About 5 weeks ago, I was perfoming Straight-Leg Deadlift, and felt a little tingle in the back of my left knee. I knew something wasn’t right, but there were no lingering effects. Proceeded with normal training with ZERO effects for the next 5 weeks.
So, on to my long distance run on Saturday, a 12 miler. Flat with no hills. About 2/3’s through, I feel a tingle in the left knee (really behind it). So, I continue with no negative effects for the remainder of the run.
I then proceed to be on my feet for the next 3 hours with family. No pain/discomfort…UNTIL…
I get home, take a shower, and lay down. I get up, I can barely move my left leg. Pain comes when: I plant the left leg/heel…and ONLY in this stretch: Standing, put left leg out to side with toes facing UP, I then perform a side bend, keeping body facing foward.
The pain is the inside and behind of the left knee, and when stretched goes a bit down into the calf, but not much. Straight-ahead hamstring stretches do not cause any discomfort whatsoever. Only the side stretch.
Anyone have anything remotely happen to them like this? I am a little concerned that this is more structural, rather than muscular.
Hmmm, I’m no ortho guy but this sounds like a case for taku. Do you think it might be a connective tissue thing? That’s my bet. Connective tissue- probably an attachment point issue. It smacks of a ligament issue, where the ligament attaches to the bone rather than the stronger section in the middle (I think). One thing for sure, if it isn’t better in, like 2 days, go to the doctor… Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation…
I am currently battling something similar. Pain behind the left knee, from the middle to the inside, about 45degree arc of area. Difference for me, it only happens while running. I had to go to the Ortho and he told me it was a hamstring issue (strain, i think). Right where the muscle meets the tendon. result, 6 weeks therapy. I’m working thru it, and getting back to running. For me, the cause was overuse - I did one of those stair-climbs up a skyscraper and kept running that week. Sounds like the dead-lifts (straight-leg you say?) put some good pressure on the ole’ back side. when bending at the waist (with straight legs) your body uses both the back and the hamstrings (and the glutes, if i’m not mistaken) to help you straighten up. I agree with Tom, RICE and try not to run for a couple of days. if it still hurts, see the doc.
OK-- Plantaris tendon rupture? Plantaris is a little muscle that has its origin on the back of the knee, the muscle part of it runs towards the inside behind/below your inside (medial) gastrocnemius head, the plantaris tendon then runs along the gastrocnemius muscle and then adds its tendon to/ becomes part of the achilles tendon.
From the pain you are describing, ie, pain when the achilles tendon is tightened by planting left heel and stretching the inside (is this what youre talking about with your stretch? I cant quite decipher what youre doing there), some strain or even rupture of plantaris may be an option. Since you still have functional ability to normally use your calf/knee etc, I would rule out significant damage to gastrocnemius/soleus or anything from the deep posterior compartment. Plantaris is usually seen as an accessory muscle , as it is absent in apprx 10% of folk, they use it as a source of tendon grafts, and is not the prime flexor…blahblahblah.
I say see a dr. if the pain gets worse, or if you have a good rapport with a dr go see him anyway to rule out anything else, damage to knee ligs. etc. And if the stretch hurts, by gosh, dont do it.