BODY INSIGHT

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Achy knees after sitting (through a movie, sitting on an airplane, driving, or just sitting for a long time).

 

Knee pain after walking a lot.

Gradual onset of knee joint pain when doing your usual sport or exercise

 

Difficulty kneeling when gardening or taking care of children

 

Knee Pain Causes:

 

I won't get into the expansive anatomy and biomechanics of the knee.
 

There are several books and websites that do an excellent job of this.

 

Here is the simple version (as simple as I can make it):

• Four ligaments surround the knee. These important ligaments can be damaged if the knee is pushed beyond its physical range of motion (i.e. sports injury or auto accident) or if it is repetitively pushed to the end range of its available motion (i.e. playing a sport like soccer or squatting down for work for gardening or working with children).

• The menisci are pads on the inside and outside aspect of the knee joint which help with shock absorption. These protective pads are overstressed if the outer muscles are weak and, therefore, not doing their jobs as the first line of defense against compressive, weight bearing forces.

• Genetics play a part in knee pain for those people who were born with bowed legs (genu varum) or knock-kneed (genu valgum). These leg sharps place uneven stresses on either the inside or the outside of the knee joint and can lead to knee dysfunctions.

• Foot alignment (genetic or acquired) can also impact knee alignment and function. Pronation (rolling inwards of the foot) and high arches have been associated with knee pain.

• Obesity and being overweight has been linked to knee pain.

• Muscles are the bodyguards of the joints. Overtime, disuse, misuse and overuse of muscles associated with the knee leads to imbalances around the joint. This leads to increased demands and wear and tear on the joint (arthritis), ligament or meniscus stress, abnormal tracking pattern of the knee cap and, ultimately, pain.

 

Knee Pain Relief

 

If you are feeling knee pain, then you already have muscle imbalance problems around the knee, ankle and hip. The key to improving the integrity of your knees is to correct the muscle imbalances. The simple stretches and exercises found in the Strong Knees DVD is a good place to start.

 

Strong Knees DVD