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Helping
Clients with Knee Pain
By Justin Price, MA
Do your client's knees hurt going up and down stairs?
If so, this pain could be indicative of a malalignment,
not just at the knee, but elsewhere in the body.
For example, when the knee bends and straightens, the
knee cap should glide smoothly over the end of the femur.
The knee cap is attached above the knee to the quadriceps
muscles and below the knee to the tibia. The quadriceps
muscles originate from both the pelvis and the femur.
Therefore, a malalignment of the pelvis and the femur
affects the function of the knee.
Alignment of the tibia (shin bone) can be affected
by alignment of the foot. When walking, the foot naturally
pronates (collapses inward). However, over-pronation—which
is a common biomechanical problem—causes the foot
to collapse too much. As a result, the tibia rotates
toward the center of the body. Since the knee cap is
attached to the tibia, function of the knee is also
affected.
To learn more about a structured approach to assessing
your client's alignment, check out the 2006
IDEA World Fitness Convention® in Las Vegas,
where you can enhance your knowledge base with education
on topics like this and more! For more information,
call (800) 999-4332, ext. 7. |
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