I watched myself run on film yesterday. My cousin who is a physical therapist filmed me from the front and behind. He quickly identified the problem and suggested orthotics due to a knock kneed form. I run in NB 1221’s, which are already support oriented for over pronation. The funny thing was, when asked to concsoiusly during a run bring my shin back straight up to my but, instead of out to the side, I felt like I had corrected, but I was still flaring it out, to the side. It seems to be a neurological, genetic fixed thing.
At any rate, I continually have battles with tight IT band, on the left side—it doesn’t hurt as much anymore because I do an enormous about of abductor weight lifting and now, crab walks, as per Maylene. However, this just seems to not really deal with the cause of the problem, but strengthens a bad gait.
On a knock kneed running form, the legs go from out to in, like a golfer has a bad slice. I can’t find anything on the internet on how to remove a “knock kneed” running form, or drills, etc. If you watch somebody run like that, it looks like a waste of energy, in addition to injury problems:
"Recently, health experts have found that runners with a weakened or fatigued gluteus medius muscle in the hip are more likely to end up with ITB syndrome. This muscle controls outward movements of the hip. If it isn’t doing its job, the thigh tends to turn inward. This makes the knee angle into a “knock-kneed” position. The ITB becomes tightened against the bursa on the side of the knee. "
Sorry, no suggestions for you, but the best example of a successful knock-kneed runner has got to be Lori Bowden. I seem to recall her reacting to critique of her style (not efficient, could lead to injury, etc) by saying something along the lines of: “I’ve tried to change it, but this is how I run. It is comfortable and effective for me, so why mess with it?” (not exact quote, of course…)
This is a problem for runners with big hips and for women runners, for some reason. But I’m a dude. So…
I watched some of the Boston marathon. I saw some of the Kenyans flare out just a bit, on heel up, but just a tiny, tiny bit. The majority of them don’t knock knee, though.
About the only thing I could think of, is using some of those elastic rope thingies the Pose people use, on their feet, and then, getting somebody behind me, to put restriction on the outside, during “heel up,” to make “heel up” come straight back. However, I don’t see how you could do that without falling down every 15 seconds, or how that could stop something you have neurologically done for 30 years or so.
Plus, who’s got a Puppetteer handy. My wife damn sure isn’t going to do it.
my knees been knocking for thirty years now… it’s not neurological/genetic, it’s just biomechanics. Don’t worry about it. Try this: stand with your kneecaps pointing straight ahead. Are your feet perfectly aligned, pointing straight ahead ? I’ll bet they aren’t, but instead turn out to the sides. If they do, then you’re likely going to run knock-kneed no matter what muscles you work on.
It’s not going to do any harm to strengthen the gluteus medius, and may even help, but don’t expect it to change your gait. I know many runners with knock knees and the foot flaring out to the side, none of us have noticeably more (or less) injuries than prettier-looking runners.