hip mobility exercises and knee pain

[std01108]

Hello, Mr Rippetoe

could hip mobility exercises, of the kind that place the outer ankle to the opposite knee,
cause knee pain or aggravate it?

thanxs

[Mark Rippetoe]

Of course it could, because you are using the lower leg as a lever and the knee is in the middle, stabilized by the LCL in this position. It could aggravate the ligament and both menisci.

[Tsypkin]

Hello, Mr Rippetoe

could hip mobility exercises, of the kind that place the outer ankle to the opposite knee,
cause knee pain or aggravate it?

thanxs

Try this method. As noted in the post, using an elevated surface eliminates the gapping force on the LCL: http://sanfranciscocrossfit.blogspot...etray-you.html

[Mark Rippetoe]

This is one way to apply force to rotate the femur externally. But it still involves using the lower leg as a lever arm, and it requires force to be transferred across the ligaments.

[Langolier]

So is there a safe way to do this or best not to bother? Is it worth doing stretching and mobilty exercises at all?

[std01108]

I'm having knee pain for months now, and am waiting medical results on a torn meniscus.
So you say i should stop doing things like cradle walks and streches like the ones Tsypkin suggests right? I can actually feel in my knees that what you say is right. On the other hand i kept doing them all this time because it made my hip feel so much stress released.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I don't know of a safe way to do it if your knee is compromised. I don't think most people need to stretch as much as lots and lots of people tell you you should. If you need to stretch your hips, and some people do, then it may be worth doing carefully even if your knees are less-than-perfect. Just be careful.

[Steve Hill]

I don't know of a safe way to do it if your knee is compromised. I don't think most people need to stretch as much as lots and lots of people tell you you should. If you need to stretch your hips, and some people do, then it may be worth doing carefully even if your knees are less-than-perfect. Just be careful.

Actually, a good way to do this is with an assisted stretch, since your stretching partner (or in my case, my hot CMT Jenny), can apply force above the knee.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Can you supply a newd picture? Of Jenny? And only Jenny?

[Steve Hill]

Can you supply a newd picture? Of Jenny? And only Jenny?

You wouldn't like her - she would be underfed by your standards...