Locking Knees
 

I have this voice in the back of my head telling me that it is a bad idea to lock my knees, and that this is always true. So, I've been paying attention to my knees throughout the day, and trying to figure out when I lock my knees. I already was pretty sure that I lock my knees when standing still. However, I also found out that I lock them mid-stride while walking; when my "up" foot passes my planted foot, I lock my knee and pivot forward on that leg, allowing gravity to do the work instead of my muscles.

I've tried to Google around for information on locking knees, but I'm not finding what I want.

So... am I walking wrong? Am I standing wrong?

Do you have pain in your feet or knees?

No pain, I'm just wondering. Low back is fine as well. But, if I need to change my habits, better to do it before the pain starts.

As a general rule, if you are capable of doing something without pain or tools, then you are automatically OK to do it. In other words, cleaning out your ear with your car key is suspect because it involves a tool. Poking your eye with your finger is suspect because it involves pain. Locking your knees involves neither, and as long as you don't just stand there doing it for half an hour (at which point you should feel pain from your feet for bearing your weight without moving for that long, if nothing else, therefore making the activity suspect again), you won't suffer any ill effects from it.

My brother always told me "never lock your knees, it's bad on your joints!"
No idea what his resources were for telling me that. I just figure it's better to avoid joint pain.


I have one exception: I lock my knees when I realize that I'm blacking out due to hypotension, I don't want to fall over, and I don't have anything sturdy to grab.

I used to be able to lock my knees without pain up until I fell down a flight of stairs and landed badly about 6 months ago. Now, if I accidentally lock my right knee, it will literally bring me to the ground in pain. I really try to avoid locking my knees now.

I tried locking my knees once. I found out that if you don't lock your feet and shins along with them, someone will steal them.

OK, so I'm not the only one with this crazy idea... but are we both crazy?

Likely.

When you lock your knee, the joint is supporting your weight instead of muscle. The meniscus in particular does not regenerate, whereas muscle does. While walking, you also risk hyperextension if you slip or misstep.
Locking your knees compresses a particular set of nerves connected to the vagus nerve, which commonly causes fainting. You know those Funniest Videos shows where people in the military at attention, people in choirs, people at weddings, etc. faint? It's from locking their knees and triggering a vasovagal syncope.

Eh, its more like, don't lock your knees and then put undue pressure on them. Just locking them won't hurt you. It's a natural movement for the body to save energy.

It may save energy, but it stresses parts of the joint that do not regenerate.

Ah, thanks MSD. That makes sense. Now, time to unlearn 40 years of habits...