Question

What does popliteal pain feel like?

Answer 1

Popliteal pain feels like an aching, sharp or tight sensation which often gets worse when walking downhill, running or when straightening your leg completely.

The popliteal pain is also frequently accompanied by stiffness, swelling, tenderness and a full feeling behind your knee joint.

The location of the popliteal pain is the posterior or back and posterolateral or outer back part of your knee joint.

With popliteal pain you often also feel a Charlie horse spasm feeling, sharp pain with movement, or a dull ache.

And the popliteal pain can increase when going down stairs or climbing stairs or walking, or running downhill.

Swelling, warmth and tenderness to the touch as well as a crackling sound, upon movement, knee locking and a sensation that your knee will give out are also signs of issues with the popliteal and can be accompanied with popliteal pain.

Common causes of popliteal pain are popliteal artery entrapment syndrome, Baker's Cyst also known as a popliteal cyst and popliteus tendinopathy/strain.

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome causes pain, numbness or tingling in your calf.

A Baker's Cyst also known as a popliteal cyst is a fluid filled bulge, that is often caused by underlying arthritis or knee injuries and causes a tight, swollen sensation.

And popliteus tendinopathy/strain is often caused by downhill running or overexertion.

When you have a strained popliteus muscle it often takes between 3 weeks to 16 weeks to heal.

Many people with a strained popliteus muscle notice significant improvements in symptoms within 10 days to 14 days, but full recovery and a safe return to unrestricted physical activity often requires a longer period of rehabilitation.

Recovery timeframes for a strained popliteus muscle also vary based on the injury severity and athletes might take an average of around 10 weeks to return to their sports activities after a strained popliteus muscle.

The popliteus tendon can also be repaired surgically, which often involves the reattachment to the femur using suture anchors, screws or staples.

Although surgery for popliteus repair is often reserved for severe cases of popliteus problems like avulsion fractures or any injuries that are associated with other ligament damage.

Most popliteus injuries that are isolated are managed successfully through conservative, non surgical treatments like rest, the use of anti-inflammatory medication as well as physical therapy and targeted strengthening exercises.

Recovery from injured popliteus tendons and popliteus tendon surgery is often 3 to 16 weeks for full recovery depending on your overall health and the severity of the injury.

Surgery is often performed for mainly avulsed osteochondral fragments from the femoral attachment or when the popliteus injury is also a part of a complex multi-ligament knee injury.

To fix the popliteus surgically, surgeons may use an open or arthroscopic approach to reattach the popliteus tendon or perform a reconstruction if the tissue quality is insufficient.

Conservative management and treatment for popliteus injuries include rest and activity modification, physiotherapy and adjunctive therapies.

Adjunctive therapies for popliteus issues and popliteus injuries include ice, NSAID medications, and sometimes the use of shockwave therapy, which can be used to manage the pain and stimulate healing.

Physiotherapy for fixing issues with the popliteus tendon and popliteus injuries is also essential for restoring function.

Physiotherapy involves strengthening your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, stretching and specific exercises like tibial rotation and eccentric loading.

Rest and activity modification involves avoiding high impact activities which aggravate your knee.

If you experience any mechanical symptoms in your knee or pain, you should consult with an orthopedic specialist to determine if the injury requires any intervention or if rehabilitation is sufficient.