Fixing Bowed Legs?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi!

I've been concerned about my leg shapes changing over the years. I am 23 years old and I've noticed that my knees were changing shapes since high school. Now they're kind of noticeable.

I've been doing some research to find out about this condition and came across few terminologies: Inward collapsing knee, bowed legs, knock knees....

Mine is not as severe as this, but you get the idea:

My knees DO touch but my knees are still shaped that way.

Is there a yoga pose that would help correcting this problem? I hear that this not a birth defect and that it can be corrected easily (well, relatively) by certain exercises. I've been trying to sleep with my legs tied together too! Desperate situations call for desperate measures...

#2

A therapeutic asana protocol (in conjunction with lifestyle and nutrition changes, meditation, and pranayama) can reverse bow legs over a span of several (perhaps 10) years.

There is no yoga pose that will do this in and of itself.

#3

Hello,

First of all, let us make sure that we understand the problem. You mention both bowed legs and knock knees but these are different things. In a standing position, if your ankles touch but your knees don’t, this is bowed legs. Knock knees means that knees touch while the ankles are separated.

Assuming that we are talking about bowed legs, then structural yoga therapy (by Mukunda Stiles) would recommend strengthening the hip adductors (inside of the thigh) and stretching the tensor fascia lata (outside thigh). Recommended asanas would be virabhadrasana and parsvottanasana and gomukhasana. This is best done under supervision of a yoga therapist. And yes, it does take a long time.

Namast?

Namast

#4

That picture is not that bad. Some people are proud to have legs like that … supposedly inheritence form equestrian ,warlike ancestors.

If there is no disfunction, or pain, it’s all right. Just think that you are the descendant of Genghis khan. :slight_smile: That will boost your self esteem.

#5

I’ve come to believe that my bowed legs are somewhat responsible for the pain I constantly receive in my right knee (especially when sitting simple cross-legged in sukhasana, or siddhasana)… I also have a hard time in janu sirsasana with the pain shooting into my right knee. I think that not being able to get into padmasana is connected to my bowed legs. You mentioned strengthening the hip abductors, etc… but i’ve been doing all that for years and my knees are still bowed out heavily and i still get knee pain… what other options are there other than knee surgery?

#6

Have you tried rolling up a small cloth like a handkerchief or washcloth and sliding it into the back of the knee joint? Sometimes this can help relieve or reduce knee pain.

#7

Pain in the knees when doing janu sirsasana, padmasanana and the like usually comes from an inability to externally rotate the hip not from problems with the knee itself.

You say the changes to your knees has occurred over a number of years and it will take a similar amount of time to reverse/correct those changes as Inner Athlete said.

Don’t be dismayed by the time-scale:a suitable yoga regimen may alleviate your discomfort before any visible changes occur.

#8

I also have bow legs and have been doing yoga for year. I believe it has improved my leg condition. But I also know that others dont perceive the leg shape as bad as I do myself. I found some good clothing straightenmylegs dot com

#9

Hello,
i had also same problem before few month. I am 26 years.i was too much worried about my legs problem.All my fiends laugh at me n make jokes on my legs and make acting my walking style..then i found one product and after 2 month my legs shape changes. and right now i have no more Bow legs
NO more BOW legs

#10

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#11

I have the same problems! Any suggestions will do be I feel like I've tried everything!