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Hello - does anyone here "suffer" from knock knees and have any measure of success counteracting it? I know it is largely a skeletal thing but I feel like there must be some way to counteract some of it.
My legs have a very definite inward direction towards the knees, and then splay outward toward my feet again. It's one of those things that people don't notice until it comes up and they're like "oh yeah jeez". I am not too bothered visually, as it is not mad extreme. But my knees can touch at rest.
It doesn't affect my riding at all, but it does lead to certain problems when running / walking long distance and I worry about future imbalances and injuries. I've had a few close calls with various ligaments doing quite normal stuff.
I can straighten out my legs to look more "conventional" by squeezing my arse and also exaggerating the arch on my feet. However, endless glute strengthening and a rigorous mobility regime over the past few years has not really solved anything and nor does corrective insoles - the only thing that helps is "trying" not to do it which is quite uncomfortable. I don't really know how I can train my feet arches to be stronger!
Has anyone here had similar issues?
I've been to the physio recently and to counteract poor leg position as you described, the advice was to use arch supports to roll the foot outward which moves the knees away from each other. Also doing more stretching of hamstrings and strengthening of glutes. There was lots more to the discussion, so best to see a professional and get advice specific to you, but the advice I got was really good.
Thinking about your foot arch comment, I was watching the youtube video linked below recently where the guy explains quite clearly how the arch of your foot affects your posture including knee angle. Gets there in the first couple of minutes so you don't have to wade through endless waffle!
The orthotics need to be specified and fitted by a specialist, off to your GP to start the ball rolling.
A physio who will show you the correct taping to trick your muscles into switching on correctly may help, as might glute strengthening. Glutes are an external rotator (make your feet point out) which can help ‘un-knock’ knees.
Get sorted before the osteo arthritis kicks in, it is properly annoying.
Not saying it's this, IANAD and all that, but do you have pain in your knees and hips and have you heard of "miserable malalignment syndrome"? Basically your femurs should rotate outwards into the correct position in your pelvis in the first couple of years after birth, if they don't it gives you the above. My eldest daughter had it and had it surgically corrected a few years ago, which involved cutting her femurs and rotating into the correct position and then doing opposite in the lower legs to compensate, femurs pinned and tib plated and bolted. She's fine now but does set off airport metal detectors!
Thanks @chaos - as annoying as it is, it is very interesting! Will watch.
Yes I think I will visit my doctor. It’s only recently I’ve started to really think it could cause problems and not just a bit of an anatomical quirk!
I am perfectly mobile now but I do feel like there’s a banjo string in there ready to snap from mismatched strain. Doing squats for example I have to concentrate as hard as possible to keep my feet and knees tracking outwards and not caving in. It’s quite annoying.
OH is noticeably knock kneed but also seems to have a forward tilted pelvis. The two seem to be connected and I don't mean in the obvious way 🙂 She is now starting to suffer hip pain and has had a first visit to specialist. It seems to be genetic as her mother is the same, has already had one hip replaced and is waiting for the other.
I have one knee that rolls inward when I walk but that seems to be a result of having very lax ligaments in that foot so it almost completely flattens and rolls in when walking. This regularly results in corns in the middle of the ball of my foot.