Medical Moment: Hip Strength & Knee Injuries

Many people work out hard in order to protect their knees and maximize their performance in many sports including skiing, biking, soccer, hockey, etc. They often focus on developing great quadriceps, their core (abdominals) and sometimes great hamstring strength. But one group of muscles which are often overlooked are the hip and gluteal muscles. These in my opinion are part of your core as well.

Most people tell me that they never thought about those muscles.”How can weak hip muscles cause knee problems?” Well, they definitely do and weakness in these muscle groups can lead to serious knee pain and overuse injuries. There have been several studies in the literature demonstrating this and I see it in my practice all of the time.

The hip flexors (iliopsoas and rectus femoris) and the hip abductors (gluteal muscles) are essential in getting your kneecap in balance. In addition to great quadriceps (particularly the vastus medialis obliquus) and flexible hamstrings, the hip muscles play a big role. Once your knee (particularly the kneecap or patella) is out of balance, the extensor mechanism (patellar tendon, quad tendon and undersurface of the patella) can become very painful.

Have you heard of patellar tendonitis (runner’s knee) or IT band syndrome? This is an overuse injury which often occurs when the knee is out of balance. Hip and core strength as well as hamstring flexibility are also important to reduce the risk of sciatica (a whole other topic!).

Editor’s note: The Telluride Medical Center is the only 24-hour emergency facility within 65 miles. As a mountain town in a challenging, remote environment, a thriving medical center is vital to our community’s health.