I have a pain in the back of my leg. It is right behind the knee and hurts when my leg swings out after coming through. It doesnt feel any different to the touch and does not hurt when I touch it. Anyone have anything like this before?
I have a pain in the back of my leg. It is right behind the knee and hurts when my leg swings out after coming through. It doesnt feel any different to the touch and does not hurt when I touch it. Anyone have anything like this before?
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Any blunt trauma to the area?
ive had trouble with the same thing for the last four months. it is towards the inside of my knee in the back. i used pre-wrap to keep it from popping until my season was over. i took a week off and it was worse than ever, so i had an MRI. it showed that i had fluid around a tendon and the doc said i couldnt hurt it any worse, so he gave me some anti inflamitory pills. they messed up my stomach, but after a month of running on it and taking the pills im good to go and dont even have to use the pre-wrap anymore. i just ice it a few times a day just to make sure im good.
I've had something similar since the beginning of December. Its almost like a clicking, two things rubbing past each other, after my push off. It doesn't hurt necessarily but it is really uncomfortable and disconcerting. I'm banking on it going away on its own which may or may not be the best option.
I had problems with my popliteal many moons ago back in high school. I read the following article and did the mentioned exercise a couple of times. I was cured within a few days (~after enduring pain for 3 months!). Worth a try-- I sat on a table and used a theraband wrapped around the foot and knee.
Behind Problem Knees: The Popliteus Muscle
By James P. Kotorac, D.C.
The popliteus is a small muscle that runs behind the knee. Due to its small size compared to the hamstrings above and the calf below, it is often overlooked in knee and lower leg injuries. It also isn't a very strong muscle, which adds to its relative obscurity. It is, however, of paramount importance to athletes. The popliteus has three basic motions. It helps to flex the knee, in fact, it begins the motion of knee flexion, actually unlocking the knee from full extension. In relation to this motion, a tightness or shortening of the popliteus inhibits full extension of the knee, leaving the knee unable to fully straighten.
Another motion is laterally rotating the upper leg on the lower leg when the foot is planted. For a runner, this becomes critical as a balanced gait is only achieved when this muscle is functioning properly. The final motion is medially rotating the lower leg under the upper leg. In running this would occur when the foot of that leg is in the air, powering toward the next foot strike. Shortness of this muscle would lead to an improper foot plant and excess pronation.
Injury occurs in two ways:
Any acute sprain/strain to the knee will involve the popliteus muscle.
Chronic overuse/ imbalance stress will also injure the muscle.
When the lateral hamstrings are stronger than the medial hamstrings, the popliteus muscle will weaken. Overpronation or running in worn shoes will cause excessive lower leg rotation and overstress the popliteus. A common practice among runners is hanging out or walking around in old running shoes. While you may be running in a good neutral position, the rest of the day you can be adding stress to the popliteus and the rest of your body as well.
The most effective treatment to an injured popliteus is manually applied trigger point therapy and ultrasound. While many muscles respond well to self-applied rubbing or kneading, the popliteus muscle should be approached with care. It overlies the popliteal fossa which is loaded with sensitive blood vessels and nerves where damage via too much pressure is possible.
The popliteus muscle is slightly stretched when the hamstrings are stretched. To strengthen the muscle, sit on a high chair with your legs dangling off the ground. Using elastic tubing anchored at one end, wrap the other end around the inside of your foot and rotate your foot and lower leg inward. Use low resistance and high repetition, remembering that this is not a powerful muscle.
Examination and, if necessary, treatment, therapy and strengthening of the popliteus should occur after any knee or ankle injury, lower leg break, or after any knee surgery. Here the popliteus' lack of strength is an advantage. Treatment restores this muscle to normal in a relatively short time compared to other larger and stronger ones. But don’t let its size and strength fool you. A popliteus problem can cause severe enough knee pain
that running can become impossible.
I get a very pronounced stiffness in the back of the knee, not so much a pain. Most noticeable after sitting for a proonged period of time, such as working at my desk or driving a car (without cruise control) Llessens considerably with mild stretching and short (a day or two) rest. Sounds similar, any other advice?
prolonged period of time
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Sounds exactly like what I have. Hurts behind my knee with every step as my knee comes up and the lower leg swings forward. Or it hurts when I've been sitting at my computer chair with my lower leg tucked under the chair. Other than that - no pain, even if I poke at it.
I tried the exercises jaguar suggested but to no avail. Physical therapist was useless.
Any other suggestions?
Did you ever solve this problem? I seem to have very similar symptoms.
As do I... For myself the pain started only a week ago and increased to a point where I can't run. Any answers?
Similar issue for me. I have found that wearing my Nikes only makes it worse.
I had an MRI, and the doctor told me I had a torn meniscus and referred me to an orthopedist.
Orthopedist looked at the MRI and said nothing was torn and that he really could see no real damage to my knee.
I started running again, this time wearing my xc flats (Brooks Mach XI) and feel much better. It's gotten better each day, in fact.
Answere is simple. Chiropracter. I'm suprised no one has mentioned this. This pain is caused since your hips are out of place which is very common among runners. This causes your pelvis to shift and you are over compensating with one leg without knowing it causing the hamstring muscle to tighten and cause the pain behind your knee. $50 says this solves 75% of pain behind the knee. Ask the chiropracter then for strengthening exercises to prevent it from happening. More than likely it will go out again in the next 6 months though but a single trip to the chiropracter has you going again.
Pain is referred from the front of your knee. If it hurts with prolonged sitting, it has nothing to do with strength or alignment. Simple retinacular tightness that will respond to stretching. This stretch will eliminate the pain. You should not have pain when stretching. Lie on your unaffected side; grab the ankle of your affected leg and bend your leg backwards, extending the hip and flexing the knee; your knee should be slightly behind your hip; place your unaffected foot on top/side of your involved knee and gently press down with your unaffected foot. First portion of the stretch gets the hip flexor and quadriceps, pressing down gets the ITB. Both quad and ITB attach to the front of the knee via the retinaculum. Tightness of the retinaculum puts pressure on the fat pads at the front of the knee which are very sensitive. Easy fix because most runners are very tight. Can cover in more depth if necessary. Good luck
Mine was eventually cured with orange superfeet inserts.
I went to the sports medicine guy and he very quickly diagnosed it as runners knee. He seemed a little too eager to diagnose it that way though, I think his only questions were "where does it hurt" and "how much do you run". As soon as I told him my mileage, 50-60 mpw, he thought it was runners knee. He directed me to a PT for strengthening and stretching and recommending orange superfeet inserts.
I was pretty skeptical since his diagnosis came so quickly and my symptoms didn't really match everything I'd read about runners knee. Went to the PT. Did the exercises and stretching for weeks. No progress.
Finally I was getting desperate and bought the $40 inserts. They worked like magic, within days the pain was less when I ran. It was completely gone within weeks.
I'm still not sure if this guy was brilliant or lucked into the diagnosis. Even though runners knee is supposed to be felt at the front of the knee, he called it "referred pain".
If you are having tightness after sitting, that will be caused by the psoas muscles. Here is a stretch for that.
http://www.julstro.com/what_happens_exactly.html
(bottom of the page)
Other tightness in the back of the knee can be caused by an overused glute muscle. A little massage and rest should take care of that.
I have been having knee pain for the last 5 months. A couple easy days and it goes away. Comes right back after a hard day though. I am hoping it eventually goes away. I had the same kind of inflammation in my ankles for about a year and it eventually went away. As long as it gets better as soon as I go easy, I know there isn't anything structurally wrong.
Everyone is making it too complicated. I've had the exact pain 4-5 times.
Both the hamstring and calves/Soleous are tight and pulling at the attachments. Get a massage and try some gentle stretching and maybe ice the calves and hamstrings (you won't be able to ice the back of your knee) for a few days.
Problem solved.
knee pain expert wrote:
Everyone is making it too complicated. I've had the exact pain 4-5 times.
Both the hamstring and calves/Soleous are tight and pulling at the attachments. Get a massage and try some gentle stretching and maybe ice the calves and hamstrings (you won't be able to ice the back of your knee) for a few days.
Problem solved.
Most hamsstring and calf problems are referred from the hips (pelvis).
I love these posts b/c a couple things always happen 1. some chiropractor jumps on here talking about leg length discrepancy and how you should go get adjusted every week 2. 50 other guys tell you what they did when they had the "exact same issue" 3. A few are bold enough to make a "definitive diagnosis" although they've never seen you, seen you run, or examined you (and if they did, they wouldn't know what to look for)
Bottom line: go to the freakin' doctor and let him examine you. Chances are in 4 years of medical school, 5 years of residency and likely a sports medicine fellowship, he'll know what the hell he's talking about and prescribe something that will work...IF you're willing to take his advice, cause after all, runners are sooo smart.