MOBILITY - KNEE

Welcome! This program targets your knee joint and the tissues immediately surrounding it. Knee pain and stiffness are incredibly common, often stemming from stiffness in the quads, hamstrings, or calves, or from poor movement habits. These techniques help restore motion, reduce pain, and improve the health of your knee joint.

Common Issues This Helps:

  • General knee pain (front, back, inside, or outside)

  • "Jumper's Knee" (pain below the kneecap) or patellar tendonitis

  • Difficulty fully bending your knee (deep squatting, sitting on heels)

  • Difficulty fully straightening or "locking out" your knee

  • Stiffness or pain after sitting for long periods

  • Clicking or popping (if related to soft tissue or tracking)

Quick Check (Assessment):

  • Knee Extension Test: While sitting on the floor with legs straight, tighten your quads. Does your knee lock completely straight, with your heel lifting slightly off the floor? Compare both sides.

  • Knee Flexion Test: Can you comfortably kneel and sit your butt all the way back onto your heels without pain in the knee joint?

  • Knee Tracking: When you perform a bodyweight squat, do your knees track forward over your toes or cave inward?

  • Feel Test: Gently press on the areas just above your kneecap, below it (patellar tendon), and on the inside and outside edges. Are there tender spots?

Your Mobility Practices:

(Aim for approx. 2 minutes per technique/area unless otherwise noted. Breathe deeply!

1. Suprapatellar Smash (Above Kneecap)

Why: Targets stiffness in the quad tendon and tissues just above your kneecap. Stiffness here can prevent your knee from bending smoothly and fully.

How: Lie face down. Place a small ball just above your kneecap (on the inside, middle, or outside). Relax your weight onto the ball.

  • Floss: Slowly bend and straighten your knee (heel toward butt and back).

  • Pressure Wave: Gently roll side-to-side across the area.

  • Contract/Relax: Tense your quad for 3-5 sec, then relax completely.

Tools: Small Ball.

2. Knee Scissor Smash (Inside/Outside Knee)

Why: Targets the "teardrop" muscle (vastus medialis) on the inside of your knee and tissues on the outside, both important for kneecap tracking.

How: Lie on your side. Place a ball between your knees, just above the joint line. Squeeze your knees together and "scissor" your legs by bending/straightening opposite knees. This smashes the inside of both knees simultaneously.

  • Aggressive Option: Place a peanut tool under your bottom leg (on the outside of knee) and a ball between your knees to hit inside and outside at once

Tools: Small Ball, Large Ball, optional Peanut Tool.

3. Gap and Smash (Behind Knee)

Why: Targets the hamstring and calf muscles where they attach behind the knee, an area that gets very tight and can restrict both bending and straightening.

How: Sit on the floor. Place a small ball deep in your knee crease (either on the inside or outside). Tightly pull your shin toward your thigh to "sandwich" the ball.

  • Floss: While keeping it compressed, slowly rotate your foot in circles, and point/flex your ankle.

  • Extra Pressure: Plant your foot and scoot your butt toward your heel.

Tool: Small Ball

4. Voodoo Knee Compression Floss

Why: Uses compression to improve tissue sliding, joint movement, reduce swelling, and decrease pain. Excellent for general knee stiffness or soreness.

How: Tightly wrap your knee with a Voodoo band (start below the kneecap, wrap upwards covering above and below the joint).

  • Floss: For 1-2 minutes, move your knee through its full range: stand up and do squats, lunges, or simply bend/straighten your knee. Remove the band promptly.

Tools: Voodoo Band.

5. Terminal Knee Extension (TKE) Mob

Why: Helps restore your knee's ability to lock out straight, which is crucial for standing, walking, and activating your quad properly.

How: Anchor a resistance band low. Lie on your back. Hook the band around your ankle or foot. Place your heel on a foam roller or block. Let the band pull your shin forward, creating a gentle pull (distraction) on the knee.

  • Floss: Actively contract your quad to push the back of your knee down and straighten it fully. Hold 3-5 sec, then relax slightly. Repeat (oscillate)

Tools: Resistance Band, Foam Roller or Block.

6. Knee Flexion Gapping

Why: Creates space inside the knee joint to help improve your ability to bend it fully (flexion).

How: Kneel. Place a rolled-up towel (or folded Voodoo band) deep into your knee crease. Sit back, compressing the towel into the joint. Gently pull your shin toward your butt to increase compression. Hold and breathe, or gently oscillate.

Tools: Rolled Towel or folded Voodoo Band.

Key Reminders for Success:

Brace First! Always engage your core before lifting or moving to protect your lower back. Practice the Bracing Sequence daily.

  • Look Upstream & Downstream! Knee pain is almost always a symptom of problems at the Hip or Ankle/Foot. Stiffness or poor control in those areas forces your knee to take extra stress. Always mobilise your hips and ankles too!

  • Mind Your Mechanics: Practice good form in squats, lunges, and jumping. Focus on keeping your feet straight and your knees tracking out over your feet (don't let them cave in).

  • Stop Sitting: Prolonged sitting keeps knees bent and can stiffen all the surrounding muscles. Stand up and move!

  • Check Your Shoes: Worn-out or heeled shoes can negatively affect your knee mechanics.

Important Notes:

  • Be Gentle: If your knee is acutely painful or swollen, be very gentle. Start with light smashing around the area (quads, calves) and Voodoo flossing (for swelling reduction) before aggressive joint movements.

  • "Good Pain": You should feel pressure or stretch in the muscles (quad, hamstring, calf). If you feel sharp, pinching pain inside the joint, adjust your position or ease off.

  • Voodoo: Remove the band immediately if you feel intense numbness or pins and needles. Your skin turning white/purple and then flushing red is normal.