Tight Popliteus muscle

[Ola Persson]

I've been swimming a lot this summer and every now and then I feel a distinct stab at the back of my left knee. I was told it might be from a tight popliteus muscle.

Is there someone who knows how to deal with this and what causes the problem (bad squat form etc)?

[Steven Low]

Popliteus muscle is used to lock the knee into extension... so if your tensing your leg straight all of the time it;'s easy for it to cramp up and get tight.

Read this for information on how you can release the stuff in that area (has a lot of other stuff as well):

http://www.eatmoveimprove.com/2009/11/shoes-sitting-and-lower-body-dysfunctions/4/