VMO and Knee Pain

The VMO muscle known as the Vastus Medialis Oblique is an important muscle in understanding knee pain. The function of this muscle is to perform knee extension as well as allow for correct tracking of the patella (knee cap) over the femur. Many people with knee pain have a weakness in this muscle. The problem can be worse with females or anyone with wider hips which cause the patella to pull to the outside more that somone with thin hips. One of the reasons people can develop knee pain is because the body tends to favor a more lateral tracking due to the larger quadriceps muscles of the outer thigh. Unless a person develops the VMO muscle it may be weaker than the outer thigh muscles which are more easily developed with normal daily activities. This issue can become more of a problem with overuse due to excessive running, hiking etc... Developing the VMO can be achieved with a number of different exercises one of the easiest being doing knee extensions with the foot rotated to the outside to stress the VMO muscle. Kicking your leg out in front of you with the foot turned outward will also exercise the VMO muscle. If you are having any knee problems be sure to contact our office and schedule a consultation with one of our providers to learn more about how we can help.