Probably the most popular way to correct bow legs naturally is to do certain exercises that help your knees curve inward instead of bow outward.
Also known as genu varum, bow legs is a lower leg deformity that most children between the ages of 2 and 6 will experience.
However, after the child reaches 7 years old he or she will normally grow out of their bow legged phase.
If a child’s bow legs persist into their adulthood then there may be an underlying problem causing the issue.
What Causes Bow Legs in Adults
The number one cause of bow legs in adults is osteoarthritis, as stated by My Knock Knee Fix.
Whenever arthritis causes too much wear and tear on the cartilage and bones around the inner side of the knee joint it can cause the formation of bow legs.
Other causes of bow legs in adults include:
- Injury to the knee.
- An infection around the lower leg.
- Any condition that can affect the growth of the bones around the knee.
Unlike small children who experience this outward curving around their knees due to their natural growth process, bow legged adults will have to take action in order to correct this lower leg deformity.
How to Correct Bow Legs in Adults
In order to correct the malalignment in adults due to bowlegs most doctors will recommend some form of surgery such as osteotomy.
This surgical procedure involves cutting a small piece of bone in the leg and then inserting a plate with screws to keep the cut bones stabilized.
However, this form of surgery can be expensive and comes with some risks.
For these reasons alone many adults with bow legs are more interested in learning how to correct bow legs naturally with exercises.
Bow Leg Correction Exercises
These exercises for bow legs will help stretch and strengthen the muslces around your lower leg to help push your knees back into the proper alignment.
Clamshells
The main muscles the clamshell exercise helps strengthens is your hip abductor, which definitely has an impact on the severity of your bow leg deformity.
To do this exercise follow the steps below:
- First lay down on your right side, and keep your feet and hips on top of one another.
- Now put your knees in a 90 degree angle and push your knees upward to your body.
- Next, put your left hand on the left side of your hip and keep your abdominal engaged as you push your left knee upward.
- Hold this stretched position for at least 5 seconds before returning to the starting position.
Do this simple exercise for about 15 repititions and then repeat on your right side.
Figure Four Stretch
This is another hip abductor stretch that will help loosen tight muscles that could be causing your knees to curve outward.
To do this exercise follow the steps below:
- First, begin by laying down on your back and then bend your knees and place your feet on the ground.
- Next, go ahead and place your right leg over your left leg and then push your right knee outward.
- Hold this stretched position for at least 10 seconds and then return to the starting position.
Do this stretching exercise for about 15 reps then switch to your other leg, and repeat the steps above.
Conclusion
These 2 exercises are just a couple of the many different bow leg correction exercises that can help turn your knees inward.
The more you do these exercises the more effective they are. You have to stay consistent to see the positive results with your genu varu