Area 2: Knees and Hip Flexors
Our knees and hip flexors (Quadriceps, Adductors/Groin, Abdominals and Iliopsoas) typically dominate the alignment of the pelvis and spine to be Anteriorly Tilted or in Swayback. Over time, these muscle imbalances and joint misalignments lead to pain or mobility limitations.
Compression in the hip flexors may limit a knee or hip’s ability to extend (straighten) all the way, possibly causing pain in the knee, groin, hip or lower back.
A common reason for the knee not extending fully may be reduced flexibility in the Feet and Lower Legs, as this area requires many hours of repetition to change.
Body Rolling
Releasing fascia around the Knees and Hip Flexors is important. Most people do not feel pain or dysfunction in these muscle groups, but they do feel the tightness once they experience deep bodywork or body rolling.
Many hours of focused body rolling is typically necessary in this areas, with a longer-term program also including more Mobility and Stretching exercises.
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Mobility and Stretching
Mobility and Stretching exercises for lengthening the upper Quadriceps, Adductors, Abdominals and Iliopsoas are essential for reversing all the years of quad/knee dominance from typical activities like sitting, climbing, walking, running, swimming, etc.
The goals of these exercises are lengthening the Hip Flexors and reducing their pull and dominance on the Pelvis, thus relieving the majority of cases of lower back and hip pain.
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Strengthening
In some cases, the knees may need Strengthening. The Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO) is the “teardrop” portion of the Vastus Medialis Quadriceps muscle that stabilizes the medial side of the knee along with the adductors.
The VMO is a very important Dynamic Stabilizer helping the knee in many angles and activities, like ascending and descending stairs, twisting, jumping, squatting, etc.
Click on the image to view the exercises ⟶
