Back of leg pain / behind knee

Hello Jeanette

I think the problem started with having difficulty in locking the knee and also I pushed too hard in maybe Rabbit pose or (24) Head-to-Knee pose with intense stretching.

There are 2 completely different issues going on here. If you are pushing too hard into Rabbit and it is affecting your legs then you are DEFINITELY needing help with your technique. Pushing too hard (for want of a better turn of phrase) into Rabbit might give you a neck ache or pain around the shoulders but it wouldn’t give you a pain in your legs. If your legs are hurting behind the knees for this pose then we have to really look at the technique from the beginning. Maybe you aren’t talking about Rabbit pose.

I was probably over-extending it at first and then over-compensating by keeping my knee slightly bent. I realise that I now need to pull up on my quads.

What I encourage you to do is to go to the posts on Head to Knee Pose and review them carefully. When you do you will see that what you describe as over-compensating is actually the key to doing the pose correctly.

I just reviewed your notes on head-to-knee and I can definitely work on this! Your explanation of not necessarily spreading your legs wider (so that forehead touches floor) is excellent. Definitely some confusion in the instruction there!

Rabbit pose…Sorry, I wasn’t making sense. When my leg hurt the most even this pose hurt the back of my leg. I couldn’t raise my hips at all.

Please explain what it is that bothers you in Awkward pose. Is it the back of the knees? Does it hurt for all 3 parts?

All three parts hurt. It is the back of my leg right behind knees. It is almost like the muscle is so weak that it won’t support me at all. There is sharp pain and then if I do this, afterwards the area will be very painful (not in a good way). When I am in this pose (and others, including triangle) there is a lot of pressure on that area of your leg/muscle pain. I’m not sure I’m making sense! But I am starting to feel that it is actually a weak quad. muscle that might be my base problem. Maybe that muscle is so weak that it isn’t taking the pressure like it should and that it is transferring somehow to the muscles at the back of my leg?????

Re Triangle pose: I am not sure what you mean by “when I hold the weight on the one bent leg”. Do you mean that when you bend and lunge down that you put most of the weight in the bent leg? You also mention that you have not just a sore knee here but intimate your back is hurting. Please tell me where it is hurting.
I would say that weight is mostly held on the bent leg, but also on the other leg. Again, my discomfort is exactly like described in Awkward pose above.

Re Tree pose: is your knee hurting here? Is it a twisting sensation or is it the back of the knee again? It really IS important to know what hurts, where and when. 😉
This is getting much better! I am just taking my time getting into the pose and letting my knee fall slowly into position. In other words, exactly like the dialogue says!!! I’m listening – what a concept!!! 😉

I have started doing classes 3 x a week and while the pain never goes away, it isn’t getting worse. But I want to be able to do all of the poses again!

Locking the knee – pulling up on the quads. Those weak quads. might be part of the issue. I can barely pull up on them due to lack of muscle tone. I am going to start working on quad muscles and doing some floor exercises at home to strengthen them.

Thanks Gabrielle. I hope I am making more sense this time!