Heel slides are knee rehabilitation exercises to improve early range of motion and decrease swelling.
Wearing a sock and using a slippery surface like a tea tray will help with the exercise. You can help initiate flexion using the hands or a towel slung over the lower limb, with the ends held in both hands.
The importance of regaining range of motion
When the knee has been injured there may be excess blood or joint fluid in the joint cavity, making it hard to get rehab going. Also the quadriceps muscles are easily inhibited after injury. Heel slides gently improve range of motion, and this helps to decrease swelling and restore quads muscle activity.
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