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Quadriceps/Thigh/Knee

This region contains the four quadricep muscles (rectus femoris/RF, vastus intermedius/VI, vastus lateralis/VL, and vastus medialis oblique/VMO), the patella/knee cap, and patellar tendon.

How To Use This Site:

Below are the 5 parts of the self treatment system including self muscle massage, mobilization techniques, stretching, kinesiology taping and strengthening. Before you get to those, here are some posts to help you put all of the pieces together.

Part One - how to determine which massage, mobilization and stretching techniques you should use.

  1. Muscle Sprains/Strains
  2. Tendon Injuries (specific guidance for tendon injuries in the lower body here)
  3. Muscle Spasms, Knots, Trigger Points
  4. Overuse Injuries (specific guidance for overuse injuries in the lower body here including normal range of motion + muscle pairs)

Part Two- adding kinesiology taping to your self treatment program. Advice for each of the four injury types listed above.

Self Treatment System

Part 1. Self Muscle Massage.

1) Blog post with anatomy review, video and picture demonstration of self muscle release techniques for the quadriceps using a foam roller and tennis ball. Click here.

Part 2.Mobilizations.

1) Blog post on how to mobilize the quad muscles using a tennis ball. Click here.

Part 3. Stretching.

1) Blog post on beginner, intermediate, and advanced stretches for the front of the thigh/Quads. Click here.

2) Hip flexor/quadricep stretch (pictures). Click here. (this is part of a post on Runners Knee)

3) Hip flexor/quadricep stretch (video). Click here. (this is part of a post on IT Band Syndrome)

Part 4. Kinesiology Taping.

1) Blog post on decreasing pain, swelling, bruising in the the knee. Click here.

2) Blog post on taping to decrease the symptoms and correct patellar tendonitis. click here.

3) Blog post on taping to decrease the symptoms and correct Chondromalacia. Click here.

4) Blog post on taping to decrease the symptoms and correct lateral patellar tracking abnormalities. Click here.

5) Blog post on taping following a quad strain/sprain. Click here.

Part 5. Strengthening. Coming soon.


Specific Injuries

Two part series on Runners Knee or Patellofemoral Syndrome (PFS).

1) Part 1- What is it? Click here.

2) Part 2- How to treat it. click here.