4 Quadriceps (VMO) Strengthening Exercises for Painful Knees

Summary by Krater

Kinesiologist Eric Wong explains why activating the vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) of the quadriceps is crucial for knee pain and rehabilitation, and demonstrates four exercises using a foam roller and bodyweight to target and strengthen the VMO.

From the video

Answers: How do I activate my VMO to fix knee pain?

• VMO activation for knee pain
• Quadriceps anatomy and function
• Self-myofascial release for quads
• Prone hip extension for quad activation
• Extended knee ankle flexion-extension
• VMO lunge for functional integration
• Research on vastus medialis volume and quality after knee surgery

Exercises

• ASMR: Quads · foam roller · 1-2 min per leg
• Prone Hip Extension · bodyweight · 1 set x 3 per - 30 sec hold
• Extended Knee Ankle Flex-Ex · foam roller · 2 sets x 3 per
• VMO Lunge · bodyweight · 2-3 sets x 3-6 per - 5 sec hold

What it concludes

• Increased vastus medialis fat infiltration is associated with worse functional outcomes after TKA (knee surgery).
• Preserving vastus medialis quality could improve functional outcomes, and surgeons should encourage patients to perform quadriceps strengthening exercises before surgery.
• Self-myofascial release does have an effect on the quality of the tissues, specifically showing a significant decrease in pennation angle after seven weeks of SMR using a foam roller.