What is that muscle?

L

lorihart

Cathlete
Hi Cathe,
I was wondering if you could help me with this one,I am sure you can.
What is the muscle that is located right behind my knee cap? Sometimes after I finish an aerobic activity this muscle can get VERY tight and it is VERY uncomfortable.
Example: I just finished IMAX 2(which I love:) and I went right into pyramid upper body.While I was lying on the bench and doing chest work I couldn't feel it but when I got up and started walking around,I could feel the muscle being pulled.I did everything I could do to strecth it out.It resulted in a "OUCH" and me lying on the floor with my foot flexed completely out:p .In addition to this,it only happens to my left leg.
Meanwhile back in Loriville, she didn't know that there was even a muscle back there until it unkindly let her knowx( .She didn't know it was back there b/c cathe never works anything behind her knees..lol.
Anyhoo, could you tell me, what causes this and how I can prevent it from happening any time soon.I think it is gone now.I must go finish my upper body work.
Thanks for all your hard work,
lori
 
I'm not an expert and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there is a muscle behind your knee. What's back there are ligaments. Ya wanna be careful with ligaments. They don't stretch like muscles do and they have a tendency to tear.

I have problems with them when my muscles are too tight and I do high impact. You want to be careful when stretching that you do it gently, because too forceful stretch can just tighten things further.

Good Luck!
Andy
 
I was watching figure skating last week, and I heard the commentators say that the girl who won Olympic Gold (Sara Hughes) was recovering from an injury. They specifically said it was the muscle behind her knee. When I first heard this, I thought it sounded a little odd, because I didn't think there was a muscle back there, but now I think mayber there is a muscle back there. I'm just not sure what it's called.

Lisa
 
There is a thin, triangular muscle called the "popliteus" behind the knee. Also behind the knee is the top of the gastrocnemius, or upper calf muscle.
 
I'm bumping this because I'm having a weird pain in that same area since yesterday after I did PLB.
I'm thinking maybe from the stiff leg dead lifts. I don't put much of a bend in my knees on deadlifts, and I'm wondering if I pulled something back there? It's an odd feeling. Not an actual "ouch" type, but more of a nagging little "what the heck did I do?" type of pain.
I never experienced this before, but then again, I've NEVER done those many deadlifts with 30-35-40#'s before.

Donna
 
Thanks for bumping this Donna. My legs didn't hurt from the dead lifts but my lower back is sure feeling it today....Then I did Boot Camp today and my legs were really tired.Actually, yesterday I did Imax 2 and then PLB.It was a good workout.PUB kicked my ass though!
By the way, my husband was saying that behind your knee is some sort of "tendends"?And you have to be really careful with streching it b/c something could actually tear.Meanwhile, when I was having this tightness I was stretching more then I have ever streched before.I would really like to know what Cathe has to say about this.Not that I don't beleive my husband but sometimes he makes up stuff...or gets things confused;)
Thanks
Lori (don't tell him I said that:p )
 
Hi Lori,

I'm wondering if it could be our muscles/tendons/etc. all got tighter from the high intensity and impact of the series on the whole? I usually have more mixed impact, but doing the IS only the past 4-5 weeks, it's been all high impact, and I have to admit, I wasn't doing my normal amount of stretching because I took my rest day completely off instead of an active rest day with a 1hr stretch.
It feels better today, so ? But I'd still like to know what's back there and what I might have done to it. I'm getting too old to replace parts! :)

Donna
 
Hi Lori! There is actually a little muscle that runs behind the knee called the popliteus muscle. Due to its small size compared to the hamstrings above and the calf below, it is not mentioned much. One of its functions is that 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 keeps the knee from being able to fully extend or straighten.

Now this is not to say that this is what you have but since you asked about a muscle behind the knee I thought I would share this info with you. If a few days off of the I.C.E treatment along with a couple of advil a few times a day does not free you of this pain, I would suggest having it looked at. Also, you may be want to spend a little extra time warming up and stretching after your cool downs.

Good Luck~
 
Thanks Cathe for taking the time out to answer that:)

Donna,
I think my pain maybe different then yours.Mine is more of a tightness behind the knee but the day that I post this question is was a lot worse.Mine doesn't stay either.It last only for about 5 min.It usually starts after I finish a workout and then it leaves shortly after.
Yesterday I did the same workout again.I did Imax 2 and then PUB.When I was doing my chest excercises it didn't act up, but when I was bent over doing dumbell rows I could feel the muscle tighting in my leg.But this time it only last for a few seconds.
I should probably spend some more time stretching.A friend of mine as the Winsor Pilates tapes and she is not using them right now.I am going to get a loan of the beginner video and then go from there:)
Lori
 
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