Locked? Balanced? Bent? Can you guess where I like to spend most of my time? A lot of clients present themselves in my office with locked knees. This is often a protective mechanism initiated by low back pain. It’s interesting to explore how they are connected. Some clients present themselves with bent knees and very few show up with knees in balance. If you’ve been following the last 14 posts, you may be thinking it has something to do with how the head and neck are balanced. If it crossed your mind then know that I am applauding you right now. While it’s always worth while to check your head (and neck), the knees may need some corrective mapping.
Do you know where your knee joint is? Using the image above, focus in on the location of the knee cap and the knee joint. In the locked position the knee cap is dropped down in relation to the knee joint (the surrounding tissues are disengaged or over engaged). In the balanced position, the knee cap is a bit higher (the tissues are suspending it nicely). In the bent position the knee cap is above the joint (it’s engaged and ready to glide). If your knee is locked at any point while walking, the tissues are engaging and disengaging with every step. In the transition from locked to bent, the femur can rub against the back of the knee cap. Step by step, day by day this can lead to problems.
As you know by now, this is often a whole body issue. Let’s take a moment to simply map the knee and explore it’s balance. From a standing position, tighten your thigh muscles, intentionally locking your knees. Next, relax the thighs and move into a bent position. Somewhere between locked and bent is a nice, floaty balance point. Mindfully move your knees toward locked and bent until you feel the float. It may feel awkward, if it does you are probably on the right track. You may need to adjust how you are balancing over your feet and pelvis. Is your neck free and long?
Next, we’ll move deeper into knee mapping. It’s subtle yet powerful. A well mapped knee can prevent injuries or help them heal if injured.