Copyright Wright Balance® 2025

When standing, walking, running or stumbling, to stay in balance, it is ideal for the left and right knees to be centered over each foot. That is not the case with 98 plus percent of the population. When the knees are not set directly over the center of each foot while standing, walking or running the knee on one side, and on occasion both sides, moves laterally in or out. When the knee moves in toward the midline it is referred to as "pronation". When the knee moves out away from the midline it is referred to as supination. The pronation / supination of the knee, may result in any number of symptoms including the following:

  • Foot, ankle and knee instability
  • Pain in the ankle or knee
  • Pain in the arch or other areas of the foot
  • Swelling of the knee joint (inflammation)
  • Stress fractures

In athletes, knee instability can result in injuries necessitating surgery. Creating knee stability is not difficult when doing the Wright Balance® Express and the Oblique Slings Exercises. However, keep in mind that your student has had a lifetime of this knee configuration and you will ideally follow with exercises that strengthen the muscles around their knee joints after the knees are set over the center of each foot.

Knee Pronation or Supination is easily corrected via the Wright Balance® Express exercise in 8 isometric positions while holding a circular object with the hands touching. This exercise takes 120 seconds. That 120 seconds includes a brief Rotational Plane and External and Internal Oblique muscle slings corrections following and the Wright Balance Express. When done correctly, the knee pronation / supination is corrected in all static positions and dynamic movements. This 120 second correction will last for 12 to 24 hours.

Note: Preliminary results show that when the Wright Balance® Express and the Internal & External Oblique exercises are accompanied by a Longitudinal Sling exercise (including a Multifidus release program) that the exercises last beyond the 24 hour period.

The Multifidus is part of the Longitudinal Sling. The Multifidus muscle group is shown in this illustration.

The Multifidus makes up ONLY part of the Longitudinal Sling. The Longitudinal Sling includes muscles that extend up into the skull and through the lower extremities.

The following illustration is the configuration of the body prior to the Wright Balance® Express and Oblique Sling Exercises. As you will learn the Multifidus release exercise extends into the glutes lower skull.

If you add knee flex and, without turning your hips or shoulders, lean your head to your right so your eyes are over your right foot and note the position your right knee relative to the center of your right foot.

Then, again without turning your hips or shoulders, lean to your head to the left so your eyes are over your left foot and note the orientation of your left knee relative to the middle of your right foot.

The following video demonstrates how to check for knee pronation or supination.

You will note that either your left or right knee rotates in or out relative to the center of your foot. If your knee rotates in toward your body center (midline) that is referred to as knee pronation. If your knee rotates away from your body, it is referred to as supination. The pronation or supination is generally on the same side of your body as the raised hip and lower shoulder.

Following the 120 second Wright Balance® Express, knee pronation or supination is corrected in a static posture and the shoulders and hips level as shown in the illustration below.

I would encourage you to discuss the importance of the correction of knee pronation and the impact on balance while standing, walking, running and/or exercise with your student. Movement in general and a sudden move in particular while running, walking or lifting will place unnecessary stress on the supinated or pronated knee causing a strain, sprain or tear. You might note a "listing" to one side, a limp or other gait issues as a result of this knee pathology, especially in the elderly.

The Wright Balance® Express & Rotational & Oblique Corrections

It is imperative that your student tapes the entire fingertip area around a fingernail of one finger on each hand. If it is an older adult or athlete, I would suggest taping the toenail of one toe on each foot with medical tape. Taping the toes will last for a number of days and is easily replaced when it does come off during bathing. Keeping the tape in place insures that the the application of force during any movement is equally applied through the Core Zone that has been recruited.

Rotational Plane Correction

NOTE:It is IMPERATIVE that you use the 8 inch Stance Width Range in the Zone where you did the Wright Balance® Express. When you face the wall. For example:

  1. If you have done the Wright Balance® Express in an Upper Core Stance Width, the width of your feet must be between 8 and 16 inches during that correction.
  2. If you have done the Wright Balance® Express in a Middle Core Stance Width, the width of your feet must be between 16 and 24 inches during that correction.
  3. If you have done the Wright Balance® Express in an Lower Core Stance Width, the width of your feet must be between 20 and 28 inches during that correction.

I have done the Wright Balance Express in a Middle Core Stance Width (16 to 24 inch Stance Width) in this photo.

You will note that if you are wider than the 8 inch range or narrower than your 8 inch range for you Core Zone, you will see no rotation of your hips. When you step within your 8 inch range you will note that your hips are rotated as you apply force on the wall with either your right or left hand or both. Hold that pressure or do 1 arm push-ups until your hips square.

REMEMBER: The Rotational Plane Exercises are done with and without knee flex. No knee flex corrects the back and knee flex corrects the front as you will learn in the videos below.

Sagittal Plane (Internal & External Obliques Correction)

Again, it is IMPERATIVE that you use the 8 inch Stance Width Range in the Zone where you did the Wright Balance® Express. When you do the Internal and External Obliques correction. The distance you are from the wall when you do the Obliques correction should be a comfortable distance. However, as you start the exercise correction, the width of your feet is important to see rotation of your hips.

For Example:

  1. If you have done the Wright Balance® Express in an Upper Core Stance Width, the width of your feet must be between 8 and 16 inches during that correction and at a comfortable distance from the wall.
  2. If you have done the Wright Balance® Express in a Middle Core Stance Width, the width of your feet must be between 16 and 24 inches during that correction and at a comfortable distance from the wall.
  3. If you have done the Wright Balance® Express in an Lower Core Stance Width, the width of your feet must be between 20 and 28 inches during that correction and at a comfortable distance from the wall.

Here is an image of how to do the correction of the Internal Obliques. This is done on both the left and right side and with and without knee flex as you will see in the video. Be sure to double check the width of your feet before raising one foot. The width of your feet must match the 8 inch range of the Core Zone you are Correcting.

This image shows a correction of the External Obliques. This is also done on both the left and right side and with and without knee flex at the starting 8 inch stance width of the Core Zone you are correcting.

The following video shows a demonstration of the Wright Balance® Express from the side. Please be sure to guide your student through the Wright Balance® Express and provide them with a video of THEM doing the exercise. If they have any spine tilt, unless it is part of the exercise, that incorrect position will impact the results of the Wright Balance® Express. I will follow with videos on Rotational Plane and Internal & Oblique exercise corrections.

The following 1 minute video shows the impact of the Wright Balance® Oblique Sling exercises and the elimination of knee pronation in both forward and backward motion.

The following 28 minute video is a detailed summary of how the Wright Balance® Express paired with the Oblique Sling exercises corrected the knee pronation / supination.