{"id":4909,"date":"2024-01-16T07:00:38","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T12:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chaneyhealth.com\/healthtips\/?p=4909"},"modified":"2023-12-01T22:31:44","modified_gmt":"2023-12-02T03:31:44","slug":"your-rectus-femoris-muscle-and-knee-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chaneyhealth.com\/healthtips\/your-rectus-femoris-muscle-and-knee-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Rectus Femoris Muscle And Knee Pain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Treating Your Rectus Femoris Muscle Safely<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Author: Julie Donnelly, LMT \u2013 The Pain Relief Expert<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Editor: Dr. Steve Chaney<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Walking<\/a>I hope that 2023 was kind to you and your family.\u00a0 Covid seemed to come and go, with new strains popping up every time we turned around. And then there is RSV and the flu. What a year!<\/p>\n

In December the foods all seemed to be fattening \u2013 delicious for sure, but fattening.\u00a0 Which brings me to the topic of the month.\u00a0 Maybe you are trying to walk off some of the extra calories you put on last month.<\/p>\n

Walking will help burn calories, but it can also come with aches and pains from muscles getting used repetitively.<\/p>\n

This month I want to focus on pain that prevents you from bending your knee after several days of walking more than your body is used to. It can reduce your walks to a slow hobble at best. And that isn\u2019t going to burn off any extra calories.<\/p>\n

One Quadricep Muscle is the Source of Pain <\/strong>from the Low Back to the Knee.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You likely already know that there are four quadriceps that form the front of your thigh.\u00a0 You probably also know that they are responsible for straightening your leg when you want to stand up from sitting. But there is so much more\u2026especially for one of the quads\u2026the rectus femoris.<\/p>\n

Your Rectus Femoris Muscle And Knee Pain<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The rectus femoris is a long muscle located in the front, and a bit toward the outside of your thigh.<\/p>\n

The rectus femoris is the only one of the four quads that originate on the tip of your pelvis (ASIS), the rest: vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis, all originate along your thigh bone (femur). These four muscles join together and attach to your kneecap (patella).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This picture shows the muscle but fails to show the tendon that starts at the top of your kneecap, goes over your kneecap (patella), and inserts into the front of your shin bone (tibia).<\/p>\n

It is the patella tendon that causes knee pain and can prevent you from bending your knee when you sit down or want to walk up steps.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Think of the analogy I use so frequently.\u00a0 When you pull your hair, your head hurts, but you don\u2019t need to rub your head, take pain pills, or have brain surgery.\u00a0 You just need to let go of your hair!<\/p>\n

In the same way, the muscle is pulling down on the front of your hip and may cause anterior hip pain, and it\u2019s pulling up on your patella tendon, causing your kneecap to move up so you can\u2019t bend your knee, and putting stress on your shin bone.<\/p>\n

Your knee and front of your hip are NOT the problem, they are the symptom!<\/p>\n

The Function Of The Rectus Femoris Muscle:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Since the muscle originates on the tip of your pelvis,<\/p>\n