Knee problems are an issue that many individuals over the age of 50 struggle with today. Individuals in in San Francisco have particularly busy lives that involves a great deal of walking and biking which over time can take its toll on the knees of an individual.

Some techniques that can help alleviate knee pain without pharmaceutical drugs are:

1) Creating space behind the back of the knee.

2) Adjusting Knee Alignment (Tricky and should be done under trained supervision).

3) Energetically Pulsing the Joint of the Knee.

 

How can the first process can be done with a partner:

What I mean by creating space behind the back of the knee is to first, counter the pressure of weight on your knee by lifting your upper body. This should first be practiced by standing with proper body alignment (shoulders above your hips, back straight but not stiff, chest relaxed, feet shoulder width apart*) and from the crown of your head, begin to feel a lifting sensation that travels all the way down your body so you feel as though gravity has become lessened. Have a partner with you to check your alignments. Begin to notice what areas of the body feel contracted and stiff and try to dissipate that by softening those areas. If you can’t begin to soften those areas, it’s okay to move on for those skills will come in time with practice and instruction.

Now, to further this process, have your partner help create more space in the area. This is done by the partner’s hand being in a closed position, with all five fingers touching (as though making a duck hand puppet) touching behind the knee, and then slowly opening the hand vertically while the fingers remain in contact behind the knee until the hand is finally spread out. You should feel more space being created with this process. Try this a couple of times with your partner. What differences do you feel in your knee now from before?

 

Processes 2 & 3: To be continued.