thanks.

destiny0321

Hi i have both knees bad riddled with arthritis OA/PSA.
i know what you mean co -codomol do nothing if not in bed in wheelchair saw dr the other day & he as put me on a controlled drug with morphin in the tablets ZOMORPH MR 10mg caps take 1 every 12 hours they are a lot better the draw back is they make you sleepy.
which is good at moment as have a chest infection/cough.
hope you soon get sorted out with your pain its not good when it plays up is it

dreamdaisy

I do those kinds of exercises - the knees are the hinge upon which everything relies so it's a case of swallowing the pain and getting on with things. Staying in bed is not going to help, no matter how much it hurts it is essential to keep moving. I realise this is tough for you as you have had good health until now but it is a case of having to come to terms with the discomfort and going about things regardless. You will soon learn when to stop and when to push things a little further. DD

elainebadknee

Dakky

These may be useful or useless exercises...

Board and doughnut (doughnut is tubigrip rolled up into ring doughnut shape), piece of board, flooring etc. Heel on doughnut and see if you can slide the doughnut to bent position.
Knee bent slightly over rolled up towel, straighten leg, hold for 10 seconds, rest...

Like i said may or may not be helpful...

elainexx

Sezeelson

Hi there

First of all, what are currently doing is only going to make things ten times worse if you don't use it you WILL lose it so it's vital you get up and get moving.

Invest in some descent knee supports for yourself, these are not to be relied on but can really help in some cases to get up and get moving. I am currently using the shock doctor knee support with stays which is very comfortable to wear and really helps with my walking.

I had to go into hospital for 2 weeks intensive physio to build up my muscles and this was an obstacle I had to face.

Basic exercises focusing on thighs and hamstrings included these:
Lay flat on your back with your hands down by your sides, slowly and steadily lift one leg straight up and slowly and steadily down again. You can raise your legs just a few CM to start with but you must do them slow and steady, no dropping your leg down as soon as you get it up! Do 5 on each leg 3 times to begin.

This can be repeated by laying flat on your front and straight on your side to work all the muscles in your thighs. When laying on your front it is important to keep your head and shoulders down flat as well or you will be working your bottom and lower back rather then your thighs. These might be useful to you but should be separate from your thigh work out.

Can you straighten your knees out? If not it is going to be very hard to loosen the hamstrings as you need to gradually stretch them everyday. Sit up straight with your legs out in front of you about 5 inches apart (or what ever is most comfortable for you) and slowly move you chest towards the toes on your right feet, again must be slow and steady. Then repeat towards your left foot toes. I do one by one around 6 - 12 times depending on my health on the day.

In hospital, I had to go through all the exercises 3 times a day and was very hard work! I was on steroids and pain killers at the time but after I completed it, it helped me no end.

I would suggest twice a day if you can or at least build up to twice a day. You can wear supports during these exercises too if you do find them helpful.

I would also suggest getting down to you local swimming pool or find out if anywhere has a heated pool for exercise. Swimming is brilliant for exercising muscles without putting pressure on your body

Hope this helps somewhat! Please, please get yourself up and moving though! I know it's really tough and painful but it is vital. I was in the exact same position as you and destined for a wheel chair until my dad got brutally honest with me and sure I got moving. Good luck!

barbara12

Hi dakky
Sorry cant help with the exercises..I was going to say there are lots of the net...but I see you dont want to use the knee..but please keep it moving to some extent
Has for the pain meds I cant take antiinflams..but I find that changing the meds now and then help...your body get used to them ..hope they ease up for you very soon.x

Dakky

Hi all,

Thanks for the great exercises, I'm going to really try and get into them. I actually love working out. I was doing some exercises that I found online before, but these seem to be causing more pain than anything. At least with these helpful posts I can now try exercise from people who have actual experience with knee pain, rather than some fitness instructor knocking them out with clearly no issues.

After reading Dreamdaisys post earlier, I forced myself to get dressed, down the stairs (hell!) into the car and a short shopping trip round Lidls. Knee and tendon pain was unreal, hamstrings, calf thighs the lot. Wasn't thinking straight got into the car, the way I use to (one leg first) almighty crack in left thigh.

Really glad I did it, though I'm in bad pain. Think I might need to change docs though, I've read of others being put on pre-emptive meds early with less symptoms than mine, and I've been told to stick to paracetomal once the co-coeds run out.

I'm also not sure whats happened to my pain threshold, I use to box, mountain bike among other sports, so am use to taking kidney shots, liver shots, being knocked out, coming of bikes downhill etc.. But this is a whole new ball game. I think it's got to be the tendons. lol

dreamdaisy

Your previous pains (although harsh) were temporary. Arthritis pain is not, it's there no matter what one does and that takes some acceptance. It takes time to find out what one can do within reason or not and you are still in the very early days of dealing with this. I have learned via trial and error (mostly error) to stop when I feel I can do more. I have a difficult week-end ahead so have sensibly taken things easy today, and Monday will be the same. I know from adverts etc that, at the comparatively young age of 54, I should be out there embarrassing offspring (which I lack) and living 'la vida loca'. In my dreams! DD

Sezeelson

Also, your previous pain is justified where as your current pain is not.

When you fall off a bike or get punched your body reacts accordingly to brace itself and reduce pain etc. with adrenaline and chemicals that act as natural pain dullers, knocks and bumps are also 'outside pains' in that your fat and muscle take the brunt.

Arthritis is a whole new ball game as you say! I'd take a punch in the face every morning then suffering arthritis any day!! Haha

But yeah dreamdaisy is correct in that it is trial and error until you can learn your limits and when you can and can't do things. It all takes time but don't give up!

Dakky

Hi all,

Thanks again for the replies. I should mention that I still haven't been diagnosed with arthritis yet (mentioned it before), as far as my doctor is concerned, she's sure I don't have arthritis. She's not sure what's is causing all this cracking and joint pain. She tells me "I'm a mystery!"

This is maybe because I also have a bunch of other symptoms that I really don't mention here as I suppose I don't really think it's relevant to my joint pain, but who knows. Theses other symptoms include:

Blood in stool

Numbness that started in my pinky fingers that has now moved over my whole hands, this numbness comes and goes about 10 times a day, lasts for about a couple of minutes.

Hair is gradually starting to thin (I had a full thick head of hair that a gorilla would be proud of till this started).

Heart sometimes beats so hard, that it shifts me about in my bed (paramedic insisted I go the hospital because of it)

Pain hast started in left kidney

Urine is always yellow, sometimes brown, plenty of water drinking.

Tingling all over my body, like air bubbles moving, the gabbapentin seems to have stopped that though.

Was having pain like being hit by something in the side of my head, gabbapentin seems to have stopped that too.

Pain in the left of my ribs when I eat

Pain seems to come and go behind my left eye

Lympth nodes keep swelling then die down again in a matter of hours

I keep have muscle spasms that can almost lift me lol

Muscles appear to vibrate just above the tendons too.

Other stuff too that I can't remember.

I have no redness of my joints, they are sometimes warm but not very often, I have no swelling too. I really don't seem to get tired or suffer brain fog or anything like that. My joints crack all the time (shoulders feel like the tendons are going to rupture), this is progressively getting worse, and the pain that comes with it, it has hit my spine, neck and finger joints very hard this last two days. My doctor is convinced the cracking is not related to some sort of arthritis. I had no joint pain previous too this, none in my family either. I should mention though that my knees are killing me, they don't crack (go figure)

I have an identical twin brother and we have always done everything together, especially in terms of physical activity, he has no joint pain at all.

This all started a couple of weeks after I was diagnosed with h.pylori. I was given a set of antibiotics, the joint popping seem to start after that. I was given a second set of stronger antibiotics after I tested positive again for h.pylori, not sure if I can say with certainty, but this seems to be when things have really taken off, especially nerve stuff.

My oldest brother invited me for a glass of wine last night,I knew he had an alterior* motive as he has been banging on about these antibiotics (he once had joint problems, he was convinced that started after he took a course of antibiotics, cleared up about six months later) He showed me some related side effects (must admit, symptoms seem similar to mine )last night of a certain type of antibiotic that i was prescribed, I couldn't read anymore after about five minutes as these were horror stories that have left people disabled.

I mentioned to him that after the first set of antibiotics I complained to the doctors that I was having joint problems, so why would they put me on even stronger ones that could cause even worse problems, but he was right that I was seeing different doctors at that time, Locums*

I must admit, though I mention in my posts joint problems, more often than not it appears to be my tendons that are causing me the pain, especially in the backs of my hands, forearms, knees, shoulders, hamstrings and thighs.

My doctor thinks it's something to do with my central nervous system, and thinks the joint cracking is related. As it stands today, I'm popping all over the place with no apparent end in sight, and it's getting worse very quickly.

Sorry for twaddling on again, i only get to see the doctor every fortnight, and everyday seems to bring more problems.

stickywicket

I think you need to take all this list of symptoms to your GP, dakky, if you haven't already done so. If it helps to write about it on here that's good and I hope you'll continue to do so but we really can't diagnose.