How to do it
You need: A strap, belt, or long towel.
Sit on a firm bed or the floor with both legs out straight. Loop a strap around the sole of the operated foot, or rest your other ankle across it to help.
- Slide the heel of the operated leg slowly toward your bottom, letting the strap or your other leg do the pulling.
- Keep the muscles of the operated leg relaxed as the knee bends.
- Stop where you feel a firm but comfortable stretch and hold it for a moment.
- Guide the leg slowly back out straight, still using the strap or your other leg for control.
Form cues
- The assistance does the work while the operated thigh stays soft.
- You feel a gentle pull around the knee, not a sharp or pinching pain.
- The bend and the return are both slow and even.
Common mistakes
- Forcing the knee past a gentle stretch into real pain.
- Bouncing at the end of the bend to gain more range.
- Letting the leg flop back out straight instead of controlling it.
Safety: Stop and message your physio if a stretch leaves lasting pain, or the knee becomes hot, red, and swollen, or the wound starts to leak.