As a result of an injury or lack of use the muscles at the lower end of the thigh often lose their control to contract. The most cmmon muscle this happens to is called the vastus medialis. This muscle is situated just above the knee cap on the inner side. It is one of the fastest wasting muscles in the body.

This muscle helps to straighten the knee in the last few degrees. Therefore it is important in walking uphill, upstairs and getting up from a chair. It also helps to keep the knee cap in line in its groove. If it is very weak your knee may feel like giving way at times.

Many patients lose the awareness of this muscle. The ability to contract and relax the muscle is lost. It is a bit similar to the mother losing awareness of the lower abdominals after childbirth. There are now some new and innovative techniques to get that awawreness back so that you can feel and sense this muscle working. This is backed up by a couple of simple exercises to improve the awareness and increase the size and strength.

Often knee pain may not be a knee joint problem. Once the weak muscles are activated and strengthened there is great improvement in stability and ease of pain. Even if there are old injuries or arthritis in the knee these procedures in many cases can be a big help to make your knee function much better.