Happy Pop, Happy Knees

I'm going to finish up my study of the lower leg today with a post on a tiny muscle that can cause BIG issues. It's called the Popliteus. The Popliteus is a huge contributor in knee pain. 95% of knee pain cases i see has some dysfunction with this little muscle.

The Popliteus runs across the back of the knee from the lateral epicondyle of the femur to the back of the tibia. It is responsible for internal rotation of the lower leg as well as unlocking the knee from a fully straightened position. It also provides the knee with some very important stability.

With my clients i find the popliteus overworked a lot! I have found the popliteus to have a really hard time after ACL surgerys and ligament tears as well. In order to have healthy knees, you have to have happy politeus'.
I recently had a cyclist client come to me with constant achy knees and trouble fully straightening his knees after a long bike ride. After our session, we were able to find a compensation pattern with his Popliteus overworking for his hamstrings. It's no wonder his knees were complaining!

If you or someone you know has knee pain or stiffness, it would be a good idea to get assessed and see if Popliteus is involved!