Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash
By Marek Wyszynski, PT, GCFPCM
What is the knee joint for anyway?
The primary job of the knee is to control the distance between the foot and hip dynamically. It allows us to bring our feet toward our body so we can do things like put socks on. Our knee joints let us move our body toward and away from our feet so we can squat, stand up, jump, and run. Can you imagine how awkward it would be to get up from the floor if we didn't have this incredible joint? Or climb up or down the stairs? Without the knees walking would resemble ambulating on stilts. Not much fun!
Our knee joint is what's technically called a "modified hinge" that permits a large amount of bending and straightening but only a tiny amount of rotations when the knee is bent. Ideally, our joint surfaces remain parallel to each other. The knee joint is vulnerable to overuse and injury, especially when forced to move outside its intended range of motion. Particularly dangerous are side-to-side movements and twisting. Dr. Feldenkrais called such a side-to-side misalignment "gapping of a joint" where joint surfaces are compressed excessively on one side and separated on the other. Lateral gapping of the knee contributes to overstretching ligaments, muscular imbalances, tearing of menisci, damage of the cartilage, and excessive loading of one side of the joint - likely precursors of osteoarthritis.(...)
