06/29/2020
Check out this post from structural medicine intern,
“Here are two photos showing the 1. Ligamentous and fascial webbing on the front of the knee covering the patella and 2. A more detailed image showing the quadriceps expansion, medial and lateral patella retinacula, and overall, the layering and network of tissues that make up what we call- the front of the knee!
When a muscle, fascial covering, or any combination of, gets tight and restricted, it causes the knee joint to rotate. This can look a knee cap twisted towards the midline, lower legs pulling out towards the side collapsing the knees inward (valgus), or the lower legs bowing in (varus), the inner foot collapsed into the floor, and not to mention what other patterns the body can create when the hip joint and pelvis have their own tilts and rotations as well! Or post-knee surgery, all of that fascia gets sucked in and down towards the knee cap, making it painful and immobile. The overall goal is to have a body that supports us in daily life. This becomes impossible when the lower leg isn’t underneath our thigh when standing, causing pain and dysfunction (and further down the road, injury) in our bodies.
This weekend at school, I was lucky enough to not only learn how to work on this area to increase mobility, but also got to receive the work from my classmates and teacher. Post-surgical structural medicine gave relief not only in my knee, but also in my hip flexors, calves, and hamstrings! Yayyy for bodywork! “ @ Bellingham, Washington