When clients have limited knee flexion, the problem may be from tightness in the quadriceps muscle group just proximal to the patella. All four quadriceps muscles merge there before attaching to the patella.
I found that working with the Rectus Femoris, lifting it off of the other quadriceps muscles, can help to improve knee flexion.
We can do cupping specifically to the Rectus Femoris by having the hip flexed while flexing the knee. Rectus Femoris crosses the hip joint, so it will not be stretched as much as the other Quadriceps muscles.
The intention is to lift the Rectus Femoris off of the other Quadriceps muscles as they are being stretched. The femoral nerve is underneath the medial aspect of the Rectus Femoris, so this technique can relieve pressure on the femoral nerve.
Go slow and stay within your client’s comfort range.
Please note that there may be other causes of limited knee flexion, such as a lack of mobility of the proximal head of the fibula, or problems within the knee joint. Note the end feel when doing passive flexion of the knee. If there is a hard end feel the problem is likely within the joint.
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