Understanding Causes of Back of Knee Pain

Commonly, elderly people complain of knee pain characterized by swelling, inflammation and stiffness of joints. Doctors immediately predict the probable cause as rheumatoid arthritis or even osteoarthritis.In some instances, even younger adults also suffer from knee pain because they overstrain their knees through different physical activities such as walking,climbing, hiking or running. While some people have knee pain due to accumulation of uric acid, obesity or simply genetics. However,majority of these complaints show that the pain is situated on the front of the knees which is easier to diagnose. When people suffer from back of knee pain , the cause may even be worse since most back of knee pain is caused by injury .

One of the most common cause of back of knee pain is Bakers Cyst. Often, Bakers cyst is manifested by the following symptoms -swelling about the size of a golf ball, difficulties in bending at the joint, pain and tenderness after physical activity, and a sensation of pressure that can be felt all the way into the calf muscle. In most cases,a popliteal cyst is the source of Bakers cyst. Young people are physically active and remain unaware that a torn cartilage meniscus has already happened. As for the elderly, arthritis can be a possible cause for popliteal cyst. Nevertheless, Bakers cyst is not the only cause of back of knee pain.The following list shows some probable causes of back of knee pain .

Biceps Femoris Tendinopathy this develops when the hamstring tendons are inflamed .

Biceps Femoris Avulsion Avulsion of the biceps femoris tendon, simply, the tendons are fully pulled away from the bone.

Deep Vein Thrombosis / DVT- This is a blood clot in the vein that commonly happens post-surgery.

Inflammation of hamstring tendons / tendinitis The hamstring tendons become inflamed when they are inserted into the knee.

Posterior cruciate ligament sprain This happens when the knee is bended backward in a wrong way. As a result the posterior cruciate ligament is injured due to hyperextension.

Rupture of hamstring tendons / tendon strain Rupture or incomplete rupture of one of the hamstring tendons at the back of the joint.

Popliteus injury The popliteus muscle is overstrained leading to pain at the back of the knee.

There are still other likely sources of back of knee pain but the most ideal approach for treatment is consulting a medical professional.

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Posted in: Knee Pain,Pain Management