I’ve been stretching to try and achieve the splits, but everytime i do i feel pain in and around my knee (especially behind). It’s not the usual pain that i associate with stretching a muscle, it almost feels like connective tissue. I’ve read previous posts that indicated that stretching the calves before the hamstrings and groin would help to alleviate this problem, but so far it has not. Does anyone know of any stretches that can be done to correct this problem?
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What exact stretch/es are you performing when this pain occurs? Can you describe the pain? Is it sharp/shooting, grinding, tearing, etc.? Are you warmed-up or do you stretch ‘cold’? Where is the pain coming from EXACTLY? Behind the knee cap, deep within the structure of the knee joint, etc.?
DanB, I only stretch after my workouts or after a thorough warm-up period. The pain occurs when i attempt the side splits, while doing low-box squats, and when aggressively stretching the hamstrings. It is focused behind the knee, but there is also significant pain on the sides when doing the splits. It doesn’t feel like it is too deep inside of the knee, but I can’t be sure. I do have chondromylatia (sp), but I don’t see how that would affect the flexibility of the posterior chain.
Are you trying to do side splits on the floor? This has the potential to put a lot of undue stress on your knees. If your feet and hands are the only things touching the floor with your toes pointed forward, you’re pushing the knees to bend sideways. They don’t really do that very well. If you have the money, invest in a martial arts stretcher that is designed for this type of stretch. I really recommend getting one with inner thigh pads, otherwise you’ll most likely end up with the same problem.
ghostface- The symptoms you’re presenting with indicate that it is most likely NOT the flexibility of your posterior chain that is causing the pain in your knee, but rather the chondromalacia patella. As you may already know, signs and symptoms of chondromalacia patella may include: pain in the anterior aspect of the knee while walking, running, ascending/descending stairs, or squatting. Possible recurrent swelling in and around the kneecap. Grinding/grating or crepitus during flexion and extension of the knee. Pain behind the kneecap when the knee is passively flexed and extended.
Depending on where the degeneration of the articular cartilage is, some positions may be more painful than others. In your case, when attempting the side splits you are placing the knee in a ‘genu valgum’ position (knee bends inwards) which causes the knee to ‘track’ laterally out of its normal groove. If the chondromalacia is present in the lateral aspect of the patella, this could lead to pain due the compressing of the kneecap onto the articulating surfaces of the femur. Also, when performing direct hamstring stretches most people excessively hyperextend their knees (myself included). If the chondromalacia is present in the superior aspect of the kneecap, placing the knee in this position may be compressing the kneecap into the femur.
If the pain is severe enough and if you have decent insurance go see an orthopedic surgeon. They should be able to determine where the degeneration is present and what treatment to pursue. If it is minor, an anti-inflammatory may be prescribed and you might get sent home with a neoprene knee sleeve that will help to produce a more ‘normal’ tracking of the patella. Wearing this sleeve may even alleviate or reduce knee pain while squatting. In severe cases, shaving and smoothing of the articular cartilage on the patella and/or femoral condyles may be warranted.
With regards to stretching, try to leave a slight bend in the knee when performing hamstring stretches as well as keeping the quadriceps as relaxed as possible and the toes pointed away from the body. You may want to experiment with different knee angles and determine which one causes the least amount of pain. When stretching the inner thighs, try to keep the knees bent at ~90 or less. To do this, kneel down as if performing a hip flexor stretch. Instead of lunging/leaning forwards, lean to the side (when right knee is on the ground, lunge left). Experiment with the width of your stance and foot placement to determine the most effective position. I hope I answered your question somewhere in this mess. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.
Thanx for the info DanB. I’ll try doing the stretches the way that you suggested. I’ve been meaning to get a neoprene sleeve for my knees, but i’m kinda poor right now. I’ve had this condition since i was around 10, but the pain isn’t very intense. I find if I warm up sufficiently I usually don’t have a problem. Any other suggestions you have on how to stretch and/or keep my knees healthy would be greatly appreciated.
Try doing leg swings. After you warm up,stretch like you normally do. After that hold onto a rail or something stable and swing your leg to then front, side and back. Go as high as you can comfortably. Do 10 reps per side, then stretch again. You’ll find that you can drop down even further.
What do you mean by being able to go lower? Are you referring to squatting? I don’t stretch after warming, but do range-of-motion exercises (as shown in previous issues of T-mag) instead. For the box squat, I start out with a higher box and move to a lower one after a couple of sets. I find by then my muscles are sufficiently warmed up and stretched. I’ll try the leg swings and see how they work out. Thanx for the advice.
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