Forums >Health and Nutrition>Calf/knee pain
I have started to get pain at the top of calf/back of knee area. Most of the various aches & pains I get seem to be worst while just walking around, or in the first 1-2 miles, then loosen up while running. This one only crops up after 4-5 miles, and stiffens up progressively.
Thoughts/comments/suggestions?
Dave
Will run for scenery.
Hey Dave,
No great insights here, but are you talking the tendons on either side or that "strap" that kind of goes right up the middle of the back of the knee? If it's the latter, I know that "everything is connected" from the sole of your foot, achilles, calf, strap thingie, hamstrings, glutes, hips. Might be worthwhile to do a generic sports massage therapy session and just get loosened up all over. Where I live there's a school where students are required to do X hours for certification; it works out to be pretty cheap.
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Stupid elbow!
More right in the middle, where the top of the calf meets the back of the knee. I have since learned this may be the popliteus muscle, which I had never heard of until spending some quality google time on this. I have in fact had somewhat chronically tight/sore calves & achilles, which I try to stretch after most runs. But never felt anything up this high.
Do you have the Stick or foam roller? Try massaging the area before going out to run and see if that works.
Damaris
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I had problems in the same area, tightness and pain in the upper calf, starting behind the knee and going into the upper calf muscle. It would take 3 miles or so before it would loosen up and I could run pain free. Afterwards I was pain free for a couple hours then it would slowly tighten back up.
I used my thumbs to knead the heck out of the muscles in my upper calf 2 or 3 times a day, also roll out my whole calf with a baseball with all my weight. It hurt but after tip toeing around the issue for a month I finally had to get aggressive with it to be rid of it.
My issue started when I got cheap about buying new shoes and ran to long on a broke down pair.
I have started to get pain at the top of calf/back of knee area. Most of the various aches & pains I get seem to be worst while just walking around, or in the first 1-2 miles, then loosen up while running. This one only crops up after 4-5 miles, and stiffens up progressively. Thoughts/comments/suggestions?
Well That usually occurs whenever we do any sort of jumping activity and it sknown as patellar tendonitis. This kind of pain generally occurs to person who is involved in any sort of athelitic activity such as running, playing basketball,volleyball and all in his or her day today life. I have read a book on patellar tendonitis according to that it can be cured by resting,ice, compressing and elevation. You may check that book for more deatils.
Not dead. Yet.
I would almost say runners knee. I get pain on both the front and back of the knee though, and I haven't really noticed that it goes down into the calf much. Are you getting pain on the front?
Googling a bit and Baker's Cyst comes up also... see if you can feel something in there. The simple description sounds like exactly what you are talking about: "Pain and swelling behind the knee, right at the junction where the upper leg meets the lower leg. It probably feels like a little glob of Jello under your skin."
How can we know our limits if we don't test them?
Running Chick
i know this might seem totally unrelated, but whenever i have various leg pain, be it the knee, calf or quad, i use this thing called 'the stick' and roll it on my legs...... it looks like a giant beaded stick, and really like it wouldn't be much help. but it is! i bought mine on amazon and i don't think it was all that expensive...... worth a shot. might be something there. love.
Biomimeticist
What you're describing is a technique issue.
The pain behind the knee is a byproduct of too much friction between the kneecap and the femur.
The calf pain relates to your push off mechanics.
Rolling the pain away will deal with your symptoms, however it will never get rid of your problem until you improve the way you move.
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Thanks for bumping this. Nearly 3 months after the OP I am still struggling with it. I have tried resting & slowly ramping back up a few time, but it keeps coming back. Also went through a bout of PT; the day after my last PT session it flared up again. Only feel it when I run (after a few miles), never while just walking around or doing anything else. I think still never properly diagnosed; my GP just sent me to PT, and the PT figured a calf strain (gastroc). However finally just this week I saw my GP again & he sent me for an MRI & referral to orthopedic. So hopefully will get properly addressed.
Comments on some of the posts:
- Does not seem like patellar tendonitis or runner's knee, since I do not have any pain in the front of the knee.
- I agree symptoms sound like Baker's cyst, although I do not feel any blob back there.
- Have gotten some massage in PT, but have not tried the self-massage stick. I'm a bit reluctant to be indiscriminately poking around back there.
- If it's a result of poor running mechanics, not sure why it would suddenly crop up after several years of running. But I have no idea what I am supposed to be changing.
There are a number of factors which can be a component. Are you right or left handed, which leg is in pain or is it both?
Strength differential between your stronger and weaker side and not only how you compensate for that in training, but how your body naturally compensates for that difference mechanically as you run.
In short; what's important to understand is that both legs are in two completely unequal tracks of motion as you run.
Obviously you aren't stressing it with walking or general movements, so its a byproduct of higher levels of stress to your training intensity.
I truly hope you find a medical solution to what's causing the pain and that can offer better direction to its functional cause.
Hip Redux
Dave - when's the MRI?
9/22.
So you should have an answer (hopefully) soon. That's good. I hate waiting for the MRI and then waiting for the doctor to get me the results and then waiting for the referral.. wait wait wait.