I was recently teaching a workshop at a local gym when I asked the audience, "Who here has knee pain?" Nearly two-thirds of the crowd raised their hands. While this number may seem alarmingly high, greater than 60% of people report knee pain at some point during their adult life. Generalized knee pain is the 3rd most common reason Americans visit their doctor each year. In the clinic, I find that women are at a greater risk for knee pain than men. Simple postural cues and sleeping adjustments can be made to minimize the stresses placed across the knee each day.

In general, women have wider hips than men. Wider hips increase the angle from the hips to the knees (this is known as the Q-angle). A large Q-angle predisposes the knees to collapse inward, which creates muscle imbalances across the knee joint.   For this reason, clicking and popping can occur at the kneecap. The clicking and popping is not harmful, but it is sign that something is not moving properly. Whenever these signs appear, it is important to look at one's prolonged postures (i.e. sitting, driving, and/or sleeping) to find the cause. Since most people sleep between 6-8 hours each evening, let's start there! 

As simple sleeping adjustment to perform each evening is to place a pillow either between the knees or underneath the back of the knee. For side sleepers, the pillow between the knees will stop the top knee from collapsing in on the bottom one. The pillow decreases the Q-angle and minimizes the prolonged stress placed on the outer hip muscles while sleeping. For back sleepers, the pillow underneath the knees will stop the them from overextending and collapsing inward. Additionally, it will place the hip joint in a relaxed position, which protects the low back and knee joints.