Everything About Pain Behind Knee & Knee Pain Relief
Pain Behind Knee
Pain behind knee is one of the most common orthopedic issue people face today. The knee acts like the body’s suspension system carrying in the weight of the body while providing for its mobility. Strenuous physical exertions can put immense stress on the anatomy of the knees making it prone to injury. Without intervention, some causes of knee injury can progress to severe leg problems which can leave you immobile and in severe pain. The back of the knee is often the origin of pain because it is where cartilages, tendons, and muscles are located. The good news is you do not have to suffer pain behind the knee forever. There are lots of treatment methods that can get you back outdoors and sweating in no time. Read on and discover the wide world of back of knee pain. This is your first step towards ridding yourself from knee pain and discomfort.
Causes of Pain in the back of the knee
There are several causes of pain behind knee. The most common of which is popliteal cyst (also called baker’s cyst). This is often the cause of pain behind the knee when bending or squatting. Tear in the cartilage or arthritis can lead to baker’s cyst. As fluid fills in the space between the tears in the tendons you will find it difficult to bend your knee normally. The problem does not stop there. If the popliteal cyst ruptures (a matter of when than if), you can suffer from pain behind knee clot as blood fills up in the knee joint and the surrounding cavities. This can cause tremendous, sharp pain. This can also cause pain behind knee and calf as the swelling and redness spreads downward with blood circulation seriously affected from the blood clot. The pain behind Baker’s cyst is often associated with the pain caused by leg aneurysms which is caused by inflamed arteries behind and below the knee.
Hamstring injury can also cause pain behind knee. This is often accompanied by general weakness of the whole leg, bruising and swelling in the surrounding areas. The pain behind knee running induced is often caused by hamstring related injuries. Even brisk walking and jogging can stress out the hamstrings and manifest pain behind the knee.
If you can hear a popping sound from the back of your knee or a clicking sensation when you move your leg then you might be suffering from a meniscus tear. This can cause pain behind the knee when left untreated. Perhaps one of the most serious causes of knee pain is tumors. Benign or malignant tumors can cause the knee to lock and can cause pain behind knee without even the attempt of movement.
Treatment options for pain behind knee
Sustainable behind knee pain care
Pain behind knee can be uncomfortable and can seriously affect your mobility. This raises the issue of not only treating knee injuries but also putting in more effort to take care of the knee and prevent possible causes of pain in the future. This is way better than succumbing to serious cases of knee pain that can get you from your favorite hiking trail to the operating table in minutes. Knee pain relief must be a two way approach. It must be able to address existing pain at the same time provide for therapies and related measures that will keep the knee strong, preventing the same problem from surfacing again.
There are many knee pain relief programs that can help you improve your knee movement (a common problem for people who had knee injuries in the past), increase stability in your knee, and increase balance on your knees. What you can get is a holistic knee therapy program that introduces feasible knee exercise routines you can easily do at home. You can even integrate the program to your warm up exercises starting you right before working out.
Dealing Effectively with Pain in Back of Knee
Getting pain in back of knee
There are a number of reasons why one gets a pain in back of knee. The primary reason is that there is something there that should not be. Pain in the back of the knee is one of the various ailments that affect the knee.
Physiology of the Knee
The knee is a joint that has the femur or the thighbone from the top joining to the two bones the tibia and the fibula of the lower portion of the leg. The kneecap is positioned just in front of the lower portion of the femur connected and cushioned by cartilage. The iliotibial band joins the region of the pelvis to the kneecap and this gets tensed up when one exercises. The quadriceps joins the tibia and helps flex the legs. If I get a pain in the back of my knee it is because one of the pieces of the structure is out of alignment or damaged.
Symptoms of this ailment
There are many reasons for the pain in back of leg behind knee. Pain in the back of knee happens when you have a posterior cruciate ligament sprain. Pain in back of knee could be due to popliteus muscle strain. It could also be due to Baker’s cyst3. This cyst is the fluid filled sac called bursa and when this swells it can cause a sharp pain in back of knee4. The feeling of the leg giving way is typical of ligament tear2.
Diagnosis of pain
- Routine X-rays
- Arthroscopy
- Arthrography
- MRI scan
- Physical examination
Physical examination of the joint could reveal a lump behind the knee. If you do not feel anything, then you should go for X-rays or an MRI scan. These may show the damage to the meniscus or the torn ligament. If there are pieces of torn tissue arthroscopic surgery is used to remove them. When the kneecap is moving smoothly up and down when one is sitting or standing, there is no pain. Pain in back of knee when bending happens when the quadriceps are pushing too much. In fact any of the tendons, bursa, ligaments or the bones may be injured1.
In arthroscopic surgery, a tiny camera is inserted into the leg-knee region and the damaged portions are removed. Arthrography is the process of mapping the area with the help of arthroscopy.
Home Cures and reliefs
- Ice pack treatment
- Raising the leg
- Immobilizing the knee joint
- Use of massage
Medical Treatment
Use of medicines like analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs are common for treating the pain in back of the knee. Surgery may be recommended if the conditions are too severe and there are life-changing situations.
Other than this the person should also get rest, use cold compress and keep the leg in an elevated position till the pain subsides.
Different kinds of pains
What causes pain in the back of the knee? There are a number of reasons including:
→ Baker’s cyst
→ Hamstring injuries
→ Tumors
→ Popliteus muscle sprain
One should always watch out for pain in back of knee. It could be indicative of more serious problems that are underlying.
People get a pain in back of knee after sitting due to the locking of the knee. This happens when the ligaments and other supportive tissue are damaged so much that the bones are no longer supported. When you have pain in back of knee and calf you need to strengthen the muscles of the leg and calf.
It is common for sportsmen to have pain in back of knee after running because they stretch their hamstrings too much. It may also happen if there is a development of cyst. Usually pain in back of leg above knee happens to people who play or run regularly, it is nothing to worry about. If the pain persists then you may need to see a physician.
References
1 Medicine Net http://www.medicinenet.com/knee_pain/article.htm
2 About.com http://is.gd/0HVGy8
3 Buzzle http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pain-in-back-of-the-knee.html
4 Livestrong http://www.livestrong.com/article/265477-back-of-the-knee-pain/










