Baker's Cyst

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A Baker's cyst is a condition in which you experience a bulge and a feeling of tightness behind your knee. Problems with your knee joint, such as arthritis or a cartilage tear can cause your knee to produce too much fluid, which can lead to a Baker's cyst. Up to one in five people with other knee problems may develop a Baker's cyst.

In some cases, a Baker's cyst causes no pain and may go unnoticed. If you do experience signs and symptoms, you may notice swelling behind your knee, and sometimes in your leg, knee pain and stiffness.

A door hinge needs oil to swing smoothly, to reduce the friction between its moving parts and to minimize wear and tear. Similarly, the cartilage and tendons in your knees rely on a lubricating fluid called synovial fluid. This fluid helps your legs swing smoothly and reduces friction between the moving parts of your knees.

But sometimes the knee produces too much synovial fluid. Most commonly this is caused by an inflammation of the knee joint, such as occurs with various types of arthritis. If you're experiencing pain and swelling behind your knee, see your doctor to determine the cause. Treating the underlying condition usually relieves the swelling and discomfort of a Baker's cyst.

Many times, no treatment is required and a Baker's cyst will disappear on its own. If the cyst is very large and causes a lot of pain, your doctor may use the following treatments:

• Physical therapy. Icing, a compression wrap, and crutches may help reduce pain and swelling. Gentle range-of-motion and strengthening exercises for the muscles around your knee may also help to reduce your symptoms and preserve knee function.
  
• Fluid drainage. Your doctor may drain the fluid from the knee joint using a needle. This is called needle aspiration.
  
• Medication. Your doctor may inject a corticosteroid medication, such as cortisone, into your knee to reduce inflammation. This may relieve pain, but it doesn't always prevent recurrence of the cyst.
  

In some instances, particularly if you have osteoarthritis, the cyst may not go away even after your doctor treats the underlying cause. If the cyst doesn't get better, causes pain and interferes with your ability to bend your knee, or if in spite of aspirations, fluid in the cyst hinders knee function, you may need to be evaluated for surgery to remove the cyst.

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Source: www.mayoclinic.com