If you’re suffering from knock knees you’re not alone.
Millions of people deal with the inward curvature at their knees and the space between their ankles.
It’s also called genu valgum, and it’s a common condition for small children under the age of 6.
However, if the knock knee deformity doesn’t improve by the time the child turns 7 it means there’s an underlying condition causing the problem.
What Causes Knock Knees
There are more than a few things that could be causing your knock knee deformity.
Some of the most common causes of knock knees include the following:
- Excessive weight gain – If you’re obese or overweight it can put a lot of pressure on your knees which can cause or worsen the inward curvature.
- Injury – Certain injuries to the leg can cause the alignment in your knees to become abnormal.
- Arthritis – Any type of inflammation in or around your knee joint can cause a misalignment in your leg.
- Rickets – Rickets is a condition where your body has a deficiency in vitamin D or calcium. This lack of vitamin D can weaken your bones and cause them to start turning inward.
All of these underlying causes above can cause genu valgum.
It’s important to see a doctor if you suspect you or your child’s knock knees is due to some sort of illness or injury.
What Are the Symptoms of Knock Knees
If you have knock knees you will notice one or more of the symptoms listed below:
- Knee pain – People with knock knees will notice that they have a lot of pain around their knee area.
- Pain the feet – When you have knocked knees you may also experience pain in other areas such as your feet, hips, and especially your ankles.
- Can’t stand up – As you can imagine when you have knock knees it can be hard for you to stand up properly. This is because when your knees are constantly touching one another it can be painful to stand for too long.
If you notice one or more of these symptoms it’s a good idea to go see a doctor that can give you an official diagnosis.
When you go for the diagnosis the doctor will request for you to stand up straight so he or she can measure the gap between your ankles.
In order to get an accurate diagnosis the doctor may also perform an X-ray examination.
How to Correct Knock Knees
According to My Knock Knee Fix, the only time you need surgery to correct knock knees is if your condition is severe.
However, people with mild knock knees can actually use exercises and braces to correct this deformity gradually.
Knock Knee Exercises
Doing certain exercises regularly can help strengthen the muscles in your leg that will eventually help realign the bones in your knees properly.
A couple of the best exercises to correct knock knees include:
Lunges
Lunges are one of the best exercises for knock knees because it works your hips and leg muscles responsible for the inward curvature at the knee.
To do lunges follow the steps below:
- Stand up straight with your hands on your hips.
- Now shift your body weight onto your right leg until it bends to a 90 degree angle. As you bend your right leg you should keep your left leg as straight as possible behind you.
Repeat this lunge technique 10 to 12 times and then switch to your left leg.
Side Step-Ups
Another great exercise for knock knees are step-ups.
This exercise primarily works the muscles in your thighs which will gradually improve the misalignment in your knees.
To do the step-up properly follow the steps below:
- Position a bench or chair next to you and stand up straight.
- Now step-up with your left foot and place it on top of the bench or chair.
- As you do this push your body up into the air while keeping your other leg as straight as possible.
- Repeat about 10 to 12 repetitions of this step-up exercise.
As soon as you get through doing these reps switch to the right leg.
Knock Knee Braces
If you have knock knees there are certain custom made braces you can use to help improve the condition.
These braces work by gradually helping the misaligned bones to grow in the correct position.
The only downside to these braces is that they require a prescription and can cost a lot of money if you don’t have good insurance.
To get the best results from wearing a brace for knock knees you’ll need to wear the brace consistently each day.
Orthotics
Another great way to correct knock knees many people don’t talk about are orthotics.
Orthotics work by correcting the alignment in your foot.
This treatment method doesn’t make a huge impact in realigning the bones in your leg properly but if used regularly can reduce the pain and many other common symptoms for knock knees.
Conclusion
If you are not interested in knock knee surgery these 3 knock knee correction methods are your best options.
The only way to see great results in applying these treatments is to be consistent with it.
