Hip Exercises to Help with Knee Pain

Do you suffer from knee pain? Have you tried knee strengthening exercises, and they just don’t seem to be helping much or at all? Did you know your knee pain could actually be coming from a dysfunction in your hip?

 

Functionally, there are several muscles that attach above the hip and below the knee joint. Meaning, depending on the position and/or activity, the same muscle can move the hip and/or the knee. This close relationship is seen when there is dysfunction in either joint. Patients with knee pain move differently, ultimately affecting the hip joint; patients with hip dysfunction can wind up placing added stress on the knee joint, leading to knee pain.

 

One study asked patients with patellofemoral pain (PFP, pain in the knee) and without hip pain to perform either knee exercises or hip exercises. The knee exercise group performed quadricep or knee strengthening exercises while the hip exercise group engaged in hip strengthening exercises. The specific hip exercises included hip abduction (outward resistance) and hip external rotation muscle strengthening exercises. Both groups performed their exercises three times per week for a total of eight weeks. All participants experienced improvements in pain and function; however, the patients in the hip exercise group reported greater improvements than those in the knee exercise group.

 

Other recently published biomechanical studies have reported that persons with PFP demonstrate excessive internal rotation and adduction (inwards positioning) of the hip that isn’t generally observed in pain-free subjects. Further, those with PFP tend to have weak hip abductors, extensors, and external rotator muscles than pain-free individuals.

 

Chiropractic care focuses on while body care, and patients are often surprised that doctors of chiropractic frequently treat hip, knee, ankle, and foot conditions. Posture and gat assessments, which may be included in an initial patient examination, frequently reveal abnormal movement patterns, leg length discrepancy, pelvic rotation, and lower lumbar spine dysfunction that may contribute to a patient’s chief complaint. Often, treatment must address these issues for the patient to achieve a successful outcome.

 

Content Courtesy of Chiro-Trust.org. All Rights Reserved.

 

Dr. Augustine of Augustine Chiropractic in Wesley Chapel, FL, has over 31 years of experience treating patients for their neck pain and their ailments through personalized chiropractic care treatments. The locally owned and operated chiropractic clinic offers both in-office treatments and at-home therapy regiments to help people recover and heal from auto injuries and other conditions. The staff is dedicated to providing alternative and therapeutic solutions for better overall health. Give them a call today at (813) 994-6008 to schedule and appointment and visit their website to learn more about their services!