The Knees Over Toes Argument

Due to inaccurate and outdated information, I often need to address this topic. It is perfectly fine for your knees to move beyond your toes. Your knees should have the capability to extend past your toes. Avoiding movements where your knees go beyond your toes can result in decreased mobility and strength in those particular actions. Take a look at these images:

Watching soccer players chasing the ball, seeing a frame of an aggressive play, the coach in the back kneeling down: all of these actions puts a person in a position where their knees go over their toes. Functionally, outside of sport, ever tried going down stairs without letting your knees go past your toes? Feels weird, right?!

Is it common for some individuals to experience pain when their knees extend beyond their toes? Definitely. This is why there is a belief that it should be avoided. However, the actual reason for the pain is typically related to a lack of tolerance for the load. In simple terms, your muscles and tendons may struggle to support the weight exerted on your knee, especially when on one leg.

So what do we do, you ask? We build the ability for your knee to accept the weight of your body, the load your are applying to it. And how do we do it? We increase strength in the muscles that support and stabilize the knee. There are a million ways to tackle this, and two people with the same problem may have very different treatments for the same problem. And SHOULD have a different program.

On that note, when you realize that everyone at your current or previous physical therapy clinic is doing the same exercises prescribed at 3 sets of 10, it's time to take action and experience our personalized approach. We customize exercises to suit your specific needs, guaranteeing a faster recovery and a return to your active lifestyle. Our individualized attention sets us apart, so click here to see if we are a good fit for each other!

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So now that I said everyone's different, I am going to show what some of the exercises may look like.

Some exercises may address hip strength and stability. Your hips actually contribute to knee mechanics in various ways and can help counter balance your movements at the knee when you do have pain. For example:

Other exercises may target your knee musculature more directly. Here's an example for quad strengthening:

Then we have functional exercises. For this patient, it was a squat:

These are just examples as each person is unique. In some cases, foot mechanics can impact knee mechanics similar to the hip. It's possible that your symptoms originate from another source or that you require a referral to an orthopedic specialist for a more serious issue. Regardless of your situation, Dash's Doctors of Physical Therapy conduct a thorough assessment and recommend the most suitable treatment for you. What sets Dash apart is that their providers consistently evaluate your progress from one visit to the next, ensuring that you stay on the right path and adjusting your program as needed to help you return to your preferred activities quickly!

Reach out today and schedule a discovery call so we can get fix your problem before it becomes a bigger problem!

This blog post is for educational or informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice or consultation with healthcare professionals.