hyperextended knees.

Dayanara started this discussion · 7/22/2010

Lately, it seems like my body is giving up on me, and I'm only 27, lol. I went to the doctor yesterday because of a bruised rib, I wanted to make sure it is not broken, it is not, but it is sore and it needs rest. so that's one ache I'll have for a few weeks, meh. I had an appt. with the chiro this morning, my lower back hurts sometimes, mostly when I'm on my feet for a while, also my right knee is bothering me again, it hurts here and there and it's been this way for years, sometimes it feels like it's locked and I have to wiggle it around until it pops and "unlocks". well...the chiro told me I have hyperextended knees, and this could be causing my lower back pain since my posture is not the best because my knees bend backwards so much, I had never noticed that, but now looking thru my pictures, I can see it for sure. Note how my leg is not straight, but it's bends more than straight, it's more like a canoe, lol. kinda weird. well, apparently this can cause injury and of couse it's the cause of my knee pain, I was just wondering if anyone has dealt with this problem and how you take care of your knees?.

9 replies

Jenn · 7/22/2010
I have the opposite problem with my knees, they hypo-extend. Even when I "lock out" my knees they are still slightly bent. It makes a lot of my moves not look so pretty. I still have issues with my knees though. Mostly when I do the pigeon pose/stretch, i get sharp shooting pains in my straightened knee. I am sorry to hear about your bruised rib. Thank goodness it wasn't fractured though. Make sure to follow the docs orders and rest it as long as you need to. I made the mistake of getting on my pole too early after a neck/shoulder injury and it resulted in more pain and even more time having to stay off the pole. Hope you feel better soon!
Roadkillgerbil · 7/23/2010
Last year my martial arts instructor pointed out to me just how awful my posture and gait were, and I spent months re-learning just how to stand and how to walk. My knees didn't hyperextend the way yours do (I'm amazingly inflexible that way) but I used to keep them locked as I stand and it did give me lower back pain. It took a lot of concentration and determination, but teaching myself to stand with my knees 'soft' rather than locked and moving my balance from my heels to the ball of my foot has made a world of difference. Trying the same thing during pole moves, straightening your leg without locking the knee, should help with the bowing effect you can see, but personally I'd recommend working on it as a general, everyday thing and not just during pole. That way, even your walk to work can be seen as pole practice. ~glee~ (If you'd like, I can take some pics, showing you the difference between the way I used to stand and the way I do now. I still don't have amazing posture, but the difference is quite dramatic)
MilienElayne · 7/23/2010
My knees are hyperextended, but maybe not to the extent of yours. My physio checked them and wasn't worried. They only go that way when I lock hard or put pressure on them to deliberately extend them (aka stretches with straight legs and locked knees, oversplits). Not to show off (ok, a little...hehheh) but here is what I mean by locked knees and putting pressure on them: http://localhosthttp://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs585.snc3/30885_386764979648_506809648_3523973_7392032_n.jpg http://localhosthttp://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs074.snc4/35074_398440999648_506809648_3807056_1172036_n.jpg I've not had problems so far. I think that might have been my ballet training as a kid - teaching loose knees for better movement and only ever locked in extended leg poses, splits and static stretches. So, I reiterate the learning to keep unlocked for health reasons, but I'd also like sneakily to add that the lines with them are lovely and you can do so much more flexibility-wise if you are hyperextended.
AstridColeslaw · 7/24/2010
I feel like I am getting old too! I'll be 27 in a month. It all happened this last year...feeling sore for DAYS after exercise, sore wrists from poling, I can't even drink anymore! It's awful. I've got to double my efforts to stay in shape. Best of luck with your knees! Isn't it awful how something relatively small can throw off your whole body?
RoxyPink · 7/24/2010
I also have hyper-extended knees....when I sit on the floor with my legs straight my heels are almost 5 inches off the floor when I point! lol My back tends to hurt ONLY when I wear flat shoes. The only downfall that I've come across is it tends to make it VERY hard for me to stretch my calves... 😀
Dayanara · 7/25/2010
woah Milien, those moves are awesome. 😉 then thing with me is that I do it without thinking, like when standing, so maybe that's why my back hurts. Roxy, omg, 5 inches! that's a bit more than mine, hehe. I actually dont mind the look of my moves witht the hyperextended knees, I was just wondering about injury, but if I haven't injured them by now I'll just have to keep being careful. Thanks everyone.
Mary Ellyn · 7/27/2010
Hypermobile joints are that way because the ligaments and collagen are softer and/or overstretched. This puts these joints at higher risk for injury because they are not supported as well as we put pressure on them. The treatment for hypermobility is to strengthen the muscles supporting the joints in order to keep them in better alignment. This said, it's not safe to put pressure on these joints into excessive range of motion and THEN support yourself with them. I really think those of us with hypermobility who are using it to make our pole dancing look more impressive are putting ourselves at greater risk for either long term or acute injuries. It's very common to find pole dancers who over-wrap their foot to hold themselves on the pole (both sitting or inverted) and this is dangerous. I tell my students all the time that just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do something! Here's a good article about it - consider the second paragraph "management" http://www.brighthub.com/health/alternative-medicine/articles/25290.aspx
KristiEllKay · 2/20/2011
I know I'm a little late, but I just joined and saw this. To everyone with hypermobility, using it to look prettier, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!! I have hypermobile joints, all of em, and took the increased flexibility and pretty lines for granted. Now I'm 24 and had 2 acl replacements in my left knee by the time I was 19. You would be amazed all you lose after those surgeries. Don't ever let your knees "fall inwards", and be super-careful when rotating on them. Take extra care when supporting your weight on your joints and make sure you always keep good form. Good form for all your moves will save you SO much grief later, I promise.
stoneycook · 2/21/2011
Excellent points, Empyrean. Hyperextension of the knee is a hard to track and tackle. We all contract in the upper thigh to straighten the leg and knee but with hyper-mobility, one travels beyond the point of a properly aligned leg: knee above the ankle bone, pelvis above the knees. One is out of plumb, so to speak. I know for dancers that hyper extended legs might be admired for the look of line in a dancer's gesturing leg, it causes quite a few problems in a standing side as the pelvis starts to tick under and the tights bulk up. It's hard to find that place of a neutral knee as you feel like your legs are bent, not straightened. I don't know enough about pole technique to really comment on how you should consider any ramifications. However one things that works for some I know is the idea of lengthening the leg out from a "neutral, placed and engaged pelvis", not finishing the movement at upper quad muscles. The line of energy travels up the leg through a relaxed rectus femoris, finding a termination point deep in the pelvis and psoas muscle group. That way the quad is more relaxed yet the leg feels elongated not bent. It takes quite a bit of work to retrain the the leg but I feel that work is well worth the effort.