Gait Retraining Reduces Knee Pain by Changing Hip & Pelvic Mechanics

Full text: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3501612/

This study showed that targeted gait retraining can significantly reduce knee pain by improving the way the hips and pelvis control movement. Runners with long-term patellofemoral pain were coached to adjust their stride using mirror feedback. Over just eight sessions, they reduced hip internal rotation, improved pelvic control, and experienced meaningful reductions in pain.

Even more importantly, the improvements were retained weeks later without ongoing cueing. The body learned a new motor program — a different way of moving — and pain decreased as a result.

The research highlights that knee pain rarely comes from the knee alone. Pelvic drop, hip rotation timing, and trunk mechanics all dictate how force is absorbed. When these elements improve, the knee stops overloading.

How this connects to FP Brisbane:
Our slow-motion gait analysis is designed to find these exact patterns — hip rotation drift, rib–pelvis disconnection, foot strike asymmetry, excessive pelvic drop — and retrain them with full-body integration. This study supports the idea that changing how you move can matter more than isolated strengthening exercises.

Key takeaways:

• Whole-body gait mechanics directly influence knee pain

• Hip and pelvic sequencing matter more than local knee exercises

• Motor learning creates lasting change even after coaching stops

• FP-style gait sequencing drills align strongly with these findings