Healthy Movement For Life “Vitalitas”

Vitalitas is Latin for “the vital principle of life”. Many, many years ago it was thought that there was a sort of life spirit held in the knees. It has been said that the knee is the seat of life. And, figuratively, getting weak in the knees in the presence of another is actually a thing. My daughter appreciates her knees because “they have a tickle spot”. My son likes his because “they keep my legs attached.” I personally think they are sort of funny looking. But without them, I couldn’t  RiseUp, practice yoga or ice skate.  

The knee consists of four bones and two joints. The tibio-femoral joint houses the medial and lateral menisci, the lateral and medial collateral ligaments and the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments.  The two menisci are like shallow bowls created by cartilage. The condyles of the femur bone sit within these bowls. The menisci disperse loads, provide congruency during joint motion and diffuse synovial fluid which reduces friction. The patello-femoral joint includes the patella and the inward groove at the bottom of the femur. Here, the quadriceps muscle crosses over the top of the patella and allows for a longer lever arm against which the quadriceps muscle can transmit its force to the tibia. The back side of the patella comes into contact with the femur with greater force and contact area the more the knee flexes. 

The ligaments of the knee assist in providing stability against internal and external  forces acting on the knee. This can be appreciated when injury occurs-such as a fall or external blow to the outside of the knee that causes the knee to move into flexion with an inward collapse. In this scenario, the medial meniscus, medial collateral ligament and the anterior cruciate ligament can be strained or torn. In addition to acute injury, the tissues of the knee can be compromised over time due to overuse or repetitive movement with poor alignment. This can result in meniscal tears or arthritis.

Knee pain is quite common and with dysfunction, a multitude of things become difficult to do. Squatting, running, walking, going up and down stairs can become a chore. And, the worst part is not being able to do what you love to do because of it.

The knee is a link between the foot and the hip. As a result, the knee, foot and hip all work together during movement.. For example, when there is internal rotation at the hip and/or pronation at the foot, the knee will move into a position called genu valgum (knock kneed).

This means that the knee moves inward causing compressive forces to the tissues on the lateral side of the knee and lengthening forces to tissues on the medial side. The opposite scenario is called genu varum (bow legged). Excessive varus or valgus alignment can be structural and may lead to early degenerative changes down the road. 

All this to say that exercises or manual interventions aimed at prevention and recovery from knee injury take into account the knee and its two friends- the foot/ankle complex and the hip. Stand strong and bend without breaking.

Check out the Links below for exercises to keep your knees healthy and ready for action. Exercise is the Vitalitas! Supported Squats - 7 Positions Calf and Achilles Stretch at Countertop

Because Dr. Jill Trato is a RiseUp member, she offers a free 30-minute evaluation to anyone from our community. Just mention RiseUp and she’ll take a look, give you personalized advice, and help you understand what might be causing your pain.

If you’ve been struggling with anything from nagging knee pain to more persistent issues, this is a perfect chance to get expert guidance at no cost. Contact Jill here

About Dr. Jill Trato, PT, DPT, NCS: Dr. Jill has been in practice for over 21 years specializing in the differential diagnosis and treatment of balance, neurological, movement and vestibular disorders. In addition, Dr. Jill has completed residency training in Proprioceptive Neurologic Facilitation, extensive training in manual therapy for orthopedic conditions as well as fellowship coursework in the movement sciences applicable to the orthopedic and chronic pain populations.Dr. Jill's approach is whole person focused and efficient. And, she thoroughly enjoys just getting to know you as an individual.