Popliteus | Function, Treatment and Injury Prevention

The popliteus is one of the best examples of muscle that most people never hear or think of until it hurts. The popliteus sits right behind the knee, and when it’s irritated, it makes flexing the knee a painful thing to do. The muscle starts thicker on the inside of the knee and wraps laterally as it thins out and becomes a tendon.

Popliteus Anatomy and Function

The popliteus is one of many small muscles of the lower leg. It sits right by the calf muscle behind the knee. The area behind the knee tends to be a sensitive area to touch because of the circulatory pathways that run behind the knee. The muscle is thin, flat and it makes a triangle shape. The popliteus plays a simple role in that it helps with knee flexion, and it also helps to medially rotate the knee when it is flexed. When the muscle becomes strained or inflamed, medially turning the knee becomes very painful.

Treatment for Popliteus

The popliteus is such a small muscle that the larger hamstring, quad and calves muscles surrounding it will be able to carry the load if it fails. You will notice something burning or a bit annoying behind the knee but most likely still be able to be active throughout the injury.

If the pain becomes too much, you should consider taking some time to rest. The popliteus is like any other muscle, and if it is strained, it needs some time to heal. Since a basic movement like walking involves the popliteus, your best bet is to stay off of your feet.

Seeing a health care provider during this time can be helpful. Sometimes the muscles becomes tight, and it needs to be released. The issue is that the muscle runs through significant arteries and you do not want to be trying to release the tissue on your own. A healthcare provider will use one of their many modalities or skillsets to help you.

Finding The Best Local Sports Medicine Providers for a Popliteus Injury

9INE POINT Health is the best place to start your search for a health care provider to help you stay healthy. The key to success as an athlete is staying healthy and making sure the injuries are dealt with appropriately. Any athlete in a contact sport is at more risk of having a popliteus strain and the key to success as an athlete is staying healthy.

9INE POINT Health lets you search for providers by type and skill. For example, you can look for a Physical Therapist with the capability of the Graston Technique. It does not matter what kind of provider you need, 9INE POINTHealth can help you find them and help you to sort through their skills.

If you are unsure where to start your journey, 9INE POINT Health will ask you questions and help you figure out the best starting place. All you have to do is answer a few questions. From there 9INE POINT Health will connect you with the type of provider best suited for your needs. It does not matter if you are injured or making sure you don’t run into popliteus problems.

The platform makes it easy to compare health providers as they are all given a 9INE POINT Number. How do you decide which healthcare providers are the best? Reading bios and reviews is just not enough because you need more than that.

Skill Sets to Look for In Sports Medicine Providers

Skill sets are the things healthcare providers learn after they graduate. A healthcare provider can take courses and get certifications for different skill sets. These skill sets are valuable and help them approach injuries from different perspectives so that you can get the best help at the right time for any popliteus issues that arise.