[Updated on 1 May 2023] Knee valgus is a problem in which the knees bend inward, also known as “knock knees.” It’s a typical misalignment characterized by the knee bending inward. This problem occurs most frequently in young children, although it may last into adulthood in some situations. A variety of factors can cause knee valgus. Some are structural changes, such as rheumatoid arthritis or a knee joint, femur, or tibia deformity. Knee valgus due to these anomalies is unavoidable and can’t be repaired, but there are several treatment choices accessible that may assist relieve the discomfort caused by it.
Another frequent cause of knee valgus that may be prevented and healed – muscular imbalances caused by bad posture – is our main concern. In this post, you’ll discover what knock knees is, where it originates, and how to fix knee valgus due to bad posture.
What is Knee Valgus?
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Knee valgus happens when the femur rotates inward, whether owing to structural change or muscular and ligamentous deficiency. When both knees are bent, they point towards one another rather than forward while standing. Someone with knee valgus usually has their femurs pointed inwards, and their hips rotate internally. The knees are rotated inwards as a result of these two elements coming together. Furthermore, flat feet or collapsed arches are frequently seen in patients with this condition. Some people may compensate for knock knees by externally rotating their tibia (shins).
Symptoms of Knee Valgus
The most apparent sign of knee valgus is a knock-kneed appearance on the legs. Most people with moderate valgus will not feel any discomfort or pain. Stand with your legs together to look for a valgus misalignment and see if your knees and ankles touch. You have knock knees if your knees are touching, but there is a space of at least 2 inches between your ankles.
Valgus may develop if left unchecked, causing symptoms such as:
- An altered gait
- Limping
- Difficulty balancing
- Knee pain
- Reduced range of motion
- Foot, ankle, and hip pain
- Low back pain
There aren’t many negative effects associated with having a light case of knee valgus, but if you have knee valgus, you’ll want to fix knee valgus rather than ignoring it. Severe and long-term cases of knock knees can induce meniscus tears, joint damage, and osteoarthritis if left untreated. Furthermore, fix knee valgus will help you move more freely and efficiently and improve your overall posture.
Possible Causes of Knee Valgus
In this part, we’ll look at the various causes of Knee Valgus. It has a variety of causes. Bone malformations and sequelae such as Osteoarthritis, Rickets, and Scurvy can all contribute to knee valgus. It has also been discovered that genetics may play a role in some individuals developing it early and others late in life. Knee valgus is a condition that affects many children, with more than 20 percent of infants under the age of three having a gap of at least 0.4 inches between their ankles.
However, in most situations, the problem goes away as the body matures. According to studies, by the age of seven, only one percent of children have a gap in their knees. knock knees may persist into adolescence or manifest in adulthood in some individuals. Because many of these conditions are uncommon, they usually occur as a consequence of an underlying sickness or condition, such as Blount’s disease. Inadequate posture is another typical reason for knee valgus. This is what we’ll go over in greater detail in the following section.
How can Poor Posture induce Knee Valgus?
To comprehend how your bad posture causes knee valgus, it’s crucial to understand how the muscles of the hips and legs collaborate to keep the knee properly positioned. The knee is held in place by a complex network of muscles that allows for a full range of motion as well as supports the knee. The hip abductors, external rotators, quadriceps, and hamstrings are all examples of these muscles. Your weight is dispersed evenly throughout a load-bearing axis that extends down through the hip, knee, and ankle when your knee is positioned correctly.
The knee may shift out of place when knee-stabilizing muscles become weak due to injury or overuse. Weak hip external rotates, pelvic muscles, and hip abductors cause the femur to rotate inwards, producing a knock-kneed appearance in the knee valgus. It’s crucial to remember that some degree of varus (or “bow legs”) or valgus (or “knock knees”) is standard, and it won’t produce any noticeable symptoms or loss of movement.
Muscular Imbalances and Postural Dysfunctions Can Cause Knee Valgus
Knee valgus is frequently caused by various factors, including structural abnormalities in the body.
Weak Quadriceps
The quadriceps, a group of muscles at the front of the thigh, help control knee extension and stability. If the quadriceps are weak relative to the hamstrings, it can contribute to knee valgus.
Poor Core Stability
Weakness in the core muscles can impact overall body alignment and stability during movement. Insufficient core stability can increase the likelihood of knee valgus by compromising proper movement patterns.
Flat Feet
When your feet are flat, or your arches have collapsed, the knee is deviated and pointed inwards.
Naturally Wide Hips
People who have wider hips are more likely to develop this condition over time, whether this is a cause or not. Wider hips are more likely to internally rotate, causing the knees to cave inwards. This is one of the many reasons women seem more prone to knee valgus than men.
Anterior Pelvic Tilt
The hips can internally rotate if the front of your pelvis is tilted downwards in an anterior pelvic tilt, forcing the knees to point inwards. The process of locating the source of knee valgus is not simple. The source of the problem may be found at either end since the knee is in the center of the hip and ankle joint. A flat foot is typical among people with knock knees. Was it the flat feet that developed the knock knees, or were it the inwardly rotated hip that generated the knee to collapse inwards, causing the flat feet?
If you can’t address the actual cause, it might be more difficult to figure out the ideal technique to treat knee valgus. The good thing is that if knock knees develops as a result of bad posture, it can be reversed if it is addressed promptly. We’ll look at some of the treatment choices for treating knee valgus in the following section.
Methods To Fix Knee Valgus
More aggressive therapy may be required for severe cases of knee valgus to alleviate discomfort and prevent the condition from getting worse. A doctor may advise you to try one of the following methods depending on the source of knee valgus:
Medication
Knee valgus can be caused by a variety of factors, including underlying illnesses such as rickets (calcium and vitamin D deficiency). In certain situations, treating the underlying condition with medicine may assist in relieving the knee’s malalignment. Medication may be used in conjunction with an individualized exercise regimen to treat knock knees to reduce pain.
Surgery
Knee valgus correction can be achieved by using guided growth, in which a plate is inserted into the knee to restore the joint’s alignment, or osteotomy, in which the femur is realigned to correct the load-bearing axis angle. In rare situations, a total knee replacement will be suggested.
Most doctors and physiotherapists will recommend some basic exercises to strengthen weak hip external rotators and hip abductors in the event that knee valgus is not due to a structural abnormality or an underlying disease. Stretching routines may be advised to help the hips return to their normal range of motion and loosen up tight muscles. The following stretches and activities are designed to realign the knee so that it can bear weight in an efficient way and alleviate pressure on the knee, hip, and ankle joints. In the next section, we’ll look at specific workouts you may try.
Corrective Exercises To Fix Knee Valgus
In this area, we’ll look at some exercises and posture concerns to address and think about while fix knee valgus. However, before attempting any type of treatment at home, you must consult with your doctor to ensure there are no underlying factors causing your knee valgus.
Glute Bridges
Position yourself in a supine position with your knees bent & your feet resting flat on the ground. Engage your glutes and raise your hips off the ground until the body forms a straight from knees to shoulders. Hold for some seconds, and then lower back down. Glute bridges strengthen the gluteus maximus, another important muscle for hip stability and knee alignment.
Place a resistance band above your knees. Assume a slight squat position with your feet hip-width apart. Take small steps sideways while keeping tension on the band. Focus on pushing against the resistance to engage the glutes and abductors. Band walks help activate and strengthen the muscles responsible for maintaining proper knee alignment.
Step-Ups
Stand in front of a sturdy platform or step. Step onto it with one foot, pushing through your heel and keeping your knee aligned with your foot. Step back down and repeat this process with the other foot. Step-ups target the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, promoting balanced leg strength and improved knee tracking.
Split Squat
Stand with one foot forward and the other foot behind you. Lower your body by bending both your knees, ensuring that your front knee stays aligned with your foot and doesn’t collapse inward. Push through the front foot to return to the starting position. Split squats work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes while reinforcing proper knee alignment.
Wall-Sit
Stand with your back against a wall and slide until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Keep your knees aligned with your toes & your back against the wall. Then hold this posture for as long as possible while maintaining proper form. Wall sits build isometric strength in the quadriceps and help develop stability in the knees.
Terminal Knee Extensions
Sit on the chair’s edge with a resistance band trap around your ankles and secured to a stable anchor behind you. Then, extend one leg in front of you while keeping tension on the band. Slowly lower your foot back down and repeat on the other side. Terminal knee extensions strengthen the quadriceps and improve knee tracking during functional movements.
Hip External Rotations
Lie on your side with bent knees to 90 degrees. Keeping your feet together, rotate your top leg upward while maintaining contact between your feet. Slowly lower it back down. This exercise targets the external rotators of the hip, which can help counteract the inward rotation associated with knee valgus.
How To Avoid Knee Valgus In The Future
Knee valgus that is developed by a structural malformation is generally unavoidable. If your knock knees is the result of bad posture, there are a few simple lifestyle adjustments you may make to prevent it from getting worse.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
Obesity has been linked to severe knee valgus in numerous studies. Excess weight puts additional stress on the legs and knees, which can aggravate knock knees.
Avoid Hyperextending Your Knees
When standing and walking, focus on maintaining some mobility in the knees. Hyperextension of the knee can harm the medial collateral ligament (MCL), which keeps the knee from collapsing inward, and the anterior crucial ligament (ACL), which stabilizes the knee joint during rotation.
Practice Good Posture When Sitting
Your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle and your feet flat on the floor when sitting in a chair—putting your knees together and your feet apart while sitting is not a good idea.
Practice Good Form
If you have this condition and are already exercising, you should be more conscious of your form and especially where your knees are in relation to their proper position. Don’t let your knees cave in when you’re in a squat; instead, keep them over the toes. Keep your knee well above the ankle in a single leg lunge, and don’t let them collapse inwards. Simply performing basic things like these will begin to exercise the muscles that aren’t responsive, and your knee alignment may improve over time.
Repairing Knee Valgus is a difficult task, but form counts
These workouts are a fantastic place to begin and may even be done alone. Remember what you’re doing with your knees while going about your day. Look to fix the muscle imbalances from your hips all the way down to your knees since knee valgus isn’t just a problem with your legs. Moderate cases of knee valgus can be prevented from getting worse and contributing to the development of more serious diseases like joint pain and osteoarthritis if discovered early.
Remember, the information provided in this article is not meant to take the place of medical advice. If you have knock knees with swelling or knee-buckling, it’s possible that you have a more serious problem that is causing your knock knees. Consult with your physician about the possible reasons and treatment choices for your knee valgus if you’re considering fixing knock knees.
FAQs
Q1. How do you fix knee valgus in adults?
Osteotomy is a surgical procedure that utilizes permanent metal plates to maintain the alignment of bones, which may be advantageous for adults. This refers to two options for older adults with knee problems. It adjust their leg bones and realigning their knees or undergoing knee replacement surgery.
Q2. Is valgus knee curable?
The only way to treat genu valgum is to wait for normal growth and development over time. Most children with knock-knees will correct the problem independently, but if the condition worsens or doesn’t improve by age 10, further evaluation and testing may be necessary.
Q3. What weakness causes knock knees?
Although the gluteus medius muscle is mainly responsible for abducting the hip in the frontal plane and its weakness is linked to knock knees, it is crucial also to consider the functional significance of the gluteus maximus muscle when addressing knee valgus impairments.
Q4. Can physiotherapy cure knee valgus?
Knee valgus typically improve as children grow and their legs straighten. In most cases, children do not require any treatment. However, a foot specialist (podiatrist) or physiotherapy may be suggested in some situations.
Q5. Why does knee valgus occur?
The position of the knee, known as knee valgus, is affected by movements in the thigh and shin bones. These movements can be impacted by various joints below and above the knee, such as the ankle, hip, and trunk. If there is a lack of control in the femur, it can lead to too much inward movement and rotation, which may put pressure on the ACL.
Conclusion
In conclusion, addressing knee valgus requires a multifaceted approach that includes understanding the underlying causes, implementing targeted exercises, modifying movement patterns, and seeking professional guidance when necessary. Individuals can effectively reduce knee valgus and prevent future complications by focusing on strengthening the muscles around the hip, knee, and ankle, improving flexibility, and practicing proper alignment and movement mechanics. Remember, consistency and patience are keys to fixing knock knees. With a commitment to a comprehensive treatment plan, individuals can regain stability, function, and comfort in their knees. It allows them to pursue a more active and fulfilling lifestyle.
