The popliteus is a muscle that is shaped like a triangle. It is located in the back of the knee and can cause a great deal of pain. In fact, a condition known as popliteus tendinitis is quite common. This condition occurs when the tendons...
Popliteus tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons surrounding the popliteal muscle. The popliteal muscle is located in the back of the knee. The popliteal muscle can be come aggravated as a result of intense physical activity and is also...
There are many causes of posterior knee pain or pain in the back of the knee. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, knee pain--including posterior knee pain--may be caused by repetitive...
Hamstring and heel cord tightness can effect both sedentary and active individuals. Tight hamstrings can be the result of lower back, foot and knee injuries, according to the Sports Injury Clinic. Heel cord tightness is often a result of an injury...
Your knee joint is a complex structure of bone, cartilage, ligaments and tendons connecting to muscles. Knee flexion uses several muscles on the back of your thigh, as well as some supporting muscles in your inner front thighs. Flexion involves...
As a rule, it's not difficult to find exercises to work the body's major muscle groups. However, some are more difficult than others to work effectively. One example is the muscles of your calf. These are used every day for walking, running,...
Leg curls help you add size and strength to your rear thigh muscles. The exercise is performed on a machine by curling your legs against a form of resistance. The machine can include a padded support or set of cables attached to ankle cuffs to...
The leg curl is a resistance training exercise that works the upper legs. When you do a resistance exercise, there are three muscles involved: the target, synergist and stabilizers. The target is the muscle performing the movement, the synergists...
Your knees are a critical piece of machinery. For runners, the amount of stress continually placed on this largest joint in the body can lead to injury. Pain in the back of the knee can mean a host of possible problems. Your ability to identify...
Knee stretches lengthen the muscles that cross the knee joint to increase flexibility. Flexible muscles are less frequently injured from overstretching during exercise. If you already have a knee injury, get your doctor's approval before you start...
Though the knee is a simple hinge joint moving in primarily one direction, it bares much of the weight of your body and the forces exerted during locomotion. The joint is made up mostly of ligaments and bone compared with your hip joints and...
The sartorius muscle is the longest muscle in the human body, running from the hip to the knee. The technical origin is the anterior superior iliac spine (the top and front of the hip bone) and the insertion is the medial aspect of the proximal...
The leg curl is a strength exercise that targets your hamstrings, the muscles on the back of your thigh and other muscle groups. Muscle involvement depends on the biomechanics of the leg curl and how your ankles are positioned during the movement.
The area at the back of the knee is referred to by the anatomical term "popliteal fossa," due to the presence of the flat triangular muscle at the back of the knee called the popliteus. "Fossa" is an anatomical term used to describe a concave...
The inverse leg curl exercise is more commonly referred to as the hamstring raise or the glute-ham raise. It is referred to as an inverse leg curl because it requires the hamstrings to provide movement at the hip joint instead of how the...
Leg curls are a common exercise for training your hamstrings and, to a lesser degree, your calves and other muscles on the back of your thighs. Several types of equipment are designed for leg curls. Machines range from inexpensive models using...
The traditional variation of the standing leg curl requires a cable weight machine, but you can perform the same exercise using ankle weights or a resistance band as long as you're not concerned about building maximal strength. Consult a personal...
Sore hips and glutes can occur even in experienced, conditioned runners. There may be several causes, but learning how to properly warm up, cool down, stretch and train the affected musculature goes a long way toward preventing the problem from...
Strong hamstrings are critical for knee stability, but these muscles often go underdeveloped due to sedentary lifestyle or simply not choosing exercises that emphasize hamstring involvement. Although your hamstrings do work during some common...
When knee problems start to inhibit your jogging, stretching the muscles that surround the knee may bring you relief. Most knee pain can be prevented or mitigated by making sure the tendons that support the joint are limber. Flexibility helps...
The leg curl is a strength-training exercise that develops muscles in your lower body. The exercise is primarily done with the assistance of a machine available at most fitness gyms, which can include the lying leg curl unit or the sitting leg...
Long-distance runners may experience pain on the inside of the knee from stress or irritation to the tendons. This pain can happen to anyone at any time during a run, but it's more likely to occur after several miles, especially if you've had knee...
The hamstring raise is an effective method for targeting a variety of muscle groups in the lower body. You can perform hamstring raises with no weight, a barbell or a pair of dumbbells. Strong hamstrings are essential for maximum running speed,...
Hyperextension of the knee can result in injuries that cause pain in the back of the knee, or posterior knee pain. Pressure that forces the knee backward beyond its normal position results in knee hypertension, which can damage the cartilage,...
The knee is a hinge joint that has two large bones above and below it--the femur and tibia. The knee makes it possible to bend and straighten the lower leg. When the leg bends, it is called flexion and when it straightens out it is called...
Numerous conditions can cause pain in the back of your knee, including injuries of, or damage to, muscles, tendons and ligaments in the posterior knee compartment, according to the Sports Injury Clinic website. Traumatic injuries, repetitive...
There are 206 bones and approximately 500 muscles in the human body. Most of these are skeletal muscles, which attach from one bone to another bone. One end of the muscle, the origin, attaches to a more stationary bone, while the other end, the...
The popliteal muscle is a small muscle that originates from the back of the tibia and inserts onto the lower part of the femur. Because it crosses the back of the knee joint, the popliteal muscle helps in flexing the lower leg to the back of the...
The knee is a major synovial hinge joint in the leg. Located at the articulation between the femur and tibia in the lower leg and the femur in the upper leg, the knee is a crucial joint in human locomotion. The stability of the knee joint is...
