Knee and back of knee muscle pain

[kbm8795]

Knee and back of knee muscle pain

I've been noticing more strain recently when I've been using the standing Nautilus hamstring curl machine - on my right leg, there seems to be a small ball of muscle that tightens behind my knee and feels painful during the movement. I don't seem to have this pain when using other ham machines or exercises.

I asked the doctor in sports medicine about the situation, and he told me there were small muscles in back of the knee that may have been affected ten years ago when I tore my right calve playing volleyball.

I never knew much about those smaller muscles there - I train my calves equally and even the torn one develops well even if it doesn't look the same as the left one. Is there anything I can do to strengthen or handle these small muscles in back of my knee?

This also happens to be the same leg that I've had problems with the front of the knee which required some therapy and strengthening. . .I still have occasional pain with those front muscles. Could this be related to the back of the knee issue too?

 

[BabsieGirl]

What did your sports med doctor instruct you to do?

To answer your question, it could very well be.

Or,

Your tendons are tight back there and you need to stretch them properly to prevent further damage.

 

[kbm8795]

Well, it's interesting....he merely hypothesized that the back of the knee problem could be caused by that former injury - meaning I could have hurt those small muscles ten years ago and they ball up now when I perform certain exercises, like that standing ham curl. It wasn't until after I left that I started wondering if this was related to the frontal knee pain at all...which makes me think I should have it checked by the health center.

His only treatment recommendation was to ice it and watch the weight level - but then that presents a problem of using low weights on one side and higher ones on the other. I'm still taking things like glucosamine - I'd just like to find out if those small muscles are/were torn or if I could strengthen them naturally or seek treatment in the same manner as the rotater injury I had.

 

[BabsieGirl]

I would ask for a CT scan of your knee.

 

[Deeznuts]

I've got the same problem in BOTH knees. It sucks even worse, because i'm a powerlifter and my knees have to put up with extreme weight in the deadlift and squat. I usually just try and work through it, but i'm sure this isn't the right thing to do. I'll probably have a doc check it out after this season is over.

 

[BabsieGirl]

I to have the same problem and was informed to "ice" before and after. Also, stretching helps.

IMO, you should have it checked out sooner if it's bugging you.

Good luck
Babs

 

[bandaidwoman]

Besides the above...... are you sure it's not a popliteal cyst? In which case, knee problems in front or anteriorly such as menisceal tears and prior knee injuries , can make it worse.

http://www.knee1.com/care/condition20.cfm/56


The main muscles that dive into that area behind the knee (popliteal) are the medial and lateral head of the gastrocnemius, the plantaris and popliteus muscle. If you tore them years ago, some scar tissue may have built up and these areas are now prone to recurrent abnormal contractile forces and more wayward spasms and swelling.

Here is a picture (except its missing the politeus) http://www.physioroom.com/injuries/leg/calf_strain_full.shtml

 

[kbm8795]

Thanks Babs - I think I should schedule a visit to my health center - I'm going to talk to the sports medicine doctor again tomorrow about this. . .maybe I'll get some useful information to pass along.

Bandaidwoman - Thanks for those links! I read over them, and a cyst could be a possibility - I don't get swelling or anything but definitely notice the tenderness in back when using that machine. Ironically, the front of my knee was painful this afternoon during an aerobics class.

After reading about the three degrees of muscle tears in the calve area, I feel pretty stupified. You know, when I tore mine ten years ago, I was at the University of South Carolina. I remember that it happened late on a Sunday afternoon, and the pain was excruciating...and yet, being a moron, I kept playing. I couldn't go to the health center (it wasn't open) and I just thought I had pulled it a little - by the next morning it was swollen and I couldn't walk. I literally hopped on one foot from the apartment to the car, painfully drove to the closest parking spot to the health center and hopped on one foot past three buildings before a nurse saw me coming up the walk and rushed out a wheelchair. The weird thing is that I don't remember getting any kind of real diagnosis - they took xrays, handed me crutches and was told to stay off it for a couple of weeks. I knew it never looked like the other one again but it's pronounced enough that the entire sports medicine staff came over to examine it.
I felt deformed.....

Deeznuts - are you getting that kind of pain in both front and back doing powerlifting? I'm sure you already have good form, but one thing I learned is to always make sure my knees never go beyond my toes - it puts a strain on them. I always try working through that pain too, but I learned when I hurt my rotater cuff not to push it too much. Besides, I'm an old fart.

 

[Deeznuts]

Originally posted by kbm8795
Deeznuts - are you getting that kind of pain in both front and back doing powerlifting? I'm sure you already have good form, but one thing I learned is to always make sure my knees never go beyond my toes - it puts a strain on them. I always try working through that pain too, but I learned when I hurt my rotater cuff not to push it too much. Besides, I'm an old fart.

If I don't get good form my lifts are scratched Sadly this means going below parallel and this puts a serious strain on my knees. I think my being flat footed has something to do with it though.