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Still Dealing With Knee Pain? Your Hips Could Be the Real Culprit 👀🔥

 

If you’ve been icing your knee, wearing a brace, or skipping your morning run because of “bad knee” pain that just won’t go away, it may be time to look higher up — around 10 inches above the knee, at your hips.🦴

In physical therapy, we often say the knee is a slave to the hip and ankle.  Since the knee sits in the middle, it often absorbs extra stress when the joints above or below it aren’t functioning properly.🖇

When Weak Hips Stress the Knee🔗🦴

Your hip muscles — especially the gluteus medius — help keep your femur stable.  When they’re weak, your knee can collapse inward toward your big toe during walking, running, or squatting.

This is called valgus collapse, and it can put major stress on:
💥The kneecap → often linked to runner’s knee
💥The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), which are  critical knee stabilizers, → increasing injury risk
💥The meniscus → causing grinding or sharp pain with deep bends

3 Signs Your Knee Pain May Be a Hip Issue 🪜🪑◖

1️⃣The Stair Test
Does your knee cave inward when you step down?  That’s a sign your hip stabilizers may not be doing enough.
2️⃣Pain After Sitting
If your knee aches after long periods of sitting, your hip flexors may be tight, affecting how your body loads the knee.
‎3️⃣One-Sided Pain
If only one knee hurts, even though both legs do the same work, a hip imbalance on that side may be the real issue.

🦪Try the Clamshell Test

🔴Lie on your side with your knees bent and feet together.   Lift your top knee while keeping your feet touching.
🔴Can you do 20 reps without your hip burning or your back wobbling?  If not, hip weakness may be the quiet culprit behind your knee pain.

Stop Chasing the Pain🩹𓄧💊

Start Fixing the Source.  
tonithephysio™, don’t just treat where it hurts — we look at how your whole body moves.  Strengthening your hips can often make stubborn knee pain improve without surgery or injections.

Stay moving,

Toni
tonithephysio™
Total Mobility.  Total Balance.  Zero Pain
Mend & Move|Pain-Free Movement Team

____________________________
🗣📢Medical Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and is not medical advice.  Complete the 2-min joint assessment before starting any new exercise routine.

📲Follow me on Social Media:  
IG: @tonitonezz_
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RunnersKnee #HipStrength #KneePainRelief #GluteMedius #Mobility #DirectAccessPT

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Medical Disclaimer: This information is for general knowledge and is not medical advice. Consult with a healthcare provider or physical therapist before starting any new exercise routine.

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