Great article on knee pain treatment/prevention

End needless knee pain!
Just a heads up on a great knee pain article since this topic always seems to come up. It's aimed at the serious weight lifting/fitness crowd but it's applicable for skiers/bikers/active outdoors types.

Ian does a good job of explaining everything without getting too technical but if something seems confusing I should be able to give you a translation. BTW, Ian King is an Aussie world class and Olympic level coach and trainer amongst other things. One of the best in the world.

Lengthen connective tissue. Lengthen connective tissue to optimal length through stretching and other techniques to gain the same result. Here are some examples:



Quad: Lying on your side on the ground, pull your heel to your butt.


Quad/Hip flexor: Kneel on the ground just in front of and facing away from a low bench. Place a rolled up towel under the knee as a cushion. The stretch side leg has the knee bent, knee on the towel, and foot up on the bench behind you. Move your butt towards the stretch side heel. If this is easy, add the pelvic tilt, i.e. suck the top of the pelvis in or backwards, and push the bottom end of the pelvis forward.


Quad/Hip flexor/ITB: Whilst in this pelvic tilt position, take the stretch-side hand up and over the head, and push the stretch side hip laterally away from the centerline of the body. You should feel not only the hip flexor/quad stretch increase, but also a stretch down the outside of the stretch side upper leg (ITB) and from the armpit to the hip on the stretch side (lats).


Hip Flexor: Same kneeling position with back foot on the bench, but take the foot of the non-stretch leg out further away from the bench, put your hands on your head, and lower your pelvis down as low as it can go (your stretch side foot is still up on the bench behind).


Adductors: Sit on the ground. Back up against a wall, soles of feet together, apply gentle pressure to just above the knee joints to take the knees closer to the ground. Here's another: Legs apart and straight, alternate between taking your trunk towards the ground and moving your legs further apart.


Glutes: Lie on your back. Lift one leg, bent at the knee, and take the lower leg across the body. With the same-side hand, push the knee away, and with the opposite hand pull the foot towards the head. Take the foot across to the other hip, holding the ankle with the opposite side hand. With the same side hand, pull the knee across your body towards the opposite shoulder.


Now lift the non-stretching leg up until the stretching leg is pressed up against the bottom of the quads. Take the same side hand through the "d" shape formed by both legs ("through the hole") and the opposite side hand goes down and pulls the non-stretch side leg up towards the chest by holding onto the top of the shin, just below the knee.