About the condition

What is Popliteus Strain?

The popliteus muscle runs behind the knee and along with the popliteus tendon, it connects the muscle to the femur. The role of the popliteus muscle is to help bend and straighten your leg and it withdraws the meniscus to prevent the tissue from becoming impinged in the knee joint.

A popliteus strain is a graded condition. The three grades of a popliteus strain are:

Grade one– damage to less than 5%of the muscle fibres

Grade two– damage of more than 5%of the muscle fibres

Grade three– complete rupture of thepopliteus muscle

Physiotherapy is suitable for all grades of injury.

Causes

What are the causes of Popliteus Strain?

There are several causes for a popliteus strain, but the most common include:

Chronic overuse
Having a muscle strength imbalance in your hamstring muscles
Having an unstable knee due to a torn ligament, torn meniscus or arthritis
Poor biomechanics – a low arch or flat feet
Not warming up sufficiently
Incorrect footwear
A sudden increase in hill-training
Acute sudden trauma to the popliteus muscle or a strain to the knee

Symptoms

What are the symptoms?

Pain over the lateral joint line
Pain at the back of the knee
Pain on weight-bearing and stair-climbing
Incomplete Range of motion
Swelling/inflammation

Treatment

Treatment for Popliteus Strain

Your physiotherapist may also recommend a brace depending on the severity of your condition.

Custom Orthotics
Soft tissue massage/ soft tissue release
Shockwave Therapy
Knee range of motion exercises
Taping
Tailored exercise program
TECAR Therapy

Self care

What can I do at home?

Rest
Avoid activities that exacerbate the issue
Ice for 10-15 min, every 3-4 hours
Gentle stretching, as approved by your physiotherapist

Popliteus Strain Treatment in Sinnamon Park

What is Popliteus Strain?

What are the causes of Popliteus Strain?

What are the symptoms?

Treatment for Popliteus Strain

What can I do at home?

Treating Popliteus Strain in Sinnamon Park

Get it assessed properly