Baker’s Cyst (Symptoms & Treatments)

All You Need To Know About Baker’s Cyst (Symptoms & Treatments)

Baker’s Cysts are a problem for people who suffer from Arthritis or have recently had a knee injury. Simply put, a Bakers Cyst is a fluid filled cyst that forms behind the knee.

How Synovial Joints Work?

A synovial joint works mostly because of the synovial fluid. The synovial fluid allows the joint to move without causing friction. The fluid in the joints keeps them lubricated and cushions them from the impact of everyday life.A

lthough the joint needs the Synovial Fluid to function correctly, too much synovial fluid can cause problems like inflammation and Baker’s Cysts.

What are the Symptoms of Baker’s Cysts?

these are the symptoms you may experience are as follows:

Swelling behind your knee

Stiff knee joints

Loss of a range of motion in your knee joint

If you find yourself experiencing any of these symptoms I’d recommend that you see a doctor as soon as possible. 

What are the Causes of Baker’s Cysts?

The main cause of Baker’s Cysts is when the synovial fluid builds up in the back of the knee causing a cyst. The buildup of fluid can be caused by a number of reasons. The main reason for the fluid buildup is usually from joint inflammation.

As you know, joint inflammation is most likely caused by a form of Arthritis. If you have Arthritis it’s likely that you’ll get a Baker’s Cyst at some point.

Baker’s Cysts can also be caused by a knee injury.

However, there are times when a Baker’s Cyst can become problematic. There’s a possibility that your cyst may burst and leak synovial fluid down your calf. Your Baker’s Cyst may have burst if you experience any of the following symptoms:

A sharp pain in your knee

Your calf swells up

Your calf becomes red

You feel the sensation of water running down your calf

Although the Baker’s Cyst bursting isn’t a risk the symptoms like redness and swelling in your legs can be a sign of a blood clot – it’s better to be safe than sorry.

How is a Baker’s Cyst Diagnosed?

If you think you have a Baker’s Cyst then your doctor will most likely diagnose it by carrying out a physical exam. However, your doctor might carry out further tests on you to rule out the possibility of a blood clot, tumor or an aneurysm. Those tests might include:

An X-Ray

An MRI Scan

An Ultrasound Scan

What are the Treatments of Baker’s Cysts?

Normally the Baker’s Cyst will actually just go away on its own and you won’t require any treatment for it. However, if your Baker’s Cyst is particularly big, painful or uncomfortable, then your doctor might prescribe one of the following treatments:

Medication such as a corticosteroid injection into the cyst itself. This may relieve the inflammation and pain but it won’t make your Baker’s Cyst go away.

Fluid Drainage may be an option. Your doctor will insert a needle into the cyst and drain the fluid from it using ultrasound to find where your Baker’s Cyst is. Removing the fluid will make it a lot less painful and uncomfortable.

Physical therapy is a likely choice. This could be anything from using ice to reduce the swelling, compression therapy or even using a range of motion exercises to strengthen the knee.

How to Prevent Baker’s Cysts?

The best way to prevent Baker’s Cysts is to exercise. It may be a bit difficult to exercise, especially if you’ve injured your knee and it’s painful or if you have arthritis. Fortunately, there are exercises and stretches that will help you to prevent Baker’s Cysts.

By doing a range of motion exercises and stretches, you’ll be able to strengthen the knee and the muscles around it. If your knee is stronger and more flexible you’re less likely to cause damage to it in the future and so preventing a Baker’s Cyst from forming.

If your Baker’s Cyst becomes a chronic thing then the only option may be knee surgery. The knee surgery will repair the damage to the joint and prevent Baker’s Cysts in the future.

Conclusion

Although Baker’s Cysts are often symptom free and you might not even notice them, they can be uncomfortable, painful or even debilitating. By keeping your knee and the muscles around it strong and flexible you’re less likely to cause the damage that can cause a Baker’s Cyst. However, it may be that you need to have knee surgery if you have a chronic case.

There’s nothing particularly harmful with a Baker’s Cyst. They usually go on their own. However, some of the symptoms could be a sign of something more severe. If you do experience any of the symptoms of a Baker’s Cyst that are listed above, particularly redness and swelling in your legs, then you should see your doctor immediately.

The key things to take away about Baker’s Cysts is to keep your knee strong and flexible with the range of motion exercises and stretches and inform your doctor immediately if you have any of the symptoms.