Knee Valgus isn’t Bad, Not Controlling Knee Valgus is Bad

Knee valgus – there are many misconceptions surrounding this motion.

Knee valgus is a normal physiologic motion and should take place in a walk/run/squat/lunge – it is a triplane motion consisting of knee flexion, abduction and internal rotation. Tradition describes staying away from a valgus moment during rehab and training; which isn’t wrong, however, the question for me is: can it be more right? Just take a look at any traditional ACL prevention or rehabilitation program – knee valgus typically isn’t avoided. However, notice what happens when a basketball player grabs a rebound, or swing sport athlete wind up for a serve. Valgus!

Knee valgus should occur with foot strike and similar to supination and pronation, it is a triplane motion. The knee feels flexion, abduction & internal rotation when the foot hits the ground and momentum, body weight as well as gravity drives us towards middle; and must be controlled by the body, because if it isn’t, injury will occur.

Injuries occur when forces are presented to the body that the body can’t handle (i.e. the Goldilocks Principle – too much motion, not enough motion, motion at  the wrong time). If knee valgus isn’t trained logically, sequentially and at the neurological threshold of the individual, how can it be expected to REACT and CONTROL the motion when it is forced into that position?

What are your thoughts on knee valgus? How do you rehab, recondition and train it? 

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