CategoriesKnee Pain

Stop Treating Symptoms Of Knee Pain & Address These Four Factors

When the body is challenged with a movement it will do anything it can to find the path of least resistance and most importantly avoid pain. The site of pain is very rarely the cause of the pain, it is merely the effect of a problem created somewhere else in the body. Vladimir Janda a pioneer in the development of postural correction and movement assessment states, that “these two anatomical systems cannot be separated functionally”. Therefore, the term “sensorimotor system” is used to define the functional system of human movement. In addition, changes within one part of the system will be reflected by compensations or adaptations elsewhere within the system because of the body’s attempt at trying to maintain optimal homeostasis. Nowhere in the body is this more accurately seen than with the knee. In this article, I will explain what the most common culprits of knee pain are so you can either prevent future injury or be able to address the source of the problem if you already have a knee problem.

CategoriesBackwards Walking Knee Pain Walking

How Good Is Backwards Walking For Treating Knee Pain?

One question I am regularly asked about knee pain is, how good is walking backwards for strengthening your knees? In recent years this type of exercise has grown in popularity on the internet and also among many therapists as an exercise to prescribe their patients with for strengthening of the knees. I can see how it appeals to so many people with knee pain as it requires no equipment, minimal skill, and can be done almost anywhere. The big question is how effective is it really when it comes to strengthening the knees to get rid of pain? While there are some positive benefits to using this, there are several problems I believe are overlooked that would be better resolved with other exercises. In this article, I explore this exercise in more detail and challenge my bias to see if it is something that I may be underestimating.

CategoriesCycling Knee Pain

Is Cycling Good For Getting Rid Of Knee Pain?

Cycling can be a great way to help rebuild strength into your legs if you have knee pain but it must be used in combination with other methods. Cycling is in fact a key part of the early stages of an ACL rehabilitation program after surgery and many elite cyclists like former Australian professional Simon Gerrans who started cycling after a serious knee injury. However, it is not the real solution to your problem and in some cases cycling can even be the reason you have knee pain! In this article, I will discuss the value of using cycling for treating knee pain and how it can be a great tool if used wisely.

CategoriesKnee Pain VMO

How To Strengthen The Glutes and The VMO Simultaneously To Stabilize The Knee

One of the most controversial and confusing muscles to discuss is the vastus medialis oblique, otherwise known as the VMO. We know that this muscle plays a critical role in providing stability of the knee and prevents the onset of patella tracking problems that are so common among people of all ages. However, there is so much conflicting research and information about the best way to strengthen this muscle that many people are confused as to where to start. The problem with most of the research is that it looks at strengthening the muscle in isolation, ignoring the role of other anatomical factors contributing to the VMO weakness. Factors such as tibial torsion, valgus knee collapse due to poor hip muscle control, poor foot stability creating over-pronation, and ankle stiffness inhibiting quadriceps strength need to be addressed if you truly want to strengthen the VMO and stabilize the knee. And arguably the best way to do this is using what are referred to as “reactive neuromuscular training” exercises, where you use creative methods to isolate a specific muscle within an integrated movement. It sounds complicated, but really it is very simple when you understand how the body uses compensation to avoid pain. In this article, I will show you several versions I like to use to help stabilize the knee.

CategoriesACL Injury Knee Pain VMO

ACL Injuries In Female Sports – 7 Reasons Why They Are More At Risk Than Males

Injury in sport has always posed a risk that minute any athlete both professional and amateur cross the line to participate. The risk of putting your body on the line in difficult situations and awkward positions and pushing your body to the limits will sometimes come at a cost. And in collision sports like football, rugby, and even basketball the stakes are even higher. But of all the injuries that are sustained in sports, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture or tear would be right up there as the worst. This particular injury is a season-ending injury and even a career-ending injury for some! And with females, the chances of this injury occurring are a staggering 5-8 times higher than males in sports like soccer, basketball and more recently in Australia in Women’s AFL. As opposed to collision injuries that are being in the wrong place at the wrong time, up to 70% of ACL injuries are non-contact injuries, meaning they were caused from a poor cutting move or pivot or landing poorly from a jump. This is not bad luck but something that could have been avoided if a correct training program was employed early enough that addressed the bio-mechanical warnings of this upcoming injury. Unfortunately, this rarely happens as fitness training is preferred over quality of movement. In this article, I am going to share with you the seven reasons females are more at risk with an ACL injury, and more importantly what you can do about it.