Pain in back of knee is a very common knee condition. Ever got an achy feel right after exercising or playing sports? Have you felt a sharp pain in your knee while you are on a shopping spree or an important business tour? Or you have experienced a sharp aching knee pain when running? In some cases, it is due to an underlying knee problem while in others, it occurs as a result of an injury.
How Does A Pain In Back Of Knee Feels?
The intensity of pain varies from person to person. For some people, this pain is felt like a general ache, while some have an intense pain that it restricts their leg movement due to swelling or soreness. The pain brings along immense discomfort, warmth or burning and stiffness. Hence, it is important for you to identify the underlying reasons for a knee pain. The pain is common in people over 40 years. This condition is prevalent in both males and females. With the passage of time, the wear and tear of knee occur that tend to worsen the knee condition. Some people experiences back of the knee pain when bend their knee. There are a number of reasons of pain in back of knee. It is important to note the knee problems symptoms and decide what the real cause is.
auses Of Knee Pain
Bakers’s Cyst
It is a fluid filled cyst that appears as a bulge in the back of knee, causing tightness and pain. Straightening out your knee and flexing it can cause the pain to worsen. Baker’s cyst is usually the result of some joint problem such as arthritis or cartilage tear. In both cases, excess fluid is produced, causing inflammation in the fluid filled sac behind the knee. The condition itself is a serious one and can lead to osteoarthritis if you ignore knee pain under kneecap. You should consult a knee doctor if you find any swelling bulge behind your knee.
Meniscus tear
The meniscus is a C-shaped cartilage disk in the knee. There are two menisci in either knee, one on the inner side and one on the outer side. Menisci work as shock absorbing cushions in the knees. If there is a meniscus tear, it leads to pain in the back of knee.
Arthritis
It results in inflammation of one or more joints causing pain and cartilage breakdown. Inflammation is occurred due to wear and tear of joint, muscle strains during forceful movements against stiff joints, and fatigue. Arthritis in the knee joint is a common cause of pain at the back of the knee.
Osteoarthritis
This condition is a form of Arthritis, which is very common in the UK. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint of the body, however; knee is most commonly affected by this disease. It affects the articular cartilage which acts as a defensive mechanism and tends to protect the knee bone. This condition results in inflammation and swelling of the knee.
Hamstring Injury
Hamstring is a group of four muscle tendons that runs along the back of the thigh. Hamstring strain or injury occurs when one of these tendons gets overloaded causing it to tear. You are likely to get a hamstring injury while playing football, basketball, tennis, running, dancing, stopping abruptly while in the middle of a sprint, etc. It takes around 6 to 12 weeks for the recovery of these muscle tendons.
Knee sprain
There are ligaments (tissues) in the knee that support the knee and hold the joint and bones together. Ligaments help you walk, twist and turn. Knee sprain occurs when one of these ligaments are torn as a result of sudden twisting of the knee joints, hit on the knee, etc.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
It is a clot in a vein in the calf muscle or knee back. It happens after surgery or after a long period of immobilization of leg. DVT can be fatal if not treated! Thus, it is important to see your doctor or surgeon if the discomfort persists.
Swollen knee treatment and remedies
If the pain in back of knee is unbearable and persistent then one should consult the doctor without any delay. However, if the condition is not severe and you are facing a discomfort or strain on knee then there are few ways to treat an inflamed, swollen or injured knee at home.
- Ice treatment can help to reduce the inflammation or after knee surgery pain. The coolness of ice has an analgesic effect that tends to reduce the pain, bleeding, and swelling of joints or muscles spasms. Place a piece of cloth over the swollen or inflamed part and apply an ice wrap for over 10 to 15 minutes. Frozen peas and crushed ice also work well as they tend to mold during ice treatment.
- Applying heat compression also works well for long-term knee injuries or conditions such as Arthritis. It helps to improve the blood flow which also results in bringing fresh blood to the inflamed area providing it fresh oxygen and nutrients to aid the healing process.
- The most effective treatment considered for knee pain is known as PRICE which infers Protect, Relax, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. The whole at home knee treatment is described with the word PRICE. For every injury it is not important to follow the PRICE treatment from scratch. Analyzing the injury and judgmental thinking will help to treat the knee effectively.
- People might think that exercising may aggravate the pain. However, the right kind of knee exercise routine can strengthen your knee muscles and bones. Look up some helpful knee exercises such as straight leg raises, Hamstring curls, calf raises, step ups, leg presses, knee aerobics, etc. It is important to see that you need to be very gentle during exercising as an aggressive workout can worsen your knee condition.
By following these remedies and exercises you can reduce the inflammation and swelling of your knee.