Out of nowhere, it might seem, your knee hurts. In fact, it hurts so badly that you can't bend it or straighten it out. You get a cane. You wonder what is happening.
It could be a Baker's cyst, or popliteal cyst, which can cause knee pain, swelling in your leg and behind your knee and stiffness, which causes pain when the knee is bent. It can even prevent you from bending your knee altogether.
These cysts are created when the fluid that lubricates the knee joint builds up and the fluid moves to the back of the knee. This can happen from arthritis, injury or gout.
While some Baker's cysts go away on their own, others linger, causing pain and discomfort.
There are treatments for these cysts. Steroids can help decrease inflammation. A doctor can also drain the cyst. But if the cyst is causing severe pain, surgery to remove the cyst is usually recommended.
See a doctor immediately if the leg turns red or darker and starts to swell. Cysts can burst, leaking fluid into the leg.