Hips, Knees and Ankles!

Hips, Knees and Ankles

These three have to be dealt with together as they are very dependent on one another for so many reasons.

First, remember that most ankle and knee problems will manifest themselves in the hip. So just because you have pain on the inside of your knee, or in the ankle joint DOES NOT MEAN they are broken. Often times, baring a trauma, it is a cumulative micro-trauma that has broken down tissue (think of a car tire with wear and tear on it) and eventually you have pain. The funtional dependency of the hip, knee and ankle is vital for figuring out why you have pain and how to fix it. Enjoy!!!

90/90 Hip mobility

DO's:

Go slow
Make sure to hold each position for 30-45 seconds and feel the stretch through both hips
Start small and improve each week until you are able to move from side to side without using your arms

DO NOT's:

CAUSE PAIN
Push yourself to hard at first, develop the mobility over time

Supine Pelvic Tilts

DO's:

Breath while you are performing this
Make sure you are bracing your rib cage and core properly, follow the cues and take your time
Tilt the pelvis with your glutes and ab brace
Hold this position in accordance with your program

DO NOT's:

Use your legs to create movement
Hold your breath
Use your neck or back muscles to create or hold any position
Have any pain while doing this
NO stiffness or tightness in the low back or neck while performing

Clams

DO's:

Breath!!!
Maintain ab brace
Move slowly and deliberately
Feel the muscles in your hip doing the work

DO NOT's:

Have pain anywhere
Hold your breath
Use your back or body to create movement
You should not feel this exercise in your quads, hamstrings, ankles or low back - ONLY your glutes

Low Back Pain with Disc Involvement

Symptoms

Pain, deep in the hip
Pins and needles down the leg, into the calf and/or foot and toes
Numbness in the lower leg, foot and/or toes
Weakness: you can not move your toes, walk on your heels or toes

Causes

As above, when the disc becomes involved at this level there have been micro-traumas to the disc over the years and it is finally weakened enough to bulge, protrude or herniate into the nerve root space

What to do?

Typically this one is an immediate spinal ortho referral, MRI to gauge severity and possible surgery depending on severity. NOT ALL DISC problems are surgical. Quite a few can be handled conservatively.

Sciatica

Symptoms

Pain that radiates from your lower (lumbar) spine to your buttock and down the back of your leg
Usually only one side of the body is affected
Pain in the rear or leg that is worse when sitting
Hip pain
Burning or tingling down the leg
Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot
A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up

Causes

Irritation of the nerve root of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine
Muscle spasms in the back or buttock
Sciatic nerve becomes pinched, usually by a herniated disk in your spine or by an overgrowth of bone on your vertebrae.
True Sciatica is generally linked to disc involvement but not usually as intense as far as pain and nerve symptoms (loss of feeling and strength in the lower legs and feet)

Piriformis syndrome

Symptoms

Acute tenderness in the buttocks and sciatica-like pain down the back of the thigh, calf, and foot
Symptoms often become worse after prolonged sitting, walking, or running and may feel better after lying down on the back

Causes

Lumbar herniated disc
Degenerative disc disease
Piriformis muscles runs from your lower spine to the top of your thigh bone. When this muscles presses on your sciatic nerve the pain is caused.