What causes pain in the back of the leg behind the knee?

Some of the most common causes of pain behind the knee (posterior knee pain) include, Baker’s cyst, arthritis, infection, injury, tumor, or deep vein thrombosis. Since the knee is the largest and most complex joint in the body, it makes sense that it might hurt sometimes.

Can you strain a muscle behind your knee?

A hamstring strain happens when the muscle is stretched too far. The muscle can completely tear, which can take months to heal. When you injure your hamstring muscle, you’ll feel a sudden pain. Injuries to the biceps femoris — called biceps femoris tendinopathy — cause pain in the back of the knee.

What muscle goes behind the knee?

The popliteus is a small triangular muscle located at the back of your knee. It originates from your outer thigh bone (femur) and your meniscus and attaches to the back of your lower leg bone (tibia). Though it’s small in size, it has a huge role in knee function!

How do you pull a muscle behind your knee?

To speed the healing, you can:

  1. Rest the leg.
  2. Ice your leg to reduce pain and swelling.
  3. Compress your leg.
  4. Elevate your leg on a pillow when you’re sitting or lying down.
  5. Take anti-inflammatory painkillers.
  6. Practice stretching and strengthening exercises if your doctor/physical therapist recommends them.

How do you relieve muscle pain behind the knee?

Treatment for Pain Behind the Knee

  1. PRICE (protection, rest, ice, compression, elevation)
  2. Over the counter medications to reduce inflammation, such as aspirin or ibuprofen (NSAIDs)
  3. Wearing a knee braces.
  4. Exercise.
  5. Physical therapy.
  6. Weight loss.
  7. Cortisone injections (to reduce pain and inflammation)
  8. Surgery.

What ligament is in the back of the knee?

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). The ligament, located in the back of the knee, that controls backward movement of the tibia (shin bone).

What can cause pain in the back of the knee?

Pain in the back of the knee can be caused by arthritis or cysts, known as Baker’s cysts. Baker’s cysts are an accumulation of joint fluid (synovial fluid) that forms behind the knee. Overall knee pain can be due to bursitis , arthritis, tears in the ligaments, osteoarthritis of the joint, or infection.

What causes burning pain in the back of the knee?

The pain and burning sensation in the knees is often caused due to the damage to the structures in and around the knee joint. Wear and tear of knee joint cartilage is the most common reason. The other cause can be ligament tear, bursitis.

What is behind knee pain?

A strained or torn hamstring can lead to pain behind the knee. The hamstring is a long muscle that connects to tendons secured behind the knee, so when this muscle becomes injured, the pain may be felt anywhere along its length, including behind the knee.

What causes cramping behind the knee?

Dehydration, certain drugs, overuse, and brain or nerve diseases can also cause cramps. Other causes of cramping are pressure on the calf muscles or on the back of the knee, too much phosphorus, too little calcium, low blood sugar, or too little potassium in the body.