Musculoskeletal problems that occur behind the knee are among the most challenging. It may be caused by a muscle tear, tendon injury, nerve damage, or blood clot. A proper diagnosis is the key to properly managing this condition, as it is with most other issues as well. Accidents can cause bones to crack and tissues to tear. It is possible for your body to attack itself when you suffer from certain conditions. When you experience pain in your knee, you should consult your physician at a premier pain and spine clinic.
What’s Behind The Knee?
The knee back has complicated anatomy. The knee joint lies in the middle, as well as the thigh and calf muscles passing through this region. A large hamstring muscle originates from the pelvis and passes across the knee to attach to the lower leg bones. Moreover, the enormous Achilles tendon is formed by the large calf muscles located at the bottom of the thigh.
What Causes Knee Pain?
Injuries, inflammation, and infections of the knee joint can cause posterior knee pain.
A number of factors may contribute to it, including overuse, wear and tear, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cysts, and, in rare instances, cancer. Patellar tendonitis, also known as jumper’s knee, commonly occurs as a result of knee injuries. Symptoms of a tear in the tendon include swelling, stiffness, weakness, and difficulty bending or straightening the knee.
- Biceps Femoris Tendonitis
The hamstrings, which are located at the back of the thigh, can be used to bend your knee. Injuries to the hamstring are most commonly caused by overstretching during sports (strained or pulled hamstring). A torn hamstring, however, may take several months to heal.
- Baker’s Cyst
When you have arthritis or sustain a knee injury, your knee joint becomes inflamed and swollen, resulting in a Baker’s cyst, a fluid-filled sac behind your knee. As a result of this injury, you may experience swelling, stiffness, and difficulty bending or straightening your leg, in addition to posterior knee pain. A sudden and sharp pain will be experienced when the cyst bursts.
- Activity Worsens The Symptoms
An individual may experience sudden pain and swelling, bruising and weakness in their leg as a result of this condition. A gastrocnemius tendonitis (calf strain) occurs when there is an injury to the two muscles in your lower leg, the gastrocnemius and soleus.. In order to point your toes and bend your knees, you need them. Sporting activities that require you to change from standing to running (e.g. tennis or squash) can cause the gastrocnemius muscle to tear or be strained. Bruising, pain, and swelling are some of the most common symptoms of this condition.
- Meniscus Tear
As a cushion, the meniscus cartilage serves to stabilize your knee joint. Menisci are located on both sides of each knee. You may tear this cartilage if you participate in sports that require squatting or twisting your knees. During everyday activities, this cartilage can become weaker and more susceptible to tearing with age. A popping sound may be heard when it tears, but pain will not be felt immediately. Symptoms include knee pain, stiffness, swelling, weakness, and/or locking within a few days.
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury (Knee sprain)
The thigh-shin ligament runs along the back of knee pain and connects the thigh bone to the shin bone. Because it stabilizes your knee, you can move it smoothly. The MCL may be more likely to be damaged by blunt objects (e.g. during a car accident) than the ACL. When you walk, you may suffer a PCL injury if you twist your knee or miss a step. If enough pressure is applied to the ligament, it may rupture due to strain. The symptoms of posterior knee pain include stiffness, swelling, and a loss of strength in the knee joint. They are also accompanied by difficulties in walking.
- Chondromalacia
The condition of chondromalacia occurs when the cartilage in your knees wears down, causing your bones to rub against each other. Most commonly, injuries, age-related wear and tear, overuse, and arthritis are responsible for this condition. If you climb stairs or sit for long periods of time, you may experience a dull ache behind your kneecap (patella), difficulty moving your knee fully, weakness or giving way, and cracking or grinding sensations when you bend or straighten your knee.
- Hamstring Tendonitis
Located at the back of your thigh, your hamstrings assist in bending your knee. Your hamstrings are attached to your pelvis and knee by tendon attachments. These tendons can be inflamed as a result of repetitive knee bending activities or sports injuries. A stiffening of the tendons may also be caused by arthritis of the knee. Pain can occur as a result of inflamed or tight hamstrings, which prevents the knee from fully extending. The outer side of the knee may be painful due to the attachment of one of the hamstring tendons. Upon straightening your leg, you may feel pain or soreness.
- Meniscus Tear
An ankle joint consists of the femur (thigh) and the tibia (lower leg), which are connected by a ring of cartilage. A meniscus is located on both the inside and outside of the knee (front and back). Meniscus tears are most commonly found at the back of the knee. As a result of twisting injuries or wear and tear, the meniscus may tear. The pain in the knee caused by a torn meniscus is often sharp.
- Bone injury
The posterior knee is rarely affected by bone pain. Pathologies of the bones include osteoporosis, tibial stress fractures, and bone tumors. It can be difficult to diagnose bone tumors, which are rare causes of pain. Aside from bony tumors of the knee, other tumors can also cause knee pain. A number of tumor types can cause joint pain, including osteochondromas, osteosarcomas, chondroblastomas, enchondromas, pigmented villonodular synovitis, and synovial chondromatosis. A posterior knee pain was caused by an angiomyomatous hamartoma recently. This angiomyomatous hamartoma is located in a single popliteal lymph node.
Treatment
Managing your symptoms is the key to resolving simple causes of knee pain on your own. If knee pain results from an accident or injury, it is recommended that you consult a physician at lancaster pain management. You can treat your knee pain if it has just started and is not severe by:
- Rest is the temptation to engage in activities that may cause pain. Do not lift your knees.
- The first step is to apply ice. every hour for 15 minutes.Apply it four times a day beginning after the first day. Before applying ice to your knee, cover it with a towel. When using ice, avoid falling asleep. Frostbite can result from leaving it on too long.
- To minimize swelling, keep your knee elevated as much as possible. In most pharmacies, you can purchase elastic bandages or elastic sleeves. As a result, swelling may be reduced and support may be provided.
- The recommended medications to treat pain and swelling are ibuprofen (Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve). Pain can be relieved with acetaminophen (Tylenol), but swelling cannot be reduced.
- Consult your healthcare provider if you have a medical condition or have taken these medications for an extended period of time.
- When you’re sleeping, put a pillow between your knees or beneath them.
