Pain in the leg?

[Bear the Dog]

I get a pain in th back of my leg behind my knee in the bend of the leg. That soft fleshy part were muscles and tendons and veins all meet up.

Anyone ever get this and what will strengthen it? I already stretch.

[Footslogger]

Hard to tell without seeing you in person ...but you may have something called a "Baker's Cyst". It's a collection/sac of synovial fluid that forms most often as a result of some irritation in and around the knee.

Here at the clinic we see more and more of them on MRI. Many of them are symptom free and are what we call "coincidental findings". Others though can form near the major blood vessel (Popliteal Artery) or the nerve that passes through the same area and cause pain/discomfort with flexion.

Best thing would be to make an appointment with an orthopedist and have your knee examined. It could well be something totally different but based on your description that would be my first thought. If it is a Baker's Cyst, the good news is that they can normally be drained and they resolve on their own ...although they are known to reoccur.

'Slogger

[Bear the Dog]

Thanks. Its not exactly the knee more behind it right in the middle. A couple of days its all gone. I am going to be hiking the Grand Canyon down camping then hiking up and out. The training hikes all aroung 10-16 miles. I hope it isn't a tendon or ligament I know they take a while to heal. What do you think?

[rswanson]

Is it on the inside or the outside of the knee? How long have you had the pain and when does it normally develop?

[Footslogger]

The area directly behind the knee (boney joint) is pretty much all muscle and soft tissue through which some blood vessels and nerves pass. The head(s) of the calf muscle (gastrocnemius) lie in that area and it is possible to strain the muscle or the tendon that attaches it to the bone. As long as the muscle/tendon is not torn it should heal on its own with ample rest and some antinflammatory drugs like Motrin. I little heat applied that area with the leg elevated generally aids in resolving the strain and relieving the discomfort.

Be sure and stretch your calf muscles gently but thoroughly before and after you hike. It will go a long way to avoiding this type of injury.

This all assumes however ...that the problem you are dealing with is in fact a strain and not a cyst.

Happy Trails ...

'Slogger

[rswanson]

It might be a strain of the plantaris muscle, which is a long sheetlike muscle under your calf that originates in this area (more to the outside of the knee). If its a muscular strain, you can't do much but rest it.

If the pain is chronic, you really want to get it looked at. Like 'slogger said, there is an artery located in that area that develop clots or anuerysms. Both of these would not usual in someone your age.

[Bear the Dog]

Is it on the inside or the outside of the knee? How long have you had the pain and when does it normally develop?
I just started getting a couple of weeks ago doing some steep up and down on uneven god awfull trail conditions were you are constantly straining for balance and shifting body weight. Thats when I first noticed it. My hiking buddy always gets it. He is real new to hiking so I thought it was just him until that steep hike in tome snow and uneven rocky are. It was the worst trail ever seen. this was my first hike after it and didn't get anything till about the eighth mile. But I didn't rest enough on the trail either but when I did I kept standing with pack on (only 9-10 lbs with water and everything) but maybe it all has to do with everything.

What do you think now with the added info? Maybe it is something simple.

[paulbrown137]

I tore my ACL / meniscus and had a full reconstruction. Sometimes if I tweek it, i get pain like you describe. sometimes is other pain. usually its just sore, but no big deal. i'd get it looked at

[rswanson]

I just started getting a couple of weeks ago doing some steep up and down on uneven god awfull trail conditions were you are constantly straining for balance and shifting body weight. Thats when I first noticed it. My hiking buddy always gets it. He is real new to hiking so I thought it was just him until that steep hike in tome snow and uneven rocky are. It was the worst trail ever seen. this was my first hike after it and didn't get anything till about the eighth mile. But I didn't rest enough on the trail either but when I did I kept standing with pack on (only 9-10 lbs with water and everything) but maybe it all has to do with everything.

What do you think now with the added info? Maybe it is something simple.
If your condition developed while hiking, it's unlikely that its anything other than a muscle strain/tear or some ligament damage. If the pain is deep in your leg, it might be an indication of damage to your ACL or PCL (two ligaments located in knee joint that give your leg lateral stability). This would be more serious than muscular injury as ligaments cannot heal themselves as readily as muscles. If, after a few days of rest, the pain still persists you should definitely see a physician.

If you're interested, here's a good link (http://factotem.org/library/database/Knee-Articles/Knee-anatomy-physiology.shtml)to keep you up at night. But don't assume anything until a professional takes a look...