JANMI Journal — Premium Reset (75 min): The Knee That Wasn’t “Just a Knee”

Dear reader,

A client comes in with a familiar modern puzzle:

• Left knee: lateral-side ache/irritation for a few weeks, kneecap feels unstable, mild valgus pattern.

• Posterior chain: medial hamstrings very tight (especially that “gripping” sensation behind the knee).

• Whole-body pattern: a right-sided scoliosis bias, right shoulder lower, head forward, upper traps overcontracted, shoulder protracted, scapula mildly winged.

In JANMI Premium, we don’t treat “a symptom on an island.” We treat the logic of the pattern.

1) Why lateral knee pain shows up when the rest of you is twisted

Lateral knee discomfort often appears when the knee is asked to do two jobs:

1. Be a hinge, and

2. Be a steering wheel.

With mild valgus, the femur tends to drift inward and the tibia follows its own opinion. The lateral tissues (often the outer stabilisers and fascial lines around the knee) start behaving like a tired bouncer at 2am: holding, bracing, guarding.

If the kneecap feels unstable, it’s commonly because the system can’t decide where “centre” is — the knee is living in a constant micro-adjustment.

2) The medial hamstrings: the quiet negotiators that became bouncers

Those very tight medial hamstrings matter because they influence:

• tibial rotation control,

• posterior knee tension,

• and “braking” during walking and stairs.

When they’re over-recruited, they can create a sensation of knee “drag” or insecurity — not because they’re evil, but because they’re trying to stabilise a structure that’s being pulled off-axis.

JANMI rationale: release the bracing, then reintroduce clean alignment so the hamstrings can go back to being assistants, not bodyguards.

3) Why the upper body belongs in a knee session

The shoulder, scapula, neck, and ribcage affect the knee through one boring but powerful thing: weight distribution.

A right-sided scoliosis bias + right shoulder dropped + head forward often equals:

• altered rib position,

• altered pelvis strategy,

• altered load through one leg.

So the left knee may be dealing with a subtle “you carry more than your share” contract — signed by the spine.

In other words: the knee complains, but the posture is the author.

4) The 75-minute JANMI Premium structure: what we prioritise and why

A) Assessment (movement + palpation logic, not drama)

• Quick gait/stance check: how the knee tracks and where the body avoids load.

• Scapula and rib position: does the upper body live forward and down?

• Knee tracking: does valgus appear with simple bend/step patterns?

B) Calming phase (nervous system first, force later)

If the upper traps are overcontracted and the scapula is winging, the system is already “on.”

We start by reducing global tone so tissues stop arguing with the hands.

C) Key tissue work (priority order)

1. Medial hamstrings + adductor interface (reduce posterior-medial knee pull and braking overdrive).

2. Lateral knee line (outer stabilisers/fascial tension to reduce irritation and bracing).

3. Hip/pelvis influencers (because knee valgus rarely lives alone).

4. Thorax/shoulder girdle reset (protraction/upper trap dominance often keeps the whole chain in protective mode).

D) Re-integration (small, precise, and repeatable)

Not “exercise homework to change your life.”

Just simple re-patterning: regain a cleaner knee track and a calmer shoulder/neck baseline — so the body can keep the change without white-knuckling it.

5) What I want the reader to notice

This is a classic modern pattern:

the body compensates intelligently… until it gets tired and starts sending invoices.

The left knee is often just the first department brave enough to complain.

Important Disclaimer (keep you protected)

This journal entry is educational and reflective and does not provide medical diagnosis, medical advice, or guarantees of outcomes. Pain and instability can have multiple causes and require appropriate clinical assessment by a qualified healthcare professional when needed. If symptoms are severe, worsening, associated with swelling, locking, giving way, numbness, or traumatic injury, seek medical assessment promptly. Any hands-on work and movement suggestions should be individualised and performed within your own comfort and professional guidance.

Until next time,

Paulius