The knee cap (patella) and the thigh bone (femur) form the patellofemoral joint. Seldom do individuals make it through life without experiencing patellofemoral pain making it one of the most common lower extremity issues seen by clinicians.
When there is patellofemoral pain there is usually a loss of muscular strength of the vastus medialis oblique (VMO) a quadricep muscle above the knee on the front of the thigh. If muscle strength is lost exercises like straight-leg raises, quad sets and short-arc leg extensions are often recommended.
Current research in the 2016 Manual Therapy Journal, "The outcome of hip exercise in patellofemoral pain: A systematic review." , indicates that the addition of hip strengthening exercises and in some cases hip exercise alone can have a positive effect on reducing knee pain.
The Pendulum Hip Press was designed to specifically target the hip region, as well as, improve flexibility in the low position.
If you top load the Pendulum Squat Pro the athlete strengthens their hips in the low position. If you do this movement with the knees always over the heel, keeping the shin perpendicular to the floor, their is less stress on the patellofemoral joint.
The Pendulum Reverse Glute/Ham can be used to directly target the hips.
Three great machines to Get the hips Strong.