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The term tiki is applied to carved human figures generally, both by the Maori and by other Polynesians. The name possibly has some connection with the myth of Tiki, the first man created by Tane. On the other hand tiki or tikitiki is also a general term for carving in many parts of Polynesia, as, for instance, in Niue, where the Tiki myth is unknown and human figures were not carved. In New Zealand, however, tiki is usually applied to the human figure carved in green stone as a neck ornament. The full name is hei-tiki.

It has been suggested that this ornament is a fertility charm representing the human embryo, and that it should be worn only by women. However, early European visitors saw men wearing the hei-tiki and it is probable that the squat shape of the figure was influenced by the hardness of the material and that it was later likened to an embryo and endowed with magical powers. The shape is also probably due to the fact that tiki were often made from adze blades. Adzes and chisels made from greenstone were also prestige items and the shape of a green stone adze lends itself to conversion into a tiki. There are several extant examples of half-finished tiki evidently originally small adzes and sometimes on completed tiki, traces of the original cutting end shaping of a adze can be seen, usually at the foot.

Tiki or heitiki are most commonly made from nephrite, a stone related to jade and found in several places in New Zealand's South Island. It is called pounamu in Maori, green stone in New Zealand English. The Maori name for the South Island, Te Wai Pounamu, refers to this stone. There are traditional accounts for the creation of the stone which relate it to the children of Tangaroa. It is a very hard stone and is laborious to work, especially so with the primitive grinding tools available to the neolithic Maori. The tiki in the form illustrated here is unique to New Zealand and arguably the most archetypical Maori artifact, although the work tiki applied to fertility symbols is extremely common throughout polynesia.

Green stone, like jade, is a beautiful stone - classed as semi-precious - and quite variable in appearance. The varieties have Maori names. Its luster improves with age, reputedly as a result of being worn next to the skin. Tiki were worn around the neck - the hei part of the name carries this implication. They are more often, but not exclusively, worn by women in recent times. Suspension is usually vertical but some are suspended on their side.

Some traditional tiki in bone and ivory exist, made from whale bone or teeth, but as bone tiki are now commonly made for commercial trade, a bone tiki found in a shop is more likely to be recent and of cow bone. Most tiki are one sided but a few are reversible showing a figure on both faces.

Although the Maori have occupied New Zealand since about 1000 AD, the historical origins of tiki are not understood as they are virtually absent from the archaeological record. For a precious item, this is not surprising because few would have been lost or discarded. Conventionally though they are associated with the later part of New Zealand's prehistory, as nephrite is uncommon in early sites. They were certainly in use at the time of the first contact with Europeans. Some individual tiki have names and traditional histories extending well back into the past. Others have renewed suspension perforations replacing old ones that have worn through, showing they have seen much use over a long time.

Sites of manufacture of nephrite tools and ornaments have been found on the east coast of the South Island. However, the tools and ornaments were much used in the North Island where most of the population lived. Trade and exchange appears not to have been all in finished goods because there are regional styles of nephrite ornaments in the North Island which suggest that at least some of the manufacture was local, either from native stone or from green stone adze blades.

There is some variety in the forms of tiki but this variation has not been very fully studied in relation to region of origin. The head inclined left or right appears to have no particular significance. One clear variation is between tiki with the head upright and those with the head tilted sideways. The likely explanation for the latter form is that it comes naturally from the use of rectangular adze blades as raw material. Iron axe and adze blades rapidly replaced nephrite adzes in the early 19th century and coincided with an increasing market for commercial tiki. Other variations occur in the positions of the arms. In some the arms are asymmetric with one arm on the torso rather than the legs, or up to the mouth.

The eyes are often filled with red sealing wax of European origin. Wax was added to the eyes of older tiki, and some have paua (Haliotus, the abalone) shell eyes.

The arrival of 19th century technology allowed a major burst of commercial manufacture of tiki mainly for a New Zealand market. Many supposedly old tiki date from the late 19th century and reveal themselves through details such as the suspension perforation being straight sided. Some nephrite ornaments were gold mounted in the 19th century. Again this does not necessarily indicate the nephrite ornament was of that date.

Tiki remain prestige items in New Zealand today; heirlooms (toanga) in Maori families and European families as well. They are worn by Maori on ceremonial occasions. Most tiki are not ancient and some are 19th century commercial products but nonetheless highly valued treasures to their owners.

Materials used

Hei-tiki are usually made of pounamu (green stone) and worn around the neck. They are often incorrectly referred to as tiki, a term that actually refers to large human figures carved in wood, and, also, the small wooden carvings used to mark sacred places.

One theory of the origin of the hei-tiki suggests a connection with Tiki, the first man in Māori legend. According to Horatio Robley, there are two main ideas behind the symbolism of hei-tiki: they are either memorials to ancestors, or represent the goddess of childbirth, Hineteiwaiwa. The rationale behind the first idea is that they were often buried when their kaitiaki (guardian) died and would be later retrieved and placed somewhere special to be brought out in times of tangihanga. In terms of the idea of Hineteiwaiwa, hei-tiki were often given to women having trouble conceiving by her husband's family.

The most valuable hei-tiki are carved from green stone or pounamu. New Zealand green stone consists of either nephrite (a type of jade, in Māori: pounamu) or bowenite (Māori: tangiwai). Pounamu is esteemed highly by Māori for its beauty, toughness and great hardness; it is used not only for ornaments such as hei-tiki and ear pendants, but also for carving tools, adzes, and weapons. Named varieties include translucent green kahurangi, whitish inanga, semi-transparent kawakawa, and tangiwai or bowenite.

Types of Hei-tiki

Traditionally there were several types of hei-tiki which varied widely in form. Modern-day hei-tiki however, may be divided into two types. The first type is rather delicate. with a head/body ratio of approximately 30/70, with small details included, such as ears, elbows, and knees. The head is on a tilt, and one hand is placed on the thigh, and the other on the chest. The eyes are relatively small. The second type is in general heavier than the first. It has a 40/60 head/body ratio, both hands are on the thighs, and the eyes are proportionately larger.

Manufacture

From the size and style of traditional examples of hei-tiki it is likely that the stone was first cut in the form of a small adze. The tilted head of the pitau variety of hei-tiki derives from the properties of the stone - its hardness and great value make it important to minimise the amount of the stone that has to be removed. Creating a hei-tiki with traditional methods is a long, arduous process during which the stone is smoothed by abrasive rubbing; finally, using sticks and water, it is slowly shaped and the holes bored out. After laborious and lengthy polishing, the completed pendant is suspended by a plaited cord and secured by a loop and toggle.

Current popularity

Among the other tāonga (treasured possessions) used as items of personal adornment are bone carvings in the form of earrings or necklaces. For many Māori the wearing of such items relates to Māori cultural identity. They are also popular with young New Zealanders of all backgrounds for whom the pendants relate to a more generalized sense of New Zealand identity. Several artistic collectives have been established by Māori tribal groups. These collectives have begun creating and exporting jewelery (such as bone carved pendants based on traditional fishhooks hei matau and other green stone jewelery) and other artistic items (such as wood carvings and textiles). Several actors who have recently appeared in high-profile movies filmed in New Zealand have come back wearing such jewelery, including Viggo Mortensen of The Lord of the Rings fame, took to wearing a hei matau around his neck. These trends have contributed towards a worldwide interest in traditional Māori culture and arts.

Because the nature of our culture is graphical please visit our store for more details http://www.maoricertified.com

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms and Side Effects The article aims to educate you on the severity of not having enough vitamin D and teaches you how to check for the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.

With more and more office personals going to office in the early morning and leaving only after the sunset, the time exposed to the sun is getting lesser.

Without sunshine, our body is not able to generate enough vitamin D, hence the lack of it, which poses a health risk.

Some Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

• Muscle pain


• Sudden loss of muscle strength


• Constant bone pains


• Low energy / Moodless

Reasons and causes of vitamin D deficiency can vary accordingly.

Usually seasons such as winter forces people to rest at home, hence the lack of sunshine can be the primary cause for people to have lack of vitamin D. 

Dangerous side effect of malnutrition of vitamin D

• Osteoporosis


• Osteomalacia


• Rickets


• Dental cativities

Osteoporosis, osteomalacia and rickets are diseases related to our skeletal structure.

As you know, bones are mineralized using vitamin D and calcium.

Shortage of vitamin D prevent the growth of bones, which causes rickets in children. Children suffering from rickets causes knock knees and bone deformation!

For adults, osteomalacia can occur which leads to weak bones which might eventually lead to bone cancer. Without mineralization, bone become frail and simple knock to the bone might even cause a fracture!

Teeth will become brittle and will cause them to chip off. This are part of vitamin D deficiency symptoms. 

People who are at risk are 

• Young children


• Working office-bound adults


• Pregnant woman


• Elderly

When young, the skeleton is constantly growing at a rapid pace. Hence attention must be given to make sure they have their daily requirement of vitamin D.

Office workers too tend to suffer from the insufficient exposure to sunlight, which minimize the body's ability to create vitamin D.

Pregnant woman, too, are at risk to suffer vitamin D side effects as most of their body nutrients are given to the baby.

As our body ages, the body loses its natural ability to create and absorb vitamin D, thus extra care must be given to ensure that the elderly have their requirement amount of vitamin D.

If you or your relatives have any vitamin D deficiency symptoms, it is recommended that you seek a doctor's attention immediately!

Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment Although malnutrition of vitamin D is serious, recovering from malnutrition of vitamin D is easy. Spend an hour for a walk in the park regularly and your body will start to heal by itself.

Another alternative method will be taking supplements to replenish the vitamin D back that is needed by your body.

However, although overdose is rare, check with your doctor for a prescription. 

After recovering, remember to maintain a healthy diet of fish and milk with sunlight exposure and you will never face vitamin D deficiency symptoms again.

Read More at  Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

Isn’t it amazing how fast our children grow up right before our eyes and yet sometimes we don’t even notice?

The early grade years seem to rush by all too quickly, and suddenly your little angel is transformed into a teenager. We all hope as parents that the time and patience that we have invested in our children while they were young, trying to guide them through life, hasn’t all suddenly gone out the window as soon as puberty walked through the door.

Teenagers have their own pressures to deal with and it sometimes feels like Moms and Dads just don’t have a clue about what they are going through.

For example the trend that seems to be going around at the moment with a lot of young people is, it’s cool to wear your pants down around the back of your knees and nearly trip over when you walk. Hey! I don’t knock it. I used to think it was cool to walk around in those bell bottom trousers, so who am I to talk. We as parents sometimes think that we are prepared to handle just about any situation that our teenagers are going to face. Besides, we were teenagers once. Right?

So are we as parents prepared for that question when it eventually comes?

Mom, Dad, can you teach me how to drive?

I have to say here folks. I have seen a lot of Moms and Dads driving and let me tell you. I would question whether Mom and Dad should teach son / daughter how to drive at all. So, here is a question to all of you parents who have managed to stay with me this far. Are you ready to teach your teenager to drive? Now lets be honest here. Do you think that you are a good driver? Do you think that you set a good example for your teenager, or anyone for that matter when you are behind the wheel?

The reason is that if Mom or Dad’s driving habits aren’t the best. What then do you expect to teach your teenager? If you are going to teach someone how to drive, the first thing that I would recommend you do, is sign up for a defensive driving course if you haven’t completed one for a while.

I recommend this because anyone can be a good driver, but bad habits have a way of creeping up on us and sticking. You don’t even realize it. So for the sake of your teenagers introduction to driving, why not give them the best possible start by tweaking your own driving habits.
There are a couple of good courses here that will help you on your way. See if you can find one that suits you and your timetable. [http://www.driving-defensive.com/defensivedriving.html]

Remember that completing one of these courses not only helps your son / daughter. It also helps Mom and Dad to identify any areas of driving that need addressing. It’s a win win situation. Now, back to teaching your teenager. This is going to take a lot of planning for you to be able to teach them effectively and safely. Here is a tip. Teach them one driving skill at a time whenever you have a lesson. It may be reversing, parking. You may want to teach them moving off skills. I have written some guidelines called defensive driving for parents which will help you organize lesson plans. Read this section carefully. It will help.

[http://www.driving-defensive.com/DefensiveDrivingforParents.html]

When teaching someone to drive, be prepared to nurture and guide them, and be patient. Don’t expect miracles and you won’t be disappointed. Teaching someone how to drive takes special skills. Have a look at the following questions and decide. Can I indeed teach my teenager how to drive? You will know the answer to that question after you answer these.

Am I a good example of how I want my teenager to drive?

Do I want my teenager to have the best possible driving tuition?

Can I stay calm when they don’t pick things up as quickly as I would like.

Am I the type of person who gets anxious when other people are driving?

Do I have the ability to guide my son / daughter through a potentially dangerous situation on the road using my voice?

Do I have the time that it takes to nurture and guide them?

Can I plan, the lessons as set out in the defensive driving for parents section?

Will I yell and lose my temper?

After reading and answering these questions, you should have no doubt whatsoever as to what you should now do when your teenager asks: Mom, Dad, can you teach me how to drive today? You and you alone know what the answer will be to that question.

Defensive driving saves lives, that’s a well known fact. Let’s use that knowledge and allow our teenagers the benefit of learning these new techniques and teach them how to drive to survive.

Happy Motoring

Timoti Petera

Of all the positions in BJJ, the stand up BJJ position is probably the least known position. BJJ is mostly known for the ground fighting techniques and not generally for the take downs. There is a very limited set of strikes in BJJ from the stand up position.

In BJJ, spacing and distance is a very important concept in stand up. In order to avoid strikes, a BJJ practitioner must stay out striking range. This can be accomplished in two ways.

The first way to stay very far away from the opponent. Keep in mind, some strikers can close the distance very fast. Whenever the striker attempts to come close, the jiu jitsu fight backs up and maintains the space. This concept is very important. Whenever the strikes moves backwards, the jiu jitsu practitioner moves forward to maintain the space. This is repeated until the jiu jitsu fighter can close the distance. This is accomplished by getting the fighter to commit to a strike or get the strike to move forward, while being anticipated by the jiu jitsu fighter. The jiu jitsu fighter will attempt to take advantage of the off balancing of the striker and shoot in at the point in which the striker is unbalanced.

Another technique for staying out of striking range is to stay very close to the opponent by grabbing onto them and staying out of their power range. The power range is the area in which punches, elbows, knees, and kicks can be thrown with maximum effort. This includes using the hips in the attack. One technique for staying close and out of the power range was used by Royce Gracie in UFC 1-3. Royce would shoot in and move to the side of the striker (e.g. under the armpit) and grab hold of his opponent. From there, he could take the opponent down without withstanding strikes with hip involvement.

For novice jiu jitsu practitioners, one concept to understand is that you should not take any shots to the head. Shots to the body can do damage, but it is important not to take a knock out blow.

As a BJJ position, stand up is usually practiced the least in BJJ. It was believed that no matter what would happen, most of the fights would hit the ground. In modern MMA, many fighters have practiced take down defenses that have stifled the attacks of less skilled take down MMA fighters. This is purely subjective though, depending on the skill level of the fighters.

Many BJJ camps now include judo and wrestling in the stand up curriculum. Judo and BJJ practitioners such as David Camarillo and Rhadi Ferguson have attained black belts on both of the arts and integrated the styles into their fighting systems.

The Gracie Academy in Torrance, CA has developed a system of self defense for stand up for Gracie Jiu Jitsu. This is primarily for reality situations in which people are attacked on the streets. However, recently a fighter has stated that he used Gracie Combatives in an MMA fight (Javier Vasquez). Stand up is a very important BJJ position.

I found myself asking this question when the recession was at its peak in 2009. And I am glad to let you know that by the beginning of 2010, I had my answer.

But let's go back to 2007, when the first signs of the meltdown began unravelling itself. The first sector to be hit was the home mortgage business. That was when the world realised, consciously, that you could walk into a bank, tell hem you had a 50,000 $ income a year and probably walk away with a 500,000 $ home loan!!!!! Says a lot about banking wisdom. And then this gradually led to the credit squeeze. And that was all that was required to bring the entire world's economy crumbling to its knees, begging for some respite from the world's leaders. And we, are to this day seeing the knock-on effect of this meltdown.

This knock-on effect has surely touched you too in some way or the other, either directly or indirectly, in a small or big way. At best you will atleast know some one who has been impacted. The big point I am trying to make is, all this happened without you being directly responsible for it. Many millions are affected today because of some one else's poor decisions probably a decade back. But when it comes to facing the consequences, you are on your own or rather the responsibility is yours. And the worst fear is, there is no guarantee that this will not happen again. As a matter of fact, some of the decisions that the world's top financial and economic policy makers are making today could be possibly laying the foundations of the next meltdown. Honestly, let us be optimistic.

But this does not exempt you from your responsibility. Please note, that one of the biggest casualty in this recession has been, JOBS. We could lose our jobs anyday, if not for God's mercy and grace. And for most of us working or salaried class, we just have one job. And that one job, is the most disposable piece of inventory in the eyes of a lot of C-level executives. Not that I am blaming them for it, but that is the reality of today's business world. JOBS will APPEAR and DISAPPEAR with the blink of an eye.

Why do you want to be at the mercy of that? What did I do? What should you be doing right now? Have a PLAN B. Start building a second income stream. Start generating a passive income right now. Pray that you have a job long enough to grow and profit from your own business. So, God forbid, something goes wrong, you a tleast ensure that your important bills get paid. And the opportunity that is most suited for full-time employed people is "Work from home" or a home based business.

So just think about it. Open up your mind, think about the future of yourself and your family and explore alternate opportunities.

Motor cycles are single-track two wheeled motor vehicle. They have become a common means of transport and they are quite fast just like a motor vehicle. They are also affordable and most people who do not have cars have them. Due to the high speed that they travel in, they are more prone to road accidents than automobiles. The other reason is that they are driven in the same road as vehicles and they are less noticeable and therefore are knocked down fast.

Motor cycles accidents also occur when they knock down pedestrians. Pedestrians crossing the road fast without looking while a speeding motor cycle is on the road is most likely to be knocked down. They represent a percentage of five percent fatal accidents each year. These accidents are categorized according to injuries caused.

You can get brain damage from a motorbike accident especially if you were not wearing a helmet. If your head suddenly and violently meets the ground or other vehicles, you could suffer from a concussion.

You can also have your joints broken in various parts of the body including shoulders, hips, knees and elbows. This might change the movement and posture of your body even after treatment. This kind of accident mainly occurs when the motorcycle hits a pedestrian or bumps into another vehicle. There are also accidents, which happen when the motor cycle hits other objects that are alongside the road. These are fences, lamp posts and sign boards. This might be caused when the cyclist loses control of the bike or by poor vision.

Bikers arm is a condition where the nerves in the upper arm are destroyed in a motorcycle accident. This accident causes a permanent paralysis of the arm. It occurs when the bike bends and throws you off making you fall with one side and injuring the arm. Soft tissues in the body can also be damaged through a motor cycle accident. You are subjected to this, if you body is dragged or slides on a rough surface.

You can prevent these kinds of injuries in a few ways such as the type of protective clothing you use. The most obvious one is wearing a helmet. To prevent accidents that can cause damage to the brain, the helmet is an important tool when riding. Other passengers in the bike should also be wearing one.

Jackets are also important wear. They should be made from heavy materials like leather and corduroy. Most of these are also fitted with airbags systems to increase protection especially for the neck. They are meant mainly to protect the upper body like the spine and elbows. Pants can also be made of leather to prevent the knees and hips from being injured.

There are specially made gloves too for giving the rider a tight grip on the handlebars. They normally have padding inside them to protect the knuckles from injuries. It is also important to protect the feet. Boots are the best when using motor cycles. They should have rubber soles for flexibility purposes and have caps on the ankles.

Today's lean body workout is designed for ultimate fat loss, muscle sculpting, overall conditioning and time efficiency.

Because intensity is a major component in how effective a given workout is at boosting metabolism, burning fat and adding lean muscle mass, it's important to use a duration that allows for maximum effort over the longest period of time possible.

In short, to cash-in on the hugely important post-workout "afterburn" effect, you need to find that sweet spot, where you can sustain an all-out effort for a decent length of time. In my research I've determined that very intense 10 to 15-minute workouts produce fat loss and a sculpted, lean body in the shortest amount of time.

Of course, if you can make it longer than 15-minutes with a near maximum level of effort, I'd encourage you to do so for even more substantial results.

Another component I've added to this lean body workout is explosiveness. By using an explosive concentric phase on the strength training exercises, we'll recruit more fast twitch muscle fibers. This leads to greater fat loss and more gains in lean muscle mass (which produces additional fat loss down the road).

Lastly, I've optimized the duration of exercises performed and the rest period, to give better results. Studies show that a time-under-tension of approximately 40-50 seconds for each lift leads to optimal fat-burning. After each circuit, a brief rest period of 30 seconds is used, which forces the body to create a large oxygen debt.

Because the body has to work hard to "repay" this oxygen debt after the workout is over, you'll benefit from a sharp increase in metabolism. Depending on your intensity level, this could be significantly elevated for up to 2 or 3 days. Hello lean body.

You'll need 11-minutes of precious fat-burning time, one heavy dumbbell, a small amount of space and lots of focus to knock out this body sculpting workout.

Perform all four exercises for 45 seconds each, back-to-back, then rest 30 seconds and repeat the circuit two more times for a total of 3 circuits. Focus on using a full range of motion and exploding through the concentric (lifting portion) part of each exercise.

Lean Body Workout:

A1) One-arm dumbbell clean, into push-press (right arm) x 45 seconds

A2) One-arm dumbbell clean, into push-press (left arm) x 45 seconds

A3) Staggered body weight push-ups (one hand high, one hand low and alternate after each rep) x 45 seconds

A4) High knees (exaggerate movement and explode the knees upwards) x 45 seconds

A5) Rest 30 seconds and repeat the circuit two more times

In just under eleven minutes you can get "jiggy" with it and cause enough chaos to place your body in total fat-burning mode for hours after the workout has ended. The result is a few steps forward in the path to carving out your own lean body.

There is a vast range of equipment and appliances that we use in the kitchen, all of which are crucial to being able to get the most from our space and for being able to keep the area clean, tidy and safe. As such if you have a kitchen it is highly crucial to think about kitchen equipment storage and where you intend to keep all the items that you are going to use in order to make sure that your kitchen is as tidy, clean and safe as possible.

There are many different types of kitchen equipment storage. The most obvious is of course kitchen cabinets, draws and cupboards which will usually also provide the sideboards on which you are likely to chop food and peel vegetables etc. These then fit neatly into your kitchen and provide a vast range of storage possibilities for you to make the most of. Other kitchen cupboards meanwhile will be wall mounted so that you can store glasses and things over your sideboards. Again this gives you the ability to store your items without taking up any space in the kitchen and it means that you can use up more space in your room by accessing the extra dimension (storing your items higher up as well as along the walls).

Inside these cupboards and drawers however the kitchen equipment storage can vary and you will likely choose yours depending on various other aspects. For instance you might want a completely empty cupboard which will allow you to store things like plates piled up, but also small kitchen appliances such as blenders and unused kettles. However to get more out of your kitchen storage and to store more items without creating lots of tall towers, you can instead get cupboards with shelves. These will enable you to organise your crockery more and is also perfect for keeping tins and things.

For more advanced kitchen storage however you can also get your shelves on hinges, or even get those that rotate. Some clever storage devices will open out and 'unfold' to reveal multiple shelves as you open the cupboard door and this way you never have to bend over and reach into the cupboards on your knees. With those that rotate meanwhile, this very conveniently allows you to reach things that are kept at the back of your cupboard without having to route through and knock things over/reach right into the back. This is again perfect for tins as it means you can reach those tins around the back - getting rid of the age old problem where you end up searching for hours to get the jam. These kinds of more interactive shelves however tend to be reserved for those cupboards and storage units kept at the bottom of your draw rather than those kept higher up which would make them difficult to operate and to see into.

Drawers however are generally used only lower down, and those these are much of a muchness it is possible to choose basic variations in terms of whether you want deep drawers or shallow drawers, and whether you intend to use a tray for your cutlery.

The knee, like the elbow to some extent, is a hinge joint but not a simple one. The lower part of the thigh bone expands into the femoral condyles and the upper shin bone likewise expands into the tibial condyles, the junction of these two enlarged areas forming the knee joint. The small bone on the outside of the knee, known as the fibula, is not involved in weight bearing nor is actually part of the knee joint, serving only as an attachment area for the muscles controlling the ankle, foot and toes. The knee functions as a hinge dividing the leg, allowing the exertion of high levels of muscular propulsive force, the folding of the leg in bending and the shortening of the leg in stepping to allow efficient gait.

As the knee approaches full extension or straightening the main thigh muscles (the quadriceps) engage to achieve full active extension and guide the knee into its locking position. Apes are unable to straighten their knee in standing, whilst humans can extend their knees fully in standing which allows very low energy usage. As the knee gets closer to full extension the thigh muscle rotates the knee inwards to allow it to reach the locking point. Humans can stand with their knees straight for long periods with little activity in the quadriceps and hip muscles, combining stability and low effort.

The cartilages, structures known as menisci, are shaped like a banked track in a crescent configuration and fill in to some extend between the rounded condyles of the femur and the flat tibial surface. Their function has not exactly been demonstrated, however they may contribute to easing the knee into lock, minimising inappropriate movement of the condyles and bringing the condyles towards the joint centre in motion. The third component of the knee joint is the patella or kneecap, this small bone being lined with cartilage and placed anterior to the knee.

The tendon of the quadriceps muscle holds the patella or kneecap within it, the muscle's main function being knee extension to raise the body from a chair or negotiate steps. The inner surface of the patella, divided into two facets, is lined with joint cartilage and articulates with the major groove between the condyles of the femur, sliding back and forth. The power of the quadriceps muscle to extend the knee against the body weight is significantly increased by the presence of the kneecap.

When a knee continues to bend and straighten in a forward and backwards direction the alignment is good and problems are less likely to arise. When a sideways misalignment is added however, the knee can develop painful conditions. A sideways alignment (knock knee or bow leg type conditions) throws the stresses onto one side of the knee by compressing that side of the joint, exposing it to increased wear. A misalignment also changes the angles of function of the patella and causes it to track off to one side, increasing joint friction and causing pain.

During motion of the knee the menisci (the knee cartilages) and the kneecap are subject to high mechanical forces and are the cause of a number of common knee problems. The movement range of the knee is usually from straight (zero degrees) to full bend at about 140 degrees, varying with the body size and joint mobility. As the knee goes through the movements of extension and flexion the large rounded condyles glide and slide on the top of the tibia, with the tibial surface moving underneath them also.

It is in order to stop the femoral condyles slipping off the back of the tibial plateau that they perform the internal glide in a back and front direction. One bone does not move on its own as the joint changes its position, but rather both move in a complicated fashion on each other to allow the functionally desired movement to be achieved. A much more extensive range of motion is achievable with this design. Rotation also occurs at the knee joint but is less obvious, becoming more apparent as the knee extends more closely to the locking position and the internal rotation of the femur occurs.

A Breakfall can be used as a way to land whenever you suddenly go to the floor, typically when your opponent puts you on the floor from a take-down, or more simply, when you are pushed over. They are the base of the roll and must be practiced consistently so that it becomes natural.

The concept of the Breakfall is utilized to spread the weight of a fall upon impact over the greatest number of points of your body as possible so as to reduce the stress taken by each point.

Back Breakfall

When you Breakfall in slow motion, and this is how you should practice it when initially learning, from the standing position you go to a squat, then sit and finally on to your back. As you go from the seated position onto your back your arms splay out along the side of your body, a maximum of a 45 angle away from your torso, one on each side. Your palms pointing to the ground and your elbows are a little bent. Your palms and elbows hit the floor at the same time. Make sure to tuck your chin to your chest to avoid your head from smacking the floor.

As you land, elevate you legs in the air close to your body to assist with energy for a roll out, or, if failing this, it will aid towards a cover up position and allows you to be ready to kick your enemy from the ground. If you know what you're doing, you can even use the energy of the drop to put him 'in your guard'

Side Breakfall

The perfect Breakfall is landing uniformly on both sides, but this is uncommon so you need to know how to land on each side also. A Side Breakfall is more likely to occur due to your stance ie you stand side on, or perhaps if pushed from the side.

Performing a Side Breakfall is essentially the same as a Back Breakfall except you land on your thigh first. Curl your head upward in the opposite direction you're falling on. Your arm and also wing muscle hit the ground simultaneously. This may knock the wind away from you a bit but it is much better than any other way you may land, besides rolling.

Front Breakfall

Once you understand how to roll, you'll rarely use this, unless your legs are bound up eg he tackles you. If landing to your front, make an effort to keep your body straight, you don't want to knock your knees on the floor. Your forearms are held about a foot out in front of you shoulder breadth apart and your open palms are faced out. They cushion your drop. When practicing the front Breakfall, start from your knees. Once capable enough you can go from a standing position but do not forget that you don't go to your knees first. You should avoid smashing your knees on the floor.

To help train in instinctive landing, each time you go to ground in training eg when going to perform sit ups or push-ups or practicing a Grappling technique, make use of the Breakfall.

It is a tight game and the batter is a known bunter. Third and Second baseman are playing in on the grass in anticipation. The Pitcher delivers an inside fastball. Just as the Pitchers arm is ready to release the batter squares around and shows bunt.

Third base crashes down to gather up the ball which takes a funny hop to the infield away from his glove. Not a good bunt as the ball moves between third baseman and the mound. The batter is fast and is halfway to first when the third baseman finally gains control of the ball. As he grasps the ball the throw the runner is now one third of the way there. He launches a frozen rope to first. The throw is off and low. Stretch into the splits the first baseman reaches and scoops the ball into his mitt as the runners foot touches the bag. OUT, the umpire calls as the ball was in the mitt before the runner reached the bag.

These are the exciting moments of baseball that get every ones heart racing. It happens in the brief moment between successfully hitting the ball and the seconds it takes to cover the distance from home to first. Yet, how does the first baseman know when to stretch and how far? Most of all , how does he get there? A newbie to the position will take a step towards the man with the ball before their release. True, making a step with the glove side foot is correct. However, the step is too soon as there is no information about the path of the ball to be caught.

Ideally a baseman will wait until the ball is released before take the step to the ball. From a comfortable position, feet should width apart, knees bent, heels off the ground, the baseman has plenty of time to make the appropriate stride to receive the ball. Being in a strong, athletic position gives the baseman the proper position to react as quickly as their body will allow.

To stretch before the ball is thrown puts the baseman in an non balanced position using weaker muscles. Think about it for a moment. Which is faster and under more control; standing and taking a step directly at the ball or being stretched out and lifting your forward foot off the ground to redirect your position.

Worse yet, if the ball is high, the baseman has almost no position or strength to make a jump to at least knock the ball down and keep it in the infield. It is a recipe for batter success to turn a tough single into a stand up double.

This method of tagging a bag can be applied to any base virtually 100 percent of the time where the baseman is to receive a throw for a force out. In all aspects of baseball, the greater the balance, the higher degree of success the player will have. Remember, comfortable position, tag foot on the bag, step with the glove foot towards the throw after the ball is in the air, adjust as needed to receive the throw.

Osteoarthritis is generally equated with a disease of wear and tear and old age. Although it does usually accompany old age, researchers have found that the cartilage in a joint with osteoarthritis is chemically different than a joint without the disease.

Researchers have also found that there are a series of events that lead to the development of Osteoarthritis and that it isn't associated with age alone. These events involve the production, maintenance and breakdown of the cartilage in the joints. These joints are often of the larger weight bearing joints of the body such as the knees and hips, which provide the majority of the cushion when we are doing any weight bearing exercise such as walking, running etc.

Athletes who also perform repetitive motion exercise that is weight bearing on a joint, such as rowing, will find that Osteoarthritis also will develop in the elbow and shoulder areas.

Researchers believe that there is a genetic component to the development of the disease but they have not yet conclusively found that link. They have found that there is a higher correlation in the development of this arthritis between parent and child or siblings than between husband and wife.

In a study completed in 2000 a gene was identified which was thought to regulate the production of a chemical, pyrophosphate, which inhibits the formation of mineral deposits in the joints. They theorize that this chemical may protect the cartilage in the joints. About 60% of patients with Osteoarthritis were found to have mineral deposits in their joints.

People with this disease also have muscle weakness, especially in the quadriceps muscles. These are the four large muscles in the front of the thigh that enable the body to extend the knee. Researchers understand that the arthritis creates a painful situation and patients may not exercise, therefore decreasing their muscle strength. However, they also theorize that the weakness, especially in the quadriceps, pre-dates the development and actually causes the degeneration of the joint. The stronger the muscle mass the better able the body is to protect the joints.

Anatomical reasons also are considered to be involved in the development of this arthritis. Research has found that people who are 'bow-legged' or 'knock-kneed' are more likely to develop progressive osteoarthritis in the knees. Other research has found that some people are born with joints that don't meet smoothly and cartilage that isn't formed correctly.

Injuries also play a large part in the joint changes that lead to Osteoarthritis. People with knee injuries early in life were 16% more likely to develop arthritis in the affected knee than those without an injury. Other medical conditions have also been found to play a part in the cause of Osteoarthritis. Hemophiliacs have the potential to bleed into the joints causing damage to the cartilage. People with chronic gout and pseudogout have mineral deposits in the joints from the crystals that cause the gout. People with rheumatoid arthritis already have joint damaging inflammation that injures to the cartilage.

Although the causes of Osteoarthritis have not been completely defined people can use the knowledge that researchers now have to potentially delay the onset or stop the development of this painful disease.

Knee cap pain and pain on the inner side (medial) of the knee are common among women. Women with patellofemoral pain syndrome often notice pain below the patella, on the side of the knee or in the thigh and clicking with squatting, going up and down the stairs or getting up after sitting for a while.

In this part of my knee pain series, I'm going to talk about patellofemoral pain syndrome. A rose is still a rose by another name; whether it's patellar arthralgia, patellofemoral tracking disorder or patellar malalignment subluxation, they're the same.

To fully appreciate your knees and understand the pathology of patellofemoral pain syndrome, you need to know how your knees work. So, put the kids to bed and pop open a couple of brewskies.

The entire quadriceps muscle and patellar tendon are anchored to the knee cap. Your knee cap (patella), sits above a femoral sulcus. When you bend and extend your knees such as walking or going up and down the stairs, the knee cap glides up and down along a groove. When you sit down and enjoy that brewskies, I mean milk, the patella slowly sinks back into the sulcus. And when you get up from sitting down for a while, the knee cap has to unlock itself to get out of the sulcus before sliding up the femoral groove.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome does not come over night, even though you may recently experience pain, swelling or clicking below the knee cap, on the side of the knee or in the thigh with squatting, going up and down the stairs or getting up after sitting for a while. It takes time to develop patellofemoral pain syndrome. And by the time it's diagnosis, there's already some wear and tear thinning of the cartilage underneath the knee cap from repetitive the grinding stress and abnormal tension on the patella.

With the exclusion of structural hip and knee deformities such as hip coxa valga or vera or severe bow-legged and knock knees, patellofemoral pain syndrome is basically a pathomechanical problem. You develop patellofemoral pain syndrome when the knee cap cannot properly and smoothly glide up and down the femoral groove. This may due to improper alignment and dysfunction between the knee joints and the patella, weak and imbalanced knee muscles or a high knee Q-angle.

As the patella continues to glide improperly and out of alignment within the femoral groove, the knee becomes irritated and inflamed with pain, swelling, clicking and stiffness; various knee muscles become imbalanced and weak from uneven tension and pulling. Earlier, I mentioned that the entire quadriceps muscle and patellar tendon are anchored to the knee cap.

The cartilage on the underside of the knee cap also begins to wear thin from the stressful grinding and tension. Eventually your knees become degenerative and develop osteoarthritis.

If you experience knee cap pain and pain in front and on the inner side of the knee, swelling, clicking and stiffness, please consult with a chiropractor. It may or may not be patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome should begin with conservative care before radical treatments such as cortisone injection and surgery. And chiropractic treatments are tremendously effective in treating patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue treatments to the knee joints, patella and muscles relieve pain and stiffness below the knee cap, on the side of the knee or in the thigh. The treatments also restore proper joint biomechanics and muscle functions which give you more mobility and better knee range of motion so you can rotate, bend and extend your legs with less stress to the knee joints while doing rehab exercises.

A vital part in treating patellofemoral pain syndrome includes specific rehab exercises for the weak and imbalanced knee muscles. Weakness to the vastus medialis oblique and adductor magus muscles or tightness vastus lateralis, iliotibial band, tensor fasciae latae and the lateral retinacula can pull the knee cap out of alignment as it glides up and down the femoral groove and place unwanted tension and grinding stress.

It's extremely important to understand the varying amount of compression forces endure by the knee cap, knee joints and muscles at different ranges of knee motion. General knee exercises do not take this into consideration can lead to bursitis and tendonitis. And if the rehab exercises are not task specific and applicable to daily activities, then why are you doing them?

For instance how your hips might be rotating during your swing, where your hands are on the golf club or maybe even how your knees are bent before you get into your swing. All of these seemingly little things factor in when trying to develop a perfect golf swing, but most of them are overlooked.

Almost everyone who has ever attempt this game has failed miserable the first couple of times out on the golf course, mostly because their ego gets the best of them and they believe it is an easy sport to master. On TV the pros like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson make hitting 300+ drives down the fairway and 50 foot puts look easy, but that is as far from the truth as can be.

Playing the game of golf takes a lot of skill and concentration, especially around huge crowds like the pros are used to, but it all starts with a good, solid swing. A lot of people who just start off playing golf usually come up to the tee and try knock the ball into next week much like a baseball player would when he is up to bat, but developing a perfect golf swing takes a mixture of fitness and power, but more so control and concentration.

There are a few simple golf tips you can use when you are just starting out on the links. One is to never take your eye off the ball during your swing or you will hit the ball into God knows where. Keep your eyes fixed on the ball, shoulders square, arms straight with your left arm being like your cross hairs for the ball if you are right handed. Now that you have the form down when you swing you don't want to twist your wrists during the swing until after impact. Once you have made contact follow through with the swing motion until the club is behind your back and the ball is headed down the fairway.

Research shows that our feet shrink or grow in size at periodic intervals. It is no wonder then that the size that fitted us perfectly last year is not the same this year. It is very important to select shoes that fit us well to avoid causing aches and pains in the back and legs.

Old and worn out shoes can cause severe back pain, aching feet, and extremely sore knee joints. It is time to get yourself a new shoe if your shoes have given you more than 550 miles if you use them for running or walking. If you use your shoes for sports, your shoes will start wearing out after 70 hours of active use. Most expensive shoes will show no outward wear and tear, so you cannot wait for the heel to wear out or the shoe to tear before you replace it. If your old shoe has served you well, it will be safer to go for the same brand and fit rather than trying out something new each time.

To look for the correct fit for your feet, you need to first familiarize yourself with the factors that tend to affect the fit of your shoe.

Interestingly, about 80% of our population has one leg longer than the other. In some people, one end of their foot is extremely pliant while the other end is extremely unbending. Also the knee and feet alignment varies in different people. For some people, feet turn in or out or point straight outwards. Similarly, the knees could be in a neutral position, bow out, or knock against each other. Each of these factors play a role in the actual fit of the shoe.

Knowing about the common irregularities in feet will also help you in asking for the right shoe. If you have highly arched feet, avoid motion and stability control shoes as they tend to reduce the mobility of your foot. Inserting special customized pads into your shoes will correct this irregularity. Flat footed people with no or low arches in their feet, should go for stability control or motion control shoes with a sturdy mid-sole. Those with excessive inward rolling of foot while in motion (over-pronation) can cause severe strain on lower legs, ankles, knees, and back. And those with under-pronation, that is when the outside of your foot bears the shock when your foot hits the ground, are more prone to ligament injuries in the feet. Stability shoes are ideal for those with over or under pronation, preferably with a roll bar or dual-density midsole.

It is important to buy shoes only from a store that has knowledgeable sales personnel and displays a wide choice of shoes. Although the shoe industry promotes the idea of different shoes for different uses, when it comes to athletic shoes, you need either a running shoe or a cross trainer. There are three main categories: motion control, neutral cushioning, and stability control. There are two types of sports shoes; one that is good for frequent stop-go movements, and one that is ideal for running or walking.

Always go shoe shopping only in the evenings when your feet are slightly larger than in the mornings due to the day's activity.

You need to also try on several pairs before deciding on the one that fits you best. Then, you should wear the shoes and walk around the store for at least five minutes to gauge your level of comfort. Only select those shoes that are somewhat shaped like your foot for added comfort. Remember to take your socks with you when you go to purchase shoes. You will find out the exact fit only when you wear your shoes with the socks that you normally use. Your feet should be supported on all sides and should not flop around inside the shoe. The shoe with the best fit is one that offers some cushioning, quite a bit of flexibility, and lots of stability, and a maximum of half an inch more than your longest toe.

It is amazing what a good sports shoe can do to generate enthusiasm for outdoor activities. Wearing a good shoe with a perfect fit, can help you go the extra mile effortlessly and painlessly. A pair of good shoes is your key to an active and healthy life.

Up Downs Conditioning Drill

Up downs is an excellent conditioning drill that will improve reaction time and endurance. This drill starts by having the players run in place as fast as they can encourage them to get their knees up as high as they can. From time to time the coach will signal to the players, by whistle or a command, to get down - meaning that they drop down do a push up and get back up as quickly as possible to run again. Because this drill can be very taxing, it is important to increase the time spent at this slowly over time as the player's strength increases.

Conditioning: The Quick Jump

Conditioning in football is meant to help you react quickly on the field moving in a variety of directions. This practice drill is intended to increase reaction speed and the ability to quickly change directions. It starts by placing players in a small four square box. The drill starts by having a player stand in one area or box, and has them jump diagonally, laterally, frontwards, and backwards from one area to another. Coaches should encourage one foot jumping to increase further strength and reactions on the field.

Prevent fumbles with strong techniques

You can't run with the football until you have learned some basic ball security measures. There is nothing worse than almost getting a first down or even a touchdown and fumbling the ball, for this reason there is a great need for ball security. A great way to teach tight ball security is with four points. First grab the football with your carrying hand with the tips of the football being covered with your fingers. The second point is your forearm wrapped around the ball and shielding it from the defense. Third, pull the football in close to your bicep to protect it from opponents jabs and attempts to make you fumble. The final point is keeping the football high and tight against the ribcage. Practice holding the football and having defensive players try and knock out the football by any means possible. In this way you can practice great defensive moves to force a fumble, and also focus on offensive ball protection.

Some benefits to Weightlifting

Let's not forget weightlifting. It is one of the essential elements that will help you improve your game. The effects of weight lifting will add muscle to your body and increase strength, this straighten will add to your maximum power. Maximum power differs in importance to strength due to the fact that it is exertion during play and not just muscle mass. Strong and powerful execution will enable fast plays, quick action, and recognition on the field. Weight lifting can cause injuries, and as such we highly recommend having a professional coach on hand during weightlifting sessions. You trainer will also help you accomplish your weightlifting goals and teach you new techniques.

When is it OK to return to tennis following a total knee arthroplasty, a.k.a. knee replacement? I get asked this question all the time. The answer is not that simple, and it depends much more on range of motion and functional strength than it does just time from surgery.

This question came up the other day with a 65 year old tennis player, 6 months out from surgery. He had been attempting to play the last two weeks, but with swelling and soreness following the match. This is a very competitive guy so I know he is giving it his all. He had done some PT initially, 3 weeks at home and another 3 weeks in an outpatient clinic. He completed therapy feeling that he was doing fine. He was also under the impression he was doing well by his therapist and physician who gave him the green light at 6 months.

Problem was this guy still was lacking a few degrees of knee extension, couldn't squat without shifting the weight to his non-surgical leg, and had obvious hip abductor and external rotation strength deficits when standing on one leg (complicated way of saying his balance wasn't the best). This was just from the first five minutes of the exam.

Here are some general recommendations for range of motion and strength when attempting to return to sports following knee arthroplasty:

1. Must have full knee extension/hyperextension. Basically, the surgical leg must go as straight as the non-surgical leg for normal gait and running mechanics. Quad strength and control at this end range must be excellent as well.


2. The patient/athlete should be able to perform a body weight squat to parallel with perfect technique. This means even weight distribution right to left, heels stay down, knees stay apart, back stays straight. Cue the patient "keep your weight on your outer heels" during the squat. This can instantly clear up the valgus collapse (knock knees) that we so often see.


3. The patient/athlete must be able to perform a forward lunge to kneeling and back up maintaining an upright trunk.


4. Should be able to perform a lateral lunge to 3/4 depth. Ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder should be lined up vertically at that point.


5. Single leg squat/step down off a 10 inch box with excellent eccentric control x10. Eccentric basically means to lower slow and controlled


6. Single leg balance 30 seconds, pelvis level, pelvis and shoulder facing forward. This is a tough one to check on yourself if you are not trained. This is obviously looking at balance but also hip stability which is crucial when running, jumping, and changing direction. Watch the belt line, it should stay level when you go to one leg. Your body should not turn away from the stance leg either. If either of these things happen then hip stability is an issue and you will have issues with the knee down the road whether you participate in sports or not.

So there is my check list from 10 years of working in orthopedics and sports medicine as well as developing athletes of all ages. Does everyone achieve all six? No. The closer the better obviously as most will eventually attempt to resume their once normal activities. I do want each and every one of them to understand the risk they take with their new knee if they do not continue to work toward achieving these goals. Each one of them is critical to proper running and jumping mechanics, decelerating and cutting, and protecting the knee from the pounding, twisting, and beating that are all a part of athletics.

The perfect golf swing is of course a very personal thing to each individual golfer because of their size, weight, habits, experience etc but before I tell you what the golf swing proper technique is there are a few fundamentals you should get to grips with so you can better your golf swing immediately and start to make it a perfect one for you.

1. Don't try to smash the ball into next week.
   With a bad technique you could be smashing it again from the woods.


2. Keep your eye on the ball. Yes... pretty obvious but there are many golf ailments fixed by just simply doing this.


3. Practice. Don't head off to the driving range to knock the stuffing out of everything. There are many shots in golf, not just driving.

The Professional Golfer has near perfect accuracy and skill, but very few people will take into account the effort and countless hours of practice he or she has placed in the area of technique to achieve it.

Okay. The golf swing proper technique based on a right handed player is this:

Remember, before you go through this technique to line yourself up correctly with the flag by using a small object that runs directly between the ball and flag, a leaf or stone for example. Run an imaginary line from the ball to the flag through the object and take your stance parallel to this line with your club square behind the ball. You are set up for your shot.

1. Place the head of the club on the ground behind the ball, shaft in left hand lying across the top of the forefinger. Make sure it fits snug in the heel of your palm and you can wrap your little finger around the grip so there is no movement. Now place your right hand lower on the grip and fold your right hand over your left thumb. You will find the right thumb now naturally points to the right.


2. You now need to grip the back of your golf club and there are three types of grip to choose from. They are the Vardon Grip (also known as Overlapping Grip), the Interlocking Grip, and the Baseball Grip. The Vardon is the most popular grip but I suggest you read up more on each one and choose whichever feels best for you. Please note it would be wise to learn all three for better diversity of play.


3. Take a stance with your feet at approximately shoulder width apart which, along with the knees and hips, should be parallel to the target. Your right foot is placed straight at a right angle to the swing line, and left foot is slightly open making the body follow through the golf swing. Lean slightly forward at the waist, knees gently bent for flexibility. Your body weight should be slightly forward on the balls of the feet.


4. Address the ball and check your shoulder position is correct by placing the club in the centre of your chest, then lean forward from the waist, gently flexing and bending the knees. Lower your right shoulder until the club touches the inside of your left leg.


5. The back swing starts with the rotation of the body, not just the arms and hands, but also the shoulders, hips, waist and back which will stay at the correct angle and end up facing the flag with your weight on your right foot. The movement should be fluid and almost simultaneous with the hands maintaining grip throughout. Practice of this is preferable.


6. On the down swing, push your weight from right to left rotating the body and hips allowing your shoulders, arms and hands to power the golf club through impact. Your hips should then turn with the shoulders parallel to the ball and continue until the whole body is facing the target. Allow your right foot to move only after impact.

What is the best gift you could give a person who is disabled to walk on his or her own? Definitely, an aid to move about independently! The goal of walking aids is no different as they come proficient to make a disabled person capable of moving. Walking aids, in fact, are becoming more and more common with the number of people who are suffering from kinaesthetic disabilities increasing day by day.

Walking aids are used by many people for many reasons, such as, old age, arthritis, joint replacement, limb surgery, hip or knee pain and so on. This aid helps the user put some weight on it and thus reduce the pressure on the legs. It helps in supporting and balancing the user's posture and enables him to walk without help from another person.

Walking aids come in different types, starting from the early walking stick that was used by old people since centuries. However, with the lifestyle of people changing and moving to a faster pace, aids to help in mobility also changed their forms and now come in more complex forms like walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, power scooters, rollators, etc. Each of these comes with more and more options to make movement easier for its users.

Buying walking aid for one of your loved ones is a good idea, depending on how that person would look at it. In fact, you need to be very careful when you are buying an aid for someone else. It should not offend that person, as there are many people who might consider using a walking m aid as losing their freedom or who are just not able to acknowledge that fact that they need support to walk. However, when the next option is to depend on a nurse or a maid, the walking aid is undoubtedly more attractive.

Once you decide on purchasing a walking aid, the next factor to consider is the budget. This come in different prices, based on the technology used to make them. Naturally, that would mean that simpler aids would cost lesser while more complex ones are more expensive. Another factor is the existing capabilities of the person who you are buying for. If that person cannot move his upper body as well, there is no point in buying a walker or a walking stick. A wheel chair is more suitable for such a person. In other words, the main factors to consider while purchasing a walking aid is the requirements of the user and the price and quality of the aid.

Where to purchase walking aids from is the next point to consider. Well, the good news is that you need not go around visiting shop after shop checking out different products. With so many online stores now, all you need to do is a little browsing and collect all the necessary information regarding the product that you are planning to buy. Within a few days, the item that you chose would reach your home, thus making the user happy and easing your efforts.

*** 1. Knees that angle in toward each other, with the feet facing straight forward; this is called tibial torsion. You can also see this clearly if you sit on a table and let the calves and feet dangle over the edge. Here your knees are straight in front of your thighs, and the lower part of the leg turns out.

Compensation for this is understanding and using your turnout from the hips, as best you can, and never allowing pronation, or "rolling ankles". It is easy for legs like this to get a good turnout in the foot positions, but it should be worked to get the leg as close as possible to postural plumb line.

***2. Knock knees is when the knees face forward when the feet are parallel, but the inside of the knees touch and the feet are apart on the floor, a little turned out, and slightly pronated (rolled in).

***3. Bowed legs. This where the knees turn in slightly and the outside of the calves bow outwards. The feet can rest comfortably close together. The feet may also pronate slightly, yet will come to a correct position, flat on the floor, when the turnout is held well in the hips and thighs. This may straighten out the whole leg in some cases.

***4. Hyper-extended legs, where the knees go beyond straight and the calves sway backwards. This will pull the body weight back onto the heels, and the thighs will turn in as a result (which can lead to tears around the knee). The correction of stacking the ankle, knee and hips above each other along the plumb line, strengthens the legs. It also corrects the weight on the whole foot, and keeps the body weight forward enough. Uncorrected, this will lead to other complexities of technical inaccuracies, especially in doing ballet on pointe, if they do not show up before that.

The knees are wonderfully engineered joints. The details are described well elsewhere. Suffice it to say they are held in place by muscles, ligaments and tendons, and when healthy, all the moving parts glide and move well. The knees bend and straighten a zillion times for dancers and sports enthusiasts, without mishap, if used correctly..

Turnout enables easy pivoting to change direction without straining the knees. Many athletes now study basic ballet and turnout to prevent knee injuries.

A sharp pain in the knee, a pop, any clicking or feeling of impeded movement around or under the knee warrants an immediate pause. Any dance teacher or sports coach will want you to get it looked at by a chiropractor or sports medicine practitioner right away.

Tears can occur in the tendons, ligaments and other supportive tissue around the knee. Usually ice and rest will reduce the inflammation and heal theses injuries. Sometimes tissue will tear off and go under the kneecap, and this must be removed.

Normal growth in kids and teens can cause imbalances in muscle flexibility and strength which can lead to injuries and inflammation from overuse. Regular stretching and relaxing efficiently with the help of a soft rubber ball rolled on tight muscles, can help this temporary condition.

Correct turnout, foot strength in landings, in fact all ballet position placement, helps protect the knee joints. A sprung floor is also essential, rather than dancing over concrete.

If you are a serious ballet student or athlete, take a look at the anatomy of the knee structure. It is brilliant, and you'll see clearly why you are taught the way you are, to prevent knee injuries in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, or on the fields and courts.