Knee injury healed but why is the back of my leg so tight?

EatWholeFoods
EatWholeFoods Posts: 174 Member
edited November 23 in Fitness and Exercise
Now that my knee injury isn't hurting, I tried to run and the place that hurt is better. It's just the back of my leg gets too tight and won't bend. Does anyone know why and is there anything i can do to help it like stretches?

Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Hamstring! Do stretches after your muscles are warmed up, about ten minutes.
  • EatWholeFoods
    EatWholeFoods Posts: 174 Member
    Thanks!! I kept trying to stretch, but only knew to put arms behind back and bend forward or on the ground reach for toes with leg beant and reach to the side. Not sure but will google hamstring stretches. Just the whole leg was so tight the knee wouldn't bend. Not sure if its something wrong with the knee still or if the muscles impede the knee from moving and caused the knee problem in the first place.
  • ABabilonia
    ABabilonia Posts: 622 Member
    Stretches will definitely help. I read somewhere that glutes and hamstrings work together, so maybe squats to warm up. You can also try to compress the area, and ice it after your routine. Just out of curiosity, how long did to take you to recovery from your knee injury?
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    Foam rolling and stretching. Yoga is great for stretching the hamstrings and legs
  • EatWholeFoods
    EatWholeFoods Posts: 174 Member
    It was 6.5 weeks of complete rest only walking and then biking the past 3 weeks. I still am not planning to run but was trying to see if the stabbing pain is gone. I use my foam roller but while outside need more stretches. I wound up on the ground stretching later. I do yoga at home. Just never had such a tight leg before. I warmed it up and stuff but it was so stiff.

    Knee braces just cause more pain and irritation than without it. Ice slows the healing process by not allowing blood to carry nutrients to the already low blood flow area. I don't want to do anything that hurts it and then ice it.

    I am wondering how to loosen the leg or if my knee is causing the tension. Maybe I still have the knee problem. My doctor thinks it is my meniscus, but I cannot afford the mri.
  • EatWholeFoods
    EatWholeFoods Posts: 174 Member
    Thanks everyone for the input. Also my knee filly can bend. I can do squats and my leg completely straightens. Its just while running feels hard to bend my knee or my leg just feels stiff too mainly the hamstring area.
  • EatWholeFoods
    EatWholeFoods Posts: 174 Member
    My doctor would just say rest more which is what I will do but wondering if anyone else experienced this and knows what it is or how to loosen it up.
  • jmoya0405
    jmoya0405 Posts: 46 Member
    When I run my hamstrings get really tight.. Specially behind the knee area. I myself do a lot of stretching to keep loose. I've talked to a few runners about this and they have all said the same thing... My hamstrings are short because of a weak core. They've suggested to incorporate more core work and stretching. I'm going to give this a shot and see what happens.
  • EatWholeFoods
    EatWholeFoods Posts: 174 Member
    I guess since the injury was 6 weeks ago, I am going to continue to rest. I didn't have much leg tension when I was running except occasional calf tightness. Since stretching doesn't help, I think it is related to my injury. I am still doing bike, core, and arms, then some leg strengthen and rehab knee exercises.
  • ABabilonia
    ABabilonia Posts: 622 Member
    My question about your recovery was because I'm also having some knee issues. The doctor gave me 500mg Naproxen and sent me home. For some reason the Doctor told me to just keep running, and ice it after each run. Have you consider the sciatic nerve? It maybe a long stretch, but worth the try. Also, have you considered the shoes? I remember that when I was starting to run I developed an awful pain that traveled from my inner thigh to my calf. Once I changed shoes the pain disappeared. Being myself a newbie runner though, I will have to agree with jmoya.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,030 Member
    Possible scar tissue if the injury was muscle tissue related. Best bet is to consult an orthopedist. They'll give you the best analysis.

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  • EatWholeFoods
    EatWholeFoods Posts: 174 Member
    My sciatic nerve doesn't hurt. That would be on the lateral side of my leg. My medial side hurt and back of knee was tight. Now knee cap hurts sometimes when the muscles are tight. Sometimes get bone on bone feeling but it goes away. I probably need to pay my $500 for my mri because my knee is on and off better and may need surgery. My doctor said meniscus. First she said tendonitis and bursitis and then my knee buckled and shot me forward and I fell. I went back and she said some people have tears and pass her physical test plus my trouble with stairs soubds like my meniscus.
  • EatWholeFoods
    EatWholeFoods Posts: 174 Member
    ABabilonia wrote: »
    My question about your recovery was because I'm also having some knee issues. The doctor gave me 500mg Naproxen and sent me home. For some reason the Doctor told me to just keep running, and ice it after each run. Have you consider the sciatic nerve? It maybe a long stretch, but worth the try. Also, have you considered the shoes? I remember that when I was starting to run I developed an awful pain that traveled from my inner thigh to my calf. Once I changed shoes the pain disappeared. Being myself a newbie runner though, I will have to agree with jmoya.

    I replied more to you above too. As for shoes, good suggestion, but I got fitted before I got injured and ran for them. I tried shoes they suggested that were comfortable and insoles. Then got injured. I have different shoes because I think their stability shoes they recommended hurt me because i have high arches and should be in neutral shoes. But since a horse stepped on my foot last year, they suggested stability shoes. My pain doesn't go away running with any shoes. Now I had a few good days but tight legs. Now my knee is messed up just walking in my house.

    I hope you get better soon. This will be week 8 for me I think maybe 7. Starting to lose count.
  • Foamroller
    Foamroller Posts: 1,041 Member
    Most people have tight hamstrings cause of too much sitting. Just sayin'
  • EatWholeFoods
    EatWholeFoods Posts: 174 Member
    I don't sit working. I am a long distance runner and something happened to my hamstring at the same time my meniscus got messed up. It seems now everything is healing but the hamstring or back of my knee get tight and then pull on my mcl and reinjure it sometimes. Seems I have a hamstring tear. I am not getting my mri til January. Giving myself time to heal and see if I get better on my own and so far I can go upstairs again just not down.
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