If you have stuck-up kneecaps, you’re at risk of having knee pain, hip pain, or other joint-related problems. According to the CDC in 2009, the total number of knee replacements in the US was 676,000, and the total number of hip replacements was 327,000! Of the 676,000 knee replacements, 303,000 were among people aged 45 to 64! And of the 327,000 hip replacements, 152,000 were between the ages of 45-64!
How can you tell if your kneecaps are stuck up? Stand with straight legs and try to lift and lower your kneecaps using your quadriceps. To do this, you need to have your knees fully extended (but not locked). Make sure your femurs are vertical (your pelvis isn’t out in front of you). Having trouble fully extending the knees? Tight hamstrings and calf muscles create a bent knee. Friction results when you walk with bent knees. More friction=inflammation=knee pain. If you can’t lift your kneecaps, it’s because they’re already pulled up by the quadriceps, meaning you’re actually having trouble lowering the kneecaps. As a result, the upward pull of the quadriceps pulls your patellas (kneecaps) into the tissue behind, creating wear and tear with every step you take.
Note: Most of the people I see in person think they can let their kneecaps down, but in reality, they’re just slightly bending and straightening the leg instead of relaxing the quads. You want to be able to let the kneecaps down while keeping the leg straight. Try it in front of a mirror.
Still, can’t lift and lower your kneecaps? Try this:
Let your kneecaps down by relaxing your quads—permission from Katy Bowman, Biomechanical scientist to use the above image.
Lean against a wall with your feet about 12 inches away from the wall. Try lifting and lowering your kneecaps. Once you achieve the kneecap release at this distance, move your feet a little closer to the wall until you can do the release while standing vertically. The kneecap release is not an exercise; it’s a test to see if you can relax the quadriceps. It’s a way that I check myself while standing at a crosswalk, at my standing workstation, or in a grocery line.
It took me a week to get my left kneecap to release. You can see it lagging behind a bit in the video.
Author: Barbara Horsley has more than 26 years of experience as a licensed massage therapist. She specializes in abdominal massage and Visceral Manipulation™ and is an NCBTMB-approved educator. In addition to being certified in abdominal massage, she also studied biomechanics and restorative exercise. She is also a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator and a graduate of the IWHI Perimenopause & Menopause Certificate Program.