Do I Have A torn Muscle or Tendon behind my knee from running?

Question

I was running and felt a pain in the back of my knee, like a muscle pain? I stopped running a few minutes later and I was limping back home, when I woke up the next day it feels like I have torn something behind my knee where it bends, I'm in not in any pain to walk just limping a little and there is no bruising. I have my Police fitness test in 3 weeks whereby I have to do a bleep test up to 5.4.

I'm putting cold Ice Gel on for 30 mins then adding Deep Heat later, is this the best thing to do?

Do you think this is more a muscle pain than a torn tendon, how would I know I presume a tendon would cause a lot of pain?

What's the sort of healing time for this injury?

p.s The guys at work are moaning about smell of Deep Heat so I've now gone on to a Vulcan Knee support.

Answer 1

Go to A&E department hun, best to get it checked out, as if you don't you could be layed up for a few weeks.

Perish the thought that you'd miss your Bleep test !

Your freezing the muscle, then adding a heat cream to it, I'm not an expert, but I don't think you should be doing that in all honesty, you apply heat to musculary pain, not cold. You apply cold to reduce swelling (I know a little bit about knees, my daughter has knees that dislocate & relocate with every physical step she takes ).

You could try taking a look on a site called kneeguru, my daughter's soon to be surgeon is on there ( Professor of Sports science Injuries )

I hope your knee gets better soon & you pass your bleep test with flying colours.

Good Luck. X :-)

Answer 2

More than likely you tore one of the hamstrings.  Use ice on the area for fifteen to twenty minutes per hour.  Do some gentle stretching of the hamstrings and calf muscles.  Ride a stationary bike with little or no resistance on it.  If you have access to a deep water pool you could try some deep water running as soon as the pain stops or right now you could walk in chest high water.  Make sure that you use ice right after any exercise to that area.  Avoid using heat as it will only make things worse.  Warm up slowly before doing any exercises that will stress this area.