Oakville Popliteus Treatment - Back Of Knee Pain Treatment

Popliteus Treatment Oakville

Ask the average person what a Popliteus is and they will probably say a boy band from the 1980’s. Truth be told it’s the root cause of misdiagnosed knee pain to many of our patients here at Nottinghill Family Wellness Centre in Oakville Ontario Canada. The popliteus is a muscle at the back of the knee. It can get tight and cause pain in the back of the knee!

We see all kinds of knee injuries at the clinic. Its amazes Dr. Steve Knighton team how many times a popliteus injury has been misdiagnosed. Sometimes patients will be suffering for months and get useless x-rays, ultrasounds and even MRI’s. Only to find out their pain which was diagnosed as a meniscus tear is really just a pulled popliteus muscle.

Many of patients present with pain in their knee of no specific orgin. It could be worse with walking, standing or even sitting. After our chiropractor determines their injury is not structural and is the popliteus muscle treatment will begin immediately. We recommend Oakville custom orthotics or more supportive footwear for 90% of our knee pain patients.

How does the popliteus cause knee pain?

The popliteus muscle is located on(AT) the back of the knee under the calf muscles. It is attached to the lateral meniscus and is involved with most motions of the knee. The muscles main purpose is to help rotate the knee as well as retracting the knee from full extension or locked out position (straight). Dr. Steve our lead chiropractor has been treating popliteus injuries for almost 20 years!

Treatment for Knee Pain Oakville

Oakville Treatment for Popliteus Pain

1. IFC and Heat for Popliteus Pain in Oakville

f your popliteus muscle is tight or irritated, it can cause pain deep in the back of your knee. The popliteus is a small muscle that helps your knee unlock when you walk. When it gets strained, it can feel stiff, tight, or sore — especially going downhill or turning quickly.

At our Oakville clinic, we start treatment with heat and IFC therapy.

Heat helps:

Relax the popliteus muscle
Increase blood flow
Loosen tight tissue

IFC (Interferential Current) is a gentle electrical stimulation that:

Improves circulation
Reduces swelling
Calms irritated tissue
Helps your body begin healing

We do this first so the popliteus muscle is relaxed before deeper treatment begins.

This step makes the rest of your popliteus treatment more effective and more comfortable.

2. Shockwave Therapy for Popliteus Pain in Oakville

Shockwave Therapy uses fast acoustic sound waves to help injured muscles heal.

At our Oakville clinic, we apply 800–1200 pulses directly to the irritated popliteus muscle behind the knee.

When the popliteus becomes strained, it can develop:

Scar tissue
Poor blood flow
Chronic tightness

Shockwave helps by:

✔ Increasing circulation
✔ Breaking up scar tissue
✔ Stimulating natural healing
✔ Improving tissue repair

The popliteus is a small, deep muscle that helps unlock the knee and control rotation. Because it has limited blood supply, it can be slow to heal on its own. Shockwave “restarts” the healing process.

Treatment lasts about 2–3 minutes and targets the exact tight area.

We use Shockwave Therapy as part of our structured popliteus treatment plan in Oakville to speed recovery and restore proper knee mechanics.

3. Active Release Technique (ART) for Popliteus Dysfunction

The popliteus muscle is small, deep, and very specific. It controls rotation of the lower leg and helps unlock your knee when you walk. When it becomes tight or irritated, the knee can feel unstable, stiff, or sore — especially with pivoting or downhill movement.

At our Oakville clinic, we use Active Release Technique (ART) to treat the popliteus directly.

ART is not a general massage. It is a precise, hands-on treatment where we place tension on the popliteus muscle while guiding your knee through controlled movement. This allows us to break up adhesions, release tight fibers, and restore proper rotation mechanics.

Because the popliteus sits deep behind the knee joint, it must be treated accurately. If it is missed, symptoms often continue.

ART helps restore smooth movement, reduce tension, and improve stability so the muscle can function properly again.

4. IASTT for Popliteus Scar Tissue and Tightness

IASTT (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy) is a technique that uses a specialized tool to improve tissue mobility and stimulate healing.

When the popliteus has been irritated for a while, the surrounding fascia and connective tissue can become thick and restricted. This limits normal glide and keeps the muscle under stress.

During IASTT treatment at our Oakville chiropractic clinic, we gently work over the popliteus region and surrounding structures to improve circulation, reduce adhesions, and promote proper tissue remodeling.

The popliteus does not work alone. It interacts with the calf, hamstring, and surrounding stabilizers. By improving tissue quality in the entire area, we help the muscle heal and move normally again.

This step completes the treatment process and helps prevent recurring popliteus strain.

Check out our Oakville Physiotherapy Clinic for more treatment options for Popliteus Pain.

We have had numerous patients enter our Oakville Chiropractic Clinic with what they were told was Pattela-femoral syndrome or a medial or lateral meniscus sprain. After various treatments elsewhere the pain was still prevalent. The popliteus muscle can retract up to 300% of its normal length. A tight popliteus can lead to knee pain that mimics many other injuries and is relatively easy to diagnose with palpation of the muscle.

Here is an example of a 23 year old NCAA soccer player back for the summer. She had be receiving ongoing treatment at her Division One school, but the popliteus muscle was never taken into consideration. After 4 intensive treatments including Active Release Therapy, IFC, Ice and mobilizations of the knee, she was close to 100%.

For help with pain or discomfort please contact your local chiropractor in Oakville at 905-827-4197

Book An Popliteus Treatment Appointment

Popliteus Pain (Back of the Knee pain) FAQS

1. What is the popliteus muscle?

The popliteus is a muscle on the back of the knee that helps lock the knee out when you are standing with your legs straight.

2. What causes popliteus pain?

Popliteus pain could be caused from hyperextension of the knee, standing too long, walking to much or even lifting weights.

3. What are the symptoms of popliteus pain?

The popliteus muscle pain is usually right at the top of the calf or behind the knee. It can mimic a meniscus tear in some patients. It could be pain when standing or lying with a straight leg then bending the knee.

4. How can I treat popliteus pain?

Popliteus treatment is best with Graston and shockwave therapy. Shockwave is the gold standard for treating the popliteus and will be combined with ART and Graston in most cases.

5. When should I seek treatment for popliteus pain?

Seek treatment immediately after you feel pain or severe stiffness in the back of your knee.

6. Is my popliteus pain cause pain when walking downstairs?

It could be. When you lock out your leg at the bottom of a step it could be the popliteus muscle causing your knee pain.

7. What is causing the pain at the back of the my knee?

The popliteus can definitely be the cause of the pain at the back of your knee. Get into our Oakville clinic today and get the proper diagnosis.

8. Can my shoes cause my popliteus pain?

Yes, shoes that do not offer enough control can cause knee pain.

9. What exercises can I NOT do with popliteus pain?

Do not do heavy squats or deadlifts with popliteus pain. Limit machines that cause your leg to lock out too, like knee extension or calf raises.

10. Can I run with popliteus pain?

You should not run with a popliteus injury. The hard impact of the lead leg when running will cause further damage.