What are your sore knees telling you - do they hurt after a night of tango dancing? If the pain isn't from a traumatic knee injury, ypu may want to look at strengthening your tango technique for some relief.

Knee Biology 101

Whole ankle joints and hip joints act like swivels, offering rotation as well as flexion. knees act differently. Knees are more like hinges, which simply bend and straighten.

Rotational forces and twisting, when the foot is planted and the body rotates, can put significant twisting forces on the knee joint, especially on the menisci (the C-shaped cartilage pads that act as knee shock absorbers and stabilizers) and the MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) and LCL (Lateral Collateral Ligament), which act to help stabilize the knee from side-to-side movement.

Other factors, like age and carrying extra pounds, can make a person more susceptible to knee injury. Conditions like osteoarthritis can make the knee more vulnerable to pain and injury during twisting motions.

Dancing Tango

Tango dance involves lots of pivots both for leads and perhaps more so for follows. Pivots can create risks for planting the foot as the body rotates, setting up roatational forces on the knee..

Tango Technique Tip .

If you execute a pivot focusing on rotating your hip, leg, and foot as a single unit, it can protect your knee from torque. Considering thinking about using your heel as an imaginary "lever" for activating the rotation of your pivot from the heel, not the knee.

Other Activity

If your healthcare professional advises it, strengthening your muscles through additioonal exercises can also be helpful. Focus on exercises that improve your quadriceps, hamstring, and glute strength, as these muscles are crucial for knee stability. Exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups, and lateral walks (with or without resistance bands) are effective. Additionally, exercises like hamstring curls, leg extensions, and calf raises contribute to overall knee joint support. 

Most importantly, Listen to Your Body! Don't push yourself too hard, especially when starting activity. If you experience any pain, stop the activity and consult with your healthcare professional. 

For more specific knee pain information, you may want to view this YouTube video Why Your Knee Hurts (And What To Do About It!)