Baker's Cyst

[MullacT]

Hey everyone

 

So I've been noticing lately that whenever I squat reasonably heavy my knee tends to swell up a little and lose most of its power. I just dissmissed it as a minor injury caused from playing basketball earlier in the year however a friend of mine has alluded me to a condition known as Baker's cyst. Basically its a buildup of synovial fluid in a sack behind the knee and when excess pressure is placed on the joint it can slip between it to the front of the patella and potentially burst.

Just wondering if anyone has had this before or know of anyone who has had it, and what did you/they do to remedy the problem? At the moment its keeping me from increasing weight on the rack becuase I don't want it to burst and put me on my ass for however many months.

 

Any help would be hugely appreciated

 

Cheers!

[Dinahlady]

Hey ,

Don't be too hasty - it could be a number of problems medical or biomechanical - imo you should go to a physio or some other professional (doctors will prob just refer you to physio) to get it checked and they should also be able to give you advice for their diagnosis (eg icing or resting, rehab or surgery). You can probably get ACC and if you aren't happy with the physios work/diagnosis just don't go back for repeat appointments and find another physio/opinion. 

 

 

 

 

 

[OnlyHuman]

I think there is a few thing to consider in your case. 

First of all the location of the swealling. If it is a true Baker's cyst than the swealling would be located in the posterior aspect of your knee (back of the knee). It would be palpable and tender to pressure. It be irritated by squatting sitting etc... It is a weaking of the capsule, the synovial membrane ends up protruding trough it. Thus bending you knee eg: squatting would usually irritate it due to increased pressure driving the protrusion out.  

I think the most important thing in your case is getting diagnosed profesionally as opposed to by "a mate" (no offence to your friend) . There are other things that can casue swealling in the knee and if it is indeed due to one of those other reasons than you would need to take a different route in addressing your problem. 

I advise you to get it looked at by someone qualified to access your knee. It will not take much of your time or financial resources and than at least you will get to know for sure whats going on and route to take to sort it out. It is a fairly easy process to diagnose and a professional could whiz through it by some casehistory taking and a few orthopedic test +/- ultrasound depending on your case. Get it looked at, this guessing game is not the best way to aproach it.

If it is indeed a Baker's cyst it can be drained (thus reliving the pressure, but sometimes it still comes back.) If you were playing BBall earlier you could have pinged or have a small tear in  your meniscus that will also casue swealling (as well as posibility for other structures to being irritated etc). A few simple orthopedic test would be able to differentiate between them. Get it looked at, let us know. 

Just my opinion ... good luck. 

 

 

[MullacT]

Thanks to both of you for the prompt replies! I will get it checked out next week and let ya's know what the proffessional opinion is.

 

Cheers!