Symptoms
If some part of your leg hurts and you’re walking around with a limp, the poor mechanics will cause swelling to form behind your knee. This is called a Baker’s cyst. You’ve got to get rid of the limp if you want to get rid of the swelling and the pain. I’ll take you through your recovery step by step (wink) in the full PT video, teaching you stretches and good mechanics to reverse this condition within days.
Treatment
The discomfort from a baker’s cysts can easily be eliminated with one simple stretch. To get to the source of the issue and make sure that it doesn’t come back takes a few more exercises, none of which are strenuous, but which will get the job done promptly.
Related
Video Transcript: BAKER’S CYST
A pocket of swelling in the back of your knee will very commonly form if you’re walking around with even a slight limp. A Surgeon, Dr. Baker, back in the 1800’s was first to describe it. Thus be it named, the “Baker’s cyst”. the swelling at the back of your knee will make it painful to fully bend or extend your knee, and it will feel very tight. The seated hamstring stretch is the number one most effective exercise to help recover from and prevent getting a Baker’s cyst. my name is Josie, I’m a licensed physical therapist, and I created insight into injury to help empower people with knowledge about their body so that they can feel their very best. I hope to help you get your knee feeling better, starting today. To do the seated hamstring stretch, take a seat in a chair or on the couch or your bed. Just be sure the chair doesn’t have wheels or could easily slide back. And be sure your feet easily touch the ground. You’ll need to sit on the edge of the seat so that you can have one leg in a straight line from your hip to your heel, and have that heel touch the ground. Your other leg should be bent with your foot firmly planted on the ground. On the leg that is straight, make sure your toes are pointed straight up. Place your hands on your legs for support, and lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back of your straight leg. That stretch could run from your heel up to your back. That’s a good thing! a bit of painful stretching is normal if you are dealing with a baker’s cyst. it is totally fine to proceed- encouraged in fact!- just do so gently to a tolerable level. I have tons of confidence that this stretch alone will help to shrink your Baker’s cyst. but, we really need to also address whatever it is that caused the cyst to form in the first place. Please, check out my website insight into injury.com under the ‘what hurts’ section and explore the different diagnosis’s of the knee, calf, ankle, and foot. A Baker’s cyst is indicative of some other problem in your lower leg, so lets gets started working on that today too!. again, I’m Josie, and I hope these videos and exercise programs I made for you help you feel your very best.