• I help people fully inhabit their bodies and guide teachers to do the same • Get access to exclusive videos, articles and teachings from Domini Anne
I Kneed You to Kneed Me
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Some days, the pain was so extreme I began to wonder if I was going to need surgery. My typically agile and resilient body had been replaced with one that experienced fear with every step. Bending my knees more than 90 degrees caused me such extreme pain that I was afraid my femur might actually break. No amount of strengthening, athletic braces or kinesiotape seemed to help the situation and I began to avoid any kind of workout that involved impact, speed or bodyweight training because of the concern that I might do irreparable damage to my body. The situation culminated with me spraining my back. Our family had taken a Christmas trip to San Francisco and I made the mistake of giving Ziggy a piggyback down Powell street as his little 6 year old body tired of all the walking. Unable to bear weight on my right leg, my back took the hit and I hosted our New Year's party that year wearing a back brace. Like most movement coaches, I have a wide network of skilled therapists who I call when my body fails me. But none of them could help. It wasn't until I visited my hometown and booked a session with a longtime friend (an expert Myofascial release therapist) that I found relief. In less than 90 minutes, Marion dug into the side of my shin and liberated the movement between my Tibia and Fibula. And miraculously, the pain was gone. The problem was never in my knee, it was locked within the bones that supported it. The Hidden Culprits of Knee Pain Your knees don't exist in isolation. They're sandwiched between powerful thighs above and a complex arrangement of muscles and bones below. This lower territory—where your tibia and fibula dance alongside each other—often harbors the real troublemakers. Think of your lower leg as two parallel bones meant to glide alongside each other like dance partners. When one stops moving properly, the other compensates, and the knee joint above bears the consequences. Self-Assessment: Is Your Knee Pain Coming From Below? Do any of these signs sound familiar? • Pain worsens specifically with stairs or squats • You feel a distinctive "catch" when beginning to bend the knee • Outer knee pain persists despite strengthening exercises • Deep aches develop after weight-bearing activities • Traditional knee rehab hasn't resolved your problems • Your pain seems to migrate between the knee and ankle The Tibia-Fibula Partnership Most of us think of the shin as a single entity, but it's actually a relationship between two bones: • The Tibia (shin bone) – the sturdy weight-bearer • The Fibula – the slender outer bone that creates stability These bones connect at both top and bottom, creating a relationship that affects everything from your ankle mobility to your knee function. When they can't move properly in relation to each other, your knee becomes the unwilling recipient of forces it wasn't designed to handle. Research by Dhamodharan et al. (2024) published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies demonstrated that restrictions in proximal tibiofibular joint mobility significantly correlate with increased lateral knee pain and altered gait mechanics, supporting what manual therapists have observed clinically for decades. Three Key Ways Your Lower Leg Might Be Sabotaging Your Knees
Not Just My Story:Paul's Transformation Paul, a retired athlete in his 70's, came to me after being diagnosed with patellofemoral pain syndrome. Despite six months of quadriceps strengthening and patella taping, he still couldn't enjoy a round of golf without pain. I couldn't help but notice how his foot and ankle were locked in pronation, with noticeable restriction extending up through the shin. After just three sessions focusing on mobilizing this area and restoring range of motion, Mike's knee pain had subsided, along with his back pain. The tension in the furthest areas of his body was not only causing distress in the joint directly above the issue, but higher up the chain. Releasing it also released him from the fear of herniating a disk in his spine, and allowed him to enjoy life to the fullest. His experience highlights how addressing the root cause—rather than just the symptoms—can create lasting change where other approaches have failed. The Liberation Solution The good news? Once identified, these restrictions often respond remarkably well to targeted mobilization techniques. Many people experience immediate improvement in knee comfort and range of motion when proper tibia-fibula mobility is restored. For most people, significant improvement occurs within 2-3 weeks of consistent practice. You might notice immediate changes in how your knee feels after a single session, but lasting tissue change typically requires regular attention over several weeks. Important Note: While these techniques are safe for most people, they're not appropriate for everyone. If you have acute trauma, inflammatory arthritis, or have been diagnosed with joint instability, please consult with your healthcare provider before trying these approaches. Practical Solutions: 10-Minute Liberation Routine Your workout this week is a 10-minute video that shares simple techniques for unlocking the lower leg and liberating smooth gliding in the knee joint. These exercises address the exact problems I've described above, working directly with the tibia-fibula relationship that's so often overlooked. The video guides you through:
These simple but powerful techniques often create immediate changes in how your knee feels and moves. Most importantly, they address the root cause rather than just treating symptoms. Transform Your Understanding, Transform Your Body The techniques in today's video are just the beginning of what's possible when you understand the intricate relationships within your body. In my Practical Anatomy Course, we explore these connections in depth, giving you both the "why" and the "how" of functional movement. Practical Anatomy goes beyond traditional anatomy lessons to give you:
"The understanding of the engagement of the legs and how that drives everything working from the bottom up... I feel it in a completely different way and it just is such a logical, sensical way of how to really connect that." ~ Margaret, Practical Anatomy student Don't just treat symptoms—transform bodies. Dive into Practical Anatomy with me and experience your body in a whole new way.
Wishing you fluid movement and pain-free adventures, Domini Anne Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up for the Mailing List HERE! |
Domini Anne
• I help people fully inhabit their bodies and guide teachers to do the same • Get access to exclusive videos, articles and teachings from Domini Anne
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