Straight leg raise Exercise: Health benefits, Muscle worked, How to Do?

What is normal straight leg raise?

• The straight leg raise is one of the best exercises done after hip and knee replacement surgery.
• It is easy to perform and gently stresses your hip joint as the range of motion is gradually increase.
• It can be advised by the physiotherapist, after surgery which you can continue to do it on your own at home or at rehabilitation center.
• The straight leg raise is also used by healthcare providers and physical therapists to diagnose lumbar spine impingement, herniated discs, and sciatic pain.
• It is mostly used to detect whether low back pain is caused by disc herniation in the lumbar spine.
• The straight leg raise is a milestone exercise in rehabilitation for knee replacements or many surgeries involving the lower leg, foot and ankle.
• As the name implies, the straight leg raise exercise does not require you to bend the your knee joint. This is encourage movement when an person has advanced arthritis in their knees.
• The straight leg raise exercise strengthens the muscles of the upper thigh, the quadriceps, without placing any stress on the knee joint.
• When you raise leg from psoas muscle at it is spinal attachment points (caused by raising the leg) can lead you to arch your lumbar spine area.
• This back arch can lead to back pain. You must maintain the back arch by engaging your deep abdominal muscle or by Activating your deep abdominal muscles will reduce the strain on the lower (or lumbar) spine and decrease the chance of back ache.
• Over the last 34 years as a Physical Therapist (Physiotherapist)mostly therapist prescribed the straight leg raise exercise to patients recovering from a any of surgeries or traumas to their body.
• It is a well known exercise that can be done before you are able to put full weight on your joint or affected limb.
• The straight leg raise is a milestone exercise in rehabilitation for knee replacements or many surgeries involving the lower leg, foot and ankle.
• This exercise also advised to do before knee and hip replacement to get better result after replacement.

Which muscle do straight leg raise?

• Vastus lateralis,vastus medialis,vastus intermedialis,rectus femoris this is also called as quadriceps muscle and Hip flexors mainly iliopsoas.

• The quadriceps muscles arises from the front of the pelvis and upper thigh to just below the knee.
• A movement of straight leg raise exercise also need a strong hip flexor muscle, known as your iliopsoas.

• The psoas part of the hip flexor muscle arises from the front of the spine, and it joins the iliacus before attaching into the upper thigh.

There has lot of benefits by doing straight leg raise some are explain below:

• Helps to strengthen quadriceps muscles.
• Helps to decrease weight from your legs
• Helps to decrease weight from your lower abdomen.
• Helps to Tone your muscle
• Helps to strengthens muscles located in your abdomen and legs.
• An excellent exercise for lower abdominal s.
• Helps to strengthen your hamstrings, calf muscles, and glutes.
• It is a good exercise that can be done while you are lying down in bed.
• Hip and knee surgery post rehabilitation.
• This exercise used for workout also.

Diagnostic purpose straight leg raise:

• For this test you have to raise only one leg.
• For test purpose you have to raise your normal leg first.

• You have to lie on your back without using a pillow under your head.
• Both legs should be straight in front of you with your hips squarely positioned.
• Then therapist lift the normal leg towards ceilings.
• Slowly take it down.
• The therapist would lift your injured leg by give support to your ankle .
• Slowly injured leg should be take lower down
• The injured or affected leg would be lowered.
• Therapist observe how much normal leg will go to upper side and affected side go above when symptoms arises.
• The test use to determine if there is hip pain or a any nerve is pinched (radiculopathy) in the lumbosacral region of the spine.

How to Do the Straight Leg Raise Exercise?

Supine lying straight leg raise:
One leg raise:

• How to do:
• For this you have to lie on back over met on a ground.
• Your both leg should be extended and your both hands by your side.
• Then bent your left knee.
• Foot placed on a ground.now slowly take your right leg raise towards the ceiling from the ground.
• Raise your leg until is parallel to the opposite knee .
• Make sure your right leg should be straight throughout the movement.
• Hold for couple of second then take your leg down.do 10 to 15 repetition same side then go for another side
• If you want to make this exercise challenging then hold your leg up side for 7 to 10 seconds,then take it down.

Both leg raise:

• For this you have to lie on back over met on a ground.
• Your both hands by your side.
• Your both leg should be extended and pull your toes up towards you to lock out your knee.
• Bring your both leg up now slowly raise towards the ceiling from the ground.
• Hold for couple of second then take your leg down.
• Do 10 to 15 repetition .
• If you want to make this exercise challenging then hold your leg up side for 7 to 10 seconds or wrap some weight around your ankle,then do this exercise.
• When you recently undergone leg surgery or recent fracture then therapist assist your leg for elevation.

Straight Leg Raise Exercise With External Rotation in supine lying position:

• A straight leg raise with external rotation is a very best exercise to strengthen your hips, legs and lower back.
• How to do:
• For this you have to lie on back over met on a ground.
• Your both hands by your side.
• Your both leg should be extended and pull your toes up towards you to lock out your knee.
• Then bent your left knee.
• Then turn right knee out side and bring your leg up now slowly take your right leg raise towards the ceiling from the ground.
• Raise your leg until is parallel to the opposite thigh.
• Just like other side you scooping .
• Foot placed on a ground.hold for couple of second then take your leg down.
• Do 10 to 15 repetition same side then go for another side.
• If you want to make this exercise challenging then hold your leg up side for 7 to 10 seconds,then take it down.

Straight Leg Raise Exercise in standing:

• How to do:
• For this exercise you have to stand straight with foot hip width apart.
• Your both hands by your side.
• Take your right leg straight in front of you.
• Hold for couple of seconds.your left foot is straight and foot place over ground.
• Do 15 to 20 repetitions on one leg then another side.
• If you want to make this exercise challenging then wrap some weight of sandbags around a ankle or wrap resistance band backward to your leg to get more stronger muscles power.

Straight Leg Raise Exercise With Extra Support

• If you had some difficulty to raise your leg up.
• Then use pillow below your foot to take a foot support.
• The higher pillow,gives you more support for completing a exercise.
• This will also help you to prevent back pain .

How you Avoid Back Pain During the Straight Leg Raise exercise?

• Although the straight leg raise exercise is good to the knee but it can be more hard on the low back area.
• The reason back pain happened due to the hip flexor muscles work along with the quadriceps muscles to elevate the leg up it get work of abdominal muscle.
• Engage the hip flexor muscle without counteracting some of its effects induce back pain.
• Lift your leg only up to you will feel minimal stress in your back.

When you not to do straight leg raise exercise?

• If your doctor advised you to take rest.
• If you feel any pain during this exercise.
• Recent back surgery.
• If you already suffering from pain.
• If you suffering from severe back pain.
• If exercise is Painful

Author: Nitesh Patel - Physiotherapist

Physiotherapist in Samarpan Physiotherapy Clinic Ahmedabad Bapunagar Amaraiwadi Vastral Mobile Physiotherapy Clinic Dr. Nitesh Patel ( Physiotherapist ) : Mo No : 09898607803