Personal trainer Tonya Tittle of Energy Fitness Downtown Memphis often finds that many people seem to accept nagging knee pain as part of life. She and her staff have helped many clients strengthen and stretch the muscles, tendons, and fascia around the knee, thus either reducing or eliminating pain.
In this blog post, we are going to specifically address knee pain on the outside (lateral) of the leg. See picture below as well as Click on PICTURE TO SEE VIDEO OF HOW TO MANUALLY USE TRIGGER POINT THERAPY OR CLICK HERE.
Often times our bodies get in movement patterns that create an imbalance or shearing force that can create referral pain. Referral pain for example: wrist pain caused by tight forearm flexors/extensor or pronator/supinator muscles (muscles right below elbow on thumb side). Who gets these? office workers, tennis or golf players.
Try these easy steps to eliminate/manage knee pain:
1) Perform trigger point therapy every other day as shown in video link (not everyday as tissue needs time to heal).
2) Get new exercise shoes – science tends to lean toward minimalist shoes so that your foot lands in the position most natural for your body mechanics. A flexible, almost fold in half type tennis shoes or shoes similar to vibram barefoot is what we mean by minimalist.
3) Warm-up before exercise using dynamic stretching (movement) as opposed to static stretching (holding 10 seconds to 3 minutes). Static stretching has been proved to reduce strength by 7% for 24 hours. Static stretching is to be used for injuries or post workout. Think movement drills like what athletes do when you think of dynamic stretching. See below for pictures and a routine.
4) Runner? Don’t run on the same side of the street as the slant/incline as this creates constant stress/flexion on the muscles of the calves and shins.
5) Cross train because running on consecutive days doesn’t lend to tissue repair. If you run and cycle, just remember you are overworking your hip flexors and quads and thus lending to tightness in the knee and hip flexors which tend to pull on the IT (ILiotibial band).
Dynamic Stretching Routine
Click here for easy downloadable PDF for 14 more pictures of exercises or copy and post into new browser http://energyfitnessmemphis.ontraport.net/d?file_id=1707244&stamp=1427919427
Not a client? Live in town and interested in our personal training or nutrition coaching? Click here for a FREE Consult (value $87) or give us a call at 901-466-6242
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Energy Fitness, 552 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103
