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Black full-body release system
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Your routine

Knee, foot
& leg pain routine

Designed by Christine Annie, MPT with 25 years as a physical therapist. This is the sequence I'd start you on if you walked into my clinic.

The order matters. Most knee and foot pain starts higher up in the hips. Releasing the tension driving the misalignment is what makes everything below it change.

Steps 8
Time 22 min
Tools Hip Hook™ · Orbit® · Range® · Lacrosse ball
Level First-timer
Christine Annie, MPT in clinical setting — knee, foot and leg focus
Hips first · then below the knee
The sequence

Release./Stretch./Strengthen.

01Release first

Sustained pressure releases muscle tension that stretching can't touch.

02Then stretch

Stretching works far better and feels different after tension is released.

03Then strengthen

Strengthening locks in the results. Tight muscles are weak muscles — release first.

Release. Realign. Reactivate. In that order.
The routine

Eight steps,
in this exact order.

Follow sequentially. Each step sets up the one after it. The lower-body chain starts at the hips. That's where the fix has to start. Complete both sides before moving on.

01
Step 01 / Release

Release your psoas (warm up)

Requires: Orbit 90 seconds per side

The psoas is your iliacus's neighbor: one of two hip flexors that, when tight, compress your spine and affect your entire lower body alignment, including your knees and feet. Releasing it first warms up the area and makes the deeper iliacus release more effective. The Orbit, softer and wider than the Hip Hook, is the right tool for this step.

How to do it
  1. Lie on the ground with the Orbit positioned inside of the pelvic bone.
  2. Change the intensity of pressure by adjusting your body position.
  3. Maintain consistent pressure for 90 seconds.
  4. Remember to relax and take slow, controlled breaths.
02
Step 02 / Release

Release your iliacus

Requires: Hip Hook 90 seconds per side

This is the root cause most people with knee and foot pain have never addressed. The iliacus lives deep inside your pelvis. When it holds chronic tension, it rotates your pelvis, shifts your hip alignment, and changes how force travels through your entire leg, all the way to your knee and foot. Sustained, precise pressure is the only thing that releases it. The Hip Hook was designed specifically for this.

How to do it
  1. Lie on the ground with the Hip Hook positioned inside of the pelvic bone.
  2. Let the tip sink into your muscles for a moment; then press on the handle to rotate the tip towards the inside of your pelvic bone. Continue to hold the handle.
  3. Maintain consistent pressure for 90 seconds.
  4. Remember to relax and take slow, controlled breaths.
03
Step 03 / Release

Release your piriformis

Requires: Orbit 90 seconds per side

The piriformis is the deep hip rotator that controls the rotation of your entire leg. When it's tight, it changes how your knee tracks and how your foot strikes the ground. It's tight because the iliacus is pulling your pelvis out of alignment. Release the iliacus first (Step 2), then release the piriformis. The order is essential.

How to do it
  1. Lie on your back with the Orbit positioned underneath your glute.
  2. Change the intensity of pressure by adjusting your body position.
  3. Maintain consistent pressure for 90 seconds.
  4. Remember to relax and take slow, controlled breaths.
04
Step 04 / Release

Release your arch

Recommended: Range Or: Lacrosse ball 90 seconds per side

Your plantar fascia has been compensating for the misalignment above. Rolling the arch releases the fascia that's been working overtime, but this step only holds if the hip tension driving the misalignment has been addressed first (Steps 1–3). Without those steps, arch release is temporary. With them, it's lasting. The Range gives you the right density and grip for the arch; a lacrosse ball works too if that's what you have on hand.

How to do it
  1. While seated, place your foot over the Range (or a ball) on the ground.
  2. Lean more weight over your foot to deliver a comfortable level of pressure.
  3. Maintain consistent pressure for 90 seconds.
  4. Remember to relax and take slow, controlled breaths.
05
Step 05 / Release

Release your TFL

Lacrosse ball 90 seconds per side

The IT band is fascia, not muscle. You can't release fascia by rubbing it. The TFL (tensor fasciae latae) is the muscle creating the tension. When tight, it pulls on the outside of your knee. Work the TFL, not the IT band. This is one of the most common mistakes in knee pain treatment.

How to do it
  1. Lying on your side, position the ball underneath the outside of your hip.
  2. Lean more weight over the ball to deliver a comfortable level of pressure.
  3. Maintain consistent pressure for 90 seconds.
  4. Remember to relax and take slow, controlled breaths.
06
Step 06 / Stretch

Stretch your piriformis

No tools needed 60 seconds each side

Now that you've released the tension, stretching actually works. You'll notice this stretch feels different after the release: deeper and less guarded. Stretching a tense muscle before releasing it gives you temporary range of motion. Stretching after release gives you lasting change.

How to do it
  1. Lie on your back.
  2. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee.
  3. Gently pull the uncrossed leg toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the back of the crossed hip.
  4. Hold 60 seconds. Switch sides.
07
Step 07 / Stretch

Stretch your calf

No tools needed 60 seconds each side

Tight calves increase load on the plantar fascia and change how your ankle and knee move. After releasing the arch (Step 4), stretching the calf reinforces the change. The release made the stretch possible. The stretch makes it stick.

How to do it
  1. Stand facing a wall.
  2. Step one foot back, keep the heel flat on the floor.
  3. Lean forward gently until you feel a stretch in the back of the lower leg.
  4. Hold 60 seconds. Switch sides.
08
Step 08 / Strengthen

Bridges

No tools needed 2 sets of 10

This reactivates the glute muscles that chronic hip tension has been shutting down. A tight iliacus weakens your glute through reciprocal inhibition, and weak glutes shift load to your knees. After releasing your iliacus, your glutes can actually fire properly. This is what makes the change in your knee permanent.

How to do it
  1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
  2. Press through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
  3. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
  4. Lower slowly. Repeat.
Safety notes

Before you begin.

Muscle release is a clinical practice. A few principles keep it effective and safe.

Start gentle

More pressure is not more effective. Start light and build over time. You control the depth.

What's normal

Tenderness, pressure, warmth, twitching, or a "hurts so good" feeling are all normal with muscle release.

Stop if

You feel numbness, tingling, burning, or throbbing. Move the tool to a different spot. These sensations can mean you're near a nerve or blood vessel.

About the lacrosse ball

Steps 4 and 5 use a standard lacrosse ball, available at most sporting goods stores. It is not an Aletha product.

Consult your provider

If you have a medical condition or recent surgery, consult your healthcare provider before using these tools. See full safety information →

Tools

Tools used in this routine.

Three Aletha tools cover the hip and foot releases. The remaining steps use a standard lacrosse ball you can pick up at any sporting goods store.

Hip Hook release tool for the iliacus
Used in Step 02

Hip Hook

Designed to release the iliacus, a deep hip flexor most tools can't reach.

Learn more
Orbit softer, wider release tool for psoas and piriformis
Used in Steps 01 & 03

Orbit

Softer and wider. A gentle entry point for psoas and piriformis release.

Learn more
Range foot and arch release tool
Used in Step 04

Range

The right density and grip for releasing the arch and plantar fascia.

Learn more
Not an Aletha product

Lacrosse ball. Steps 4 and 5 use a standard lacrosse ball, available at most sporting goods stores. Any firm, dense ball approximately 2.5 inches in diameter works.

The Hip Hook comes with the Orbit. One purchase covers both tools in this routine. Every purchase also includes the companion app with guided video placement.

Companion app

Never done this before?

The companion app walks you through exact placement for every step, with video, timing guidance, and routines built for your pattern.

Download on the App Store
Aletha companion app on iPhone showing release timer

Have questions about this routine or these tools?

Our team of PTs and movement specialists can help. Email us → hello@alethahealth.com