Pain in the hollow of the knee when jogging

Pain in the hollow of the knee, which occurs during or after running, is a very frequently described phenomenon, especially among amateur athletes who have only recently (re-)started an intensive running training. If the pain reliably recedes overnight and is only minimally or not at all perceptible on non-sporting days, the all-clear can be given at first and the pain can be regarded as a simple expression of the unusually high load on the knee joint. In this case, even a temporary reduction in the amount of training can lead to a complete disappearance of the complaints, after which the intensity can be slowly increased again step by step.

If the pain persists for weeks despite a constant or even reduced training scope or even becomes stronger and stronger, an inflammation of the tendon insertions in the popliteal area is likely. An orthopedist should be consulted, especially if the pain is then accompanied by knee swelling and overheating. He or she can confirm the suspicion and examine whether certain concomitant diseases (older meniscus or ligament tears, malpositioning of the knee joint, etc.)

are present that make the knee more susceptible to overuse symptoms. In principle, it is not advisable to treat the pain with painkillers such as ibuprofen or diclofenac in order to be able to maintain the training intensity. The pain in the hollow of the knee should be regarded as a warning signal of the knee joint, which should be taken into account.

Of course, the above-mentioned painkillers can be used for severe complaints, but this should also have the consequence that the sporting load is greatly reduced or completely suspended for a certain period of time. If pain in the hollow of the knee occurs after sport, a distinction must be made between overstrain caused by the sport being practiced or an injury to ligament or muscle structures in the hollow of the knee. The pain often has a harmless cause.

Typical sports that lead to irritation of the tendons attached to the knee are long-distance running and professional cycling. Both sports are characterized by a constant use of the upper and lower leg muscles, with the knee flexors on the upper leg in particular causing pain in the hollow of the knee when overstrained. However, injuries to the knee also occur repeatedly when skiing, whereby here it is usually not overloading but strains or serious injuries such as meniscus damage that occur.

Due to the strong leverage during skiing by the extension of the leg through the skis, the menisci in the knee joint can suffer damage when the knee is twisted.An injury to the menisci then causes pain that radiates into the hollow of the knee. Irrespective of whether an overload or an injury has occurred in the area of the hollow of the knee, the sport should be stopped immediately and training should only be started again slowly after the symptoms have healed. After jogging, pain in the hollow of the knee is usually caused by overloading the so-called ischiocrural muscles.

This is located on the back of the thigh. This muscle group includes the biceps femoris muscle, the semitendinosus muscle and the semimembranosus muscle. Coming from the thigh, all three muscles pass the outer sides of the hollow of the knee and start around the head of the lower leg.

Thus, they can provide for flexion in the knee joint and are permanently stressed when jogging. The tendons of these muscles may be irritated at first, but if they are severely irritated, they may become inflamed and even tear. From the stage of the inflammation, a training break of about 6 weeks should be observed until complete healing has taken place and training can be resumed without risk.

After overloading or overstretching the calf, for example, pain in the hollow of the knee can occur after running, since the two-headed gastrocnemic muscle that forms the calf originates in the hollow of the knee. If this muscle is overstretched or not stretched sufficiently after running, this easily leads to pain in the hollow of the knee after running. The cause of the complaints can also be triggered by poor footwear or malpositioning of the leg axes.

In this case, insoles can provide relief. In the acute phase of the pain, resting, elevating the leg and cooling are beneficial. Irritation of the sciatic nerve can also cause pain in the hollow of the knee after walking, since this nerve runs with its end branches directly through the hollow of the knee. If the knee is stretched too much when running, this can lead to compression and damage to the nerve, especially if you are an inexperienced runner and want to start directly.