What is the popliteus muscle?
The Popliteus: The Underrated Muscle Behind That Nagging Knee Pain
Behind the knee pain that doesn’t quite make sense — not meniscus, not hamstring, not ACL — there’s a tiny, often-overlooked muscle that might be at the root of it: the popliteus.
It’s small. It’s weird. And when it’s irritated, it can make running, hiking, or squatting feel frustratingly uncomfortable.
So what is the popliteus, exactly?
The popliteus is a small, diagonal muscle that sits at the back of the knee. Its main job? To “unlock” the knee from a fully straightened position and control rotation of the tibia (your shin bone) relative to the femur (your thigh bone). Basically, it helps stabilize the knee — especially during single-leg movements, descents, and rotation-heavy activities.
It’s not a big power producer, but it’s a key stabilizer. And like many stabilizers, it can get cranky when it’s doing more than its fair share.
Symptoms of Popliteus Dysfunction:
Deep, vague ache at the back or side of the knee
Pain when walking downhill or descending stairs
Discomfort during squatting, especially in early range
Tenderness to touch in the back corner of the knee
Pain with twisting motions or pivoting on one leg
Popliteus issues often fly under the radar because the pain doesn’t fit into common patterns. Imaging rarely shows anything helpful. And rest or ice might take the edge off temporarily — but the pain comes right back with activity.
So… what causes it?
Usually, the popliteus gets irritated because it’s overworked. If your hip isn’t stabilizing well, or if your foot and ankle aren’t absorbing load effectively, the knee becomes the middle child caught in the chaos. The popliteus tries to pick up the slack — and eventually, it gets ticked off.
That’s why treating it directly (like with massage, dry needling, or ice) only provides short-term relief. You’ve got to address the system.
How We Treat Popliteus Pain at Base Camp:
We follow the same process we use with every injury: calm it down, build it up, and return stronger.
1. RESET
First, we settle things down. That might include targeted manual therapy to reduce tension in the popliteus and surrounding tissues, plus activity modifications that limit aggravating motions (like aggressive downhill running or twisting movements).
2. RESTORE
Here’s where the magic happens. We restore strength and control at the hip, improve tibial rotation mechanics, and teach the foot and ankle to do their jobs again. That includes single-leg stability, mobility work for the knee and ankle, and progressive loading of the posterior chain.
3. RELOAD
Now we reintroduce activity — but smarter. Whether it’s trail running, squatting, or CrossFit, we build a plan to restore confidence, rebuild resilience, and reduce the chance of flare-ups. Our goal isn’t just pain relief. It’s long-term performance.
Popliteus pain doesn’t have to be a mystery diagnosis or a chronic issue. If that stubborn back-of-the-knee ache has been holding you back, we can help you solve it — and get you back to full strength, on and off the trails.
Because rehab shouldn’t just be about fixing the pain. It should be about making you harder to break.