What Is The Cause Of Knee Pain Behind The Knee?

Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cysts, or in very rare cases, cancer can cause posterior knee pain, among other causes. 

• Leg Cramps

Leg cramps occur when your leg muscles become tight. An unexpected muscle spasm can cause pain that lasts from a few seconds to up to ten minutes. Several hours after the spasm, your muscles may feel sore.

Exercise and pregnancy are the most common causes of leg cramps. In addition, they may also be caused by:

• Dehydration
• Liver disease
• Infections eg tetanus
• Blood toxins, such as lead or mercury
• Nerve problems in the legs

• Jumper's Knee

Often associated with sports, patellar tendonitis occurs when a tendon in the knee is injured. You may experience swelling, stiffness, weakness, and difficulty bending and straightening your knee when the tendon develops tiny tears.

• Baker's Cyst

In Baker's cysts, a fluid-filled sac develops behind your knee, causing your knee to become swollen and inflamed as a result of arthritis or a knee injury. 

Symptoms of posterior knee pain include swelling, stiffness, and difficulty bending or straightening your leg. You will feel a sudden, sharp pain that comes and goes if the cyst bursts, and your symptoms are likely to worsen with activity. 

You may experience sudden pain and swelling, bruising, and weakness in your legs as a result of this condition.

• Meniscus Tear

You have a meniscus cartilage in your knee joint that acts as a cushion to stabilize the joint. Menisci are located on each side of your knees. You may tear this cartilage if you play sports that require you to squat or twist your knee. As the cartilage ages, it becomes weaker and is more susceptible to tearing during everyday activities due to twisting motions. 

If it tears, you may hear a popping sound, but you will not feel any pain immediately. Over the next few days, knee pain will develop, as well as stiffness, swelling, weakness, and/or locking.

• Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a ligament that runs along the front of the knee and connects the thigh bone to the shinbone. It allows you to move your knee smoothly by stabilizing it. When playing sports that involve sudden braking, stopping, or changing directions while running (e.g. football), ACL injuries are common. Additionally, your ACL may be damaged if you land badly after a jump or if you are struck by a blunt object in the knee. On injury, you may hear a popping sound followed by immediate pain and swelling. Walking and bending your knees may be difficult for you.

• Chondromalacia

When the cartilage in your knee wears down, your bones rub against each other. Chondromalacia is the result. The most common causes include injuries, wear and tear as a result of aging, overuse and arthritis. Symptoms include a dull ache behind your kneecap (patella) that may worsen when climbing stairs or sitting for a prolonged period of time, difficulty moving your knee throughout its full range, weakness or give way to your knee, and cracking or grinding sensations when bending or straightening your knee.

• Arthritis

As a result of cartilage in the knee wearing away, arthritis causes inflammation of the joints. In addition to anterior knee pain, there are several different types of arthritis that can affect your knee: 

• Osteoarthritis — the most common type of arthritis caused by deterioration of cartilage in the joints

• Psoriatic arthritis — an inflammatory disease that causes scaly skin and joint pain

• Rheumatoid arthritis — a condition in which the body's immune system attacks its own joints
• Lupus, an autoimmune disorder associated with arthritis, can also cause knee pain as a result of joint inflammation.

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (Dvt)

The term deep vein thrombosis refers to a blood clot that develops in a deep vein in the leg. As a result, you experience leg pain, especially when you stand up. You may experience posterior knee pain if this occurs in a vein behind your knee (popliteal vein thrombosis). Redness, swelling, and warmth are other symptoms of a DVT.

• Hyperextension

When playing sports, hyperextension occurs when the knee is bent too far backward. You may also experience weakness in your knee and a feeling of unsteadiness in addition to posterior knee pain.

When To Contact A Doctor

Doctors should be consulted if:

• Sharp stabbing pain in knee that comes and goes

• Inflammation and swelling of the knee

• Stinging pain on outside of knee when kneeling

• Fever develops

• Pain in knee when hiking 

People with a history of blood clots should also schedule an appointment with a healthcare professional.

People with symptoms of DVT should seek treatment as soon as possible. As a result, blood clots may travel to the lungs and cause pulmonary embolisms. A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the lungs

Tips For Quick Relief

You should

• Rest the knee until it heals.
• Several times a day, place ice on it for 20 minutes at a time.
• To support the knee, wear a compression bandage that is not too tight.
• Elevate the injured knee with a pillow or several pillows.
• The knee should be supported by crutches or a cane.
• In order to relieve pain, you can take over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin (Bufferin), ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Naprosyn).

Summary

The back of the knee can become painful for a variety of reasons. There are a number of reasons why a person may experience knee pain when walking and straightening their leg, including blood clots, muscle or tendon injuries, arthritis, or cysts.

Most of these conditions can be treated with physical therapy, rest, and pain medications, but in some cases, surgery may be required.