Do you get tight achy knees from long holiday driving etc. then this could be of interest to you? Excessive tension in the quadriceps can lead to knee or hip pain.
The Quadriceps muscle originates from 4 sites. The Rectus Femoris (RF) originates from the front of your hip, the Vastus Medialis (VM) originates along the medial (inside) surface of the femur, the Vastus Lateralis (VL) originates along the lateral (outside) surface of the femur, and the Vastus Intermedius originates along the anterior (front) surface of the femur. All four quadriceps muscles insert on the common Quadriceps tendon. The Quad tendon then inserts on the Patellar ligament and the Tibia.
All the Quadriceps muscles are responsible for knee extension. Only the RF is involved in hip flexion.
Sit on a low bench or stool with the massage stick (or baking rolling pin) across the front of your thigh. The Stick variations work well on the quadriceps as you can get closer to the patella, which allows you to work on the musculo-tendinous junction. This area can become tight or fibrotic due to overuse/overtraining.
- From the starting position, back and forth over the front of your thighs.
- To work on the Rectus Femoris, work on the middle of the leg. For the Vastus Medialis, move closer to the midline. For the Vastus Lateralis, move to the outside portion of the leg.
- Roll for 30–60 seconds, and then switch legs.