JUST 10 mL OF FLUID ON THE KNEE? 💧

It doesn’t sound like much.

But one of the key points from the Bodymaster Method Knee course with the awesome John Gibbons was how even a small knee joint effusion can begin to affect VMO / quadriceps activation.

The VMO forms part of the quadriceps and contributes to:

• Knee extension and terminal extension control
• Dynamic knee stability
• Patellar control
• Controlling the knee as we accept load

So if swelling begins to inhibit quadriceps function:

KNEE EFFUSION
↓
REDUCED VMO / QUADRICEPS ACTIVATION
↓
REDUCED KNEE EXTENSION CONTROL
↓
ALTERED STABILITY & LOAD ACCEPTANCE
↓
CHANGES TO FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT

But the knee doesn’t work in isolation.

The foot, ankle, knee, hip, pelvis and trunk all contribute to how we move.

Hip strength and control influence the position of the femur and knee. The knee needs to effectively accept and control load. The ankle needs sufficient movement. The pelvis and trunk need to provide stability.

So when we’re assessing or rehabbing a knee, we need to look beyond simply:

“Does your knee hurt?”

Everything has to work together to produce, transfer and absorb force.

#kneerehab #kneehealth #sportstherapy #strengthandconditioning #rehabilitation

Being pain-free doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready.

One of the biggest things I try to get across during rehab is that removing pain is only one part of the process.

If someone comes into the clinic with an injury, I don’t want the end goal to simply be:

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

I want to gradually rebuild what their body needs to tolerate AND MORE!!!

Restore movement → build control → develop strength → integrate it into movement → return to better performance.

And each stage should have a reason for progressing.

Can you access the range?
Can you control it?
Can you tolerate load?
Can you produce and absorb force?
Can you repeat it under fatigue?
Can you meet the demands of your sport or training?

Because time is a useful guide — but it shouldn’t be the only thing deciding your rehab progression.

Whether I’m working with someone trying to get back to everyday training or a professional athlete returning to competition, the principle is the same:

Don’t just get them pain-free. Prepare them for what comes next.

#sportsrehab #injuryrehab #strengthandconditioning #sportstherapy #LondonMassageAndMovement

Pain going away doesn’t mean the injury has gone.

One of the biggest reasons injuries return is because people stop rehabilitation as soon as they feel better.

Pain is only one measure of recovery.

I want my clients to be able to:

✔️ Produce force
✔️ Absorb force
✔️ Rotate well
✔️ Move confidently
✔️ Return to the demands of their sport or daily life

That’s why every rehabilitation journey at LMM progresses from:

➡️ Treatment
➡️ Movement correction
➡️ Strength
➡️ Performance

Our goal isn’t just to get you out of pain.

It’s to stop you needing us for the same injury again.

Assess. Treat. Strengthen. Perform.

#sportstherapy #rehabilitation #strengthtraining #movebetter #londonmassageandmovement