Alignment

Every joint in the body is built to function in its optimum alignment.  When the bones, cartilage and tendons encompassing the joint are aligned properly, the joint performs smoothly with minimal wear. 

The knee for example is designed to bend only in the front to back direction.  It is not built to facilitate rotation or side to side bending.

If you had perfect posture dynamics and body alignment, with the exception of accidental injury, your knees would probably last a lifetime without trouble. 

Unfortunately, most people do not have anywhere close to perfect posture dynamics and alignment.  Hyperpronation (ankles that roll in) is the main source of knee problems.  The instant the ankles roll in, the legs are forced into an internal rotation.  But when walking toward toe-off, the hip tries to externally rotate the leg.  The stress from opposing rotational forces literally tries to rotate the condyles (end of the femur) out of their corresponding sockets on the tibia.  The meniscus are cartilage cups between the bony surfaces of the knee joint.  As this rotational stress continues year after year, the meniscus tears and arthroscopic surgery becomes necessary.  

Athletes often tear their Anterior Cruciate Ligament (one of the main ligaments in the knee).  Reports are sighting that women tear this ligament as many as 2-8 times more often than men.  Even moderate hyperpronation can easily become extreme under certain athletic conditions causing the knee to be exposed to excessive rotational forces.  Since ligaments don't have much elasticity, they tear from the overload caused by the rotation.  Reducing hyperpronation is of extreme importance to women who participate in sports. 

Runner's Knee (Chondromalacia) is an alignment problem that can be quickly fixed by bringing the knee back into better alignment.  The rotation in the knee caused by hyperpronation of the foot causes the knee cap to track incorrectly as it moves  every time the knee bends. 

The ankles and hips are also impacted by hyperpronation.  Even teenage athletes complain of ankle, knee and hip pain.  Bringing the lower extremities into alignment is one of the quickest fixes for these common complaints.  If you have been enduring this pain for awhile we recommend you see a good medical practitioner who understands posture dynamics from head to toe.  Otherwise they may fix your symptoms (for example arthroscopic surgery) without addressing the root cause of the problem -- your feet.