Hi everyone,
Today’s post is looking at Knee Valgus (KNOCK KNEES) Caused by Muscle Imbalances.
Also referred to as “knock knees,” knee valgus is a common misalignment characterised by the inward bending of the knees.
This condition is most frequently seen in young children, but in some cases, this potentially painful condition can persist into adulthood.
There are several other known causes of knee valgus. Some are structural deformities, such as rheumatoid arthritis or a deformity of the knee joint, femur (thigh), or tibia (shin).
Knee valgus caused by these deformities is not preventable and cannot be reversed, but there are several treatment options available that can help ease the discomfort associated with this condition.
For the purposes of this article, our main focus is on another common cause of knee valgus that can be prevented and corrected: muscle imbalance due to poor posture.
In this post, you’ll learn what knee valgus is, what causes it, and how knee valgus caused by poor posture can be fixed.
What is Knee Valgus?
Knee valgus occurs when the femur (your thigh bone) rotates inward, whether due to structural deformity or weakness in the muscles and ligaments that support the knee. When it occurs both knees point towards one another in a standing position, rather than being pointed forward.
Typically, someone with knee valgus will have their femurs pointed inwards with their hips being in constant internal rotation (turning towards the mid-line of your body). These two factors work together to rotate the knees inwards.
Furthermore, flat feet or collapsed arches normally accompanies knee valgus. Some people may also have tibia (shins) external rotation to compensate for the knock knees.
Symptoms of Knee Valgus
The most obvious symptom of knee valgus is a knock-kneed appearance of the legs. Most adults with mild cases of valgus will not experience any pain or discomfort.
A simple way to test for a valgus misalignment is to stand with your legs together and note whether your knees and ankles are touching.
If your knees are touching but there is a gap of at least 2 inches between your ankles, you most likely have knee valgus.
If left untreated, however, valgus may progress and cause symptoms such as:
An altered gait
Foot, ankle, and hip pain
Difficulty balancing
Limping
Reduced range of motion
Knee pain
Low back pain
There aren’t too many side-effects of having a mild case of knee valgus, however, if you do have knee valgus it is something you will want to correct rather than ignore.
If left untreated, severe and longstanding cases of knee valgus can lead to meniscus tears, joint damage, and osteoarthritis. Furthermore, correcting knee valgus can improve your movement, and as we will see later, your overall posture.
Possible Causes of Knee Valgus.
The causes of knee valgus are plentiful. Some of the cases of knee valgus are caused by bone deformities and complications such as Osteoarthritis, Rickets and Scurvy.
Genetics has also been known to play a part with some people developing it early and some people developing it later in life.
One other common cause of knee valgus is poor posture.
Finding the root cause of knee valgus is not a simple job. Since the knee is in the middle of the hip joint and the ankle, the problem can originate from either end.
The good news is that if knee valgus that occurs due to poor posture can be corrected if it is identified early.
How to Correct Knee Valgus
For severe cases of knee valgus, more aggressive treatment may be required to ease pain and prevent the condition from worsening.
Depending on the underlying cause of knee valgus, a doctor may recommend:
Medication.
Surgery.
However, the use of CORRECTIVE EXERCISE has proven to have considerable positive impact in the correction of knee valgus.
Corrective Kinesiology recommend that you seek a static postural and functional movement assessment with one of our Corrective Exercise Specialists; they will very easily be able to establish if you do have knee valgus and, be able to develop a corrective exercise programme that may reverse the knee valgus and the negative impact this might cause.
For a FREE chat, contact Chas Staines BSc (Hons), CES.
