Posterior snapping knee pain

Emily Mattes · 11-06-2010, 06:14 PM

I have been hitting my hamstrings very hard for a couple of months now to develop them. After a training session today I went home, did some housework, then laid down to do hamstring curls with ankle weights (10#).

I immediately felt a sharp, snapping pain on the posterior, slightly lateral side of my left knee. I stopped, but I get a sharp, stabbing pain and a sort of "snapping" feeling whenever I bend my knee slightly. If the joint is at rest, whether straight or bent, there's no pain, it just occurs during the act of bending the knee itself.

If the lower leg is lifted when my thigh is held down, I don't get any pain so I'm thinking it's not a PCL thing.

Could this be my popliteus or lateral ligaments giving me trouble? Has anyone had back-of-the-knee pain before? Should I RICE and wait? Should there be any particular area I should really focus on stretching or strengthening in the future?

Steven Low · 11-06-2010, 07:40 PM

Inside the joint or external?

Internal with bending or straigthening tends to be indicative of meniscus. If so, get it checked out by orthopedic doc ASAP.

External it could be any number of things.... not really sure what it could be based on yoru description. Do you have a picture you can google and mark for example?

Emily Mattes · 11-07-2010, 12:37 AM

No pain when I straighten, only when bent. Do you mean whether the pain is superficial or deep to the joint? It feels more superficial, as if I palpitate the area I can almost pinpoint the sore spot/line along the center of the pain. There is definitely a snapping feeling accompanying the pain.

Garrett Smith · 11-07-2010, 05:05 AM

The LCL is very much on the side of the knee, so if the pain is in the back of the knee it probably isn't that.

Sounds either muscular or meniscal to me.

Steven Low · 11-07-2010, 06:37 AM

I mean I suppose it could be popliteus or a lateral head of gastroc or something being too tight and messed up proper articulation with the meniscus.

Try doing a bunch of plantar fascia rolling as well as calf PNF and soft tissue work. Also dig around the muscles on the back of the knee and see if that helps.

Maybe some heat as well.

Garrett Smith · 11-08-2010, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Low

I mean I suppose it could be popliteus or a lateral head of gastroc or something being too tight and messed up proper articulation with the meniscus.

Try doing a bunch of plantar fascia rolling as well as calf PNF and soft tissue work. Also dig around the muscles on the back of the knee and see if that helps.

Maybe some heat as well.

I second this.

Emily Mattes · 11-08-2010, 03:15 PM

A bunch of rolling, digging around, and some rest (i.e more than six hours of sleep) and the knee feels fine. I guess it was angry at my lack of recovery work.