Knees are a favorite of mine. A knee joint is a, comparatively speaking, simple one. The intricacies of how the knee cap interfaces with the long leg bone below it often can be the cause of pain, particularly if the pain comes on with descending stairs or walking declines. Knee problems are often the result of hip weakness so will never fully resolve without not just hip strengthening exercises but full-on muscle re-education is usually required. Our brains will only use strong muscles and continue to ignore the weak ones, using the path of least work/calories required. Our brains are masterful at compensation. Close attention needs to be paid to how hip movement is occurring. If there is compensation going on, then an unfavorable movement pattern will be reinforced by performing the hip strengthening exercises-you will only strengthen the compensating muscles rather than the weakened muscles. Strengthening the correct muscles in the hip will optimize the position of the long leg bone, the femur, which the knee cap rests on. The forces placed upon the muscles and the long tendon along the outside of your leg will also be more optimal, allowing that tissue to recover. Healthy, flexible tissue along the outside of the leg will put an end to the pulling that occurs on the outside of your knee cap that is present when there is too much tension. It’s a delicate balance that can be restored with appropriate intervention.