If you have stuck-up kneecaps you’re at risk of having knee pain, hip pain, or other joint-related problems. According to the CDC in 2009, the total knee replacements in the US equaled 676,000 and total hip replacements equaled 327,000!  Of the 676,000 knee replacements,  303,000 were between the ages of 45-64!  And of the 327,000 hip replacements, 152,000 were between the ages of 45-64!

How can you tell if your kneecaps are stuck up?  Stand with straight legs and try to lift and lower your kneecaps using your quadriceps.  To do this you need to have fully extended knees (but not locked).  Make sure your femurs are vertical (your pelvis isn’t out in front of you).  Having trouble fully extending the knees? Tight hamstrings and calf muscles create a bent knee. Friction results when you walk with bent knees.  More friction=inflammation=knee pain. If you can’t lift your kneecaps it’s because they’re already pulled up by the quadriceps, meaning you’re actually having trouble lowering the kneecaps.  As a result, the upward pull of the quadriceps pulls your patellas (kneecaps) into the tissue behind creating wear and tear with every step you take.
Note: most of the people I see in person think they can let their kneecaps down, but in reality, they’re just slightly bending and straightening the leg instead of relaxing the quads. You want to be able to let the kneecaps down while keeping the leg straight. Try it in front of a mirror.

Still, can’t lift and lower your kneecaps?  Try this:

Let your kneecaps down to prevent knee pain. Source: Restorative Exercise™ Institute

Lean against a wall with your feet about 12 inches away from the wall.  Try to lift and lower your kneecaps.  Once you achieve the kneecap release at this distance move your feet a little closer to the wall until you can do the release while standing in vertical.  The kneecap release is not an exercise, it’s a test to see if you can relax the quadriceps.  It’s a way that I check myself while standing at a crosswalk, at my standing workstation, or in a grocery line.

The exercise test I share here is one I use with clients who are also having pelvic floor issues. It’s all connected and this is one of the foundational exercises for whole-body alignment health.

It took me a week to get my left kneecap to release. You can see it lagging behind a bit in the tango. Make sure you have the sound on for the full tango effect. 🙂

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