Wei Laboratories, Inc.
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What is a Baker’s Cyst?
A Baker's cyst is a fluid-filled cyst that causes a bulge and a feeling of tightness behind your knee. The pain can get
worse when you fully flex or extend your knee or when you're active.
A Baker's cyst, also called a popliteal cyst, is usually the result of a problem with your knee joint, such as arthritis or a
cartilage tear. Both conditions can cause your knee to produce too much fluid, which can lead to a Baker's cyst.
Although a Baker's cyst may cause swelling and make you uncomfortable, treating the probable underlying problem
usually provides relief.
Symptoms
In some cases, a Baker's cyst causes no pain, and you may not even notice it. If you do experience signs and
symptoms, you may notice:
• Swelling behind your knee, and sometimes in your leg
• Knee pain
• Stiffness
• Texture similar to a balloon filled with water
Causes
Synovial fluid circulates throughout your knee and passes in and out of various tissue pouches (bursae) throughout
your knee. A valve-like system exists between your knee joint and the bursa on the back of your knee (popliteal bursa).
This regulates the amount of synovial fluid going in and out of the bursa.
But sometimes the knee produces too much synovial fluid, resulting in buildup of fluid in the bursa and what is called a
Baker's cyst. This can be caused by:
• Inflammation of the knee joint, such as occurs with various types of arthritis
• Knee injury, such as a cartilage tear
Western medicine Treatments
Many times, no treatment is required and a Baker's cyst will disappear on its own.
If the cyst is very large and causes a lot of pain, the doctor may use the following treatments:
• Physical therapy. Icing, a compression wrap and crutches may help reduce pain and swelling. Gentle range-of
-motion and strengthening exercises for the muscles around your knee also may help to reduce your symptoms
and preserve knee function.
• Fluid drainage. Your doctor may drain the fluid from the knee joint using a needle. This is called needle aspiration
and is often performed under ultrasound guidance.
• Medication. the doctor may inject a corticosteroid medication, such as cortisone, into your knee to reduce
inflammation. This may relieve pain, but it doesn't always prevent recurrence of the cyst.
Typically though, doctors treat the underlying cause rather than the Baker's cyst itself.
If the doctor determines that a cartilage tear is causing the overproduction of synovial fluid, he or she may recommend
surgery to remove or repair the torn cartilage.
In some instances, particularly if you have osteoarthritis, the cyst may not go away even after your doctor treats the
underlying cause. If the cyst doesn't get better, causes pain and interferes with your ability to bend your knee, or if — in
spite of aspirations — fluid in the cyst recurs and hinders knee function, you may need to be evaluated for surgery to
remove the cyst.
Alternative Medicine
There is a significant progress using alternative medicine in this area.
If you want a referral of an expert alternative medicine practitioner in your
local area, please use our free referral service by calling our toll-free at
1-888-919-1188, or e-mail us to wei@weilab.com, or click the button
at the right to have us contact you.
Information gathered from the Mayo Clinic
A Baker's cyst is a fluid-filled cyst that causes a bulge and a feeling of tightness behind your knee. The pain can get
worse when you fully flex or extend your knee or when you're active.
A Baker's cyst, also called a popliteal cyst, is usually the result of a problem with your knee joint, such as arthritis or a
cartilage tear. Both conditions can cause your knee to produce too much fluid, which can lead to a Baker's cyst.
Although a Baker's cyst may cause swelling and make you uncomfortable, treating the probable underlying problem
usually provides relief.
Symptoms
In some cases, a Baker's cyst causes no pain, and you may not even notice it. If you do experience signs and
symptoms, you may notice:
• Swelling behind your knee, and sometimes in your leg
• Knee pain
• Stiffness
• Texture similar to a balloon filled with water
Causes
Synovial fluid circulates throughout your knee and passes in and out of various tissue pouches (bursae) throughout
your knee. A valve-like system exists between your knee joint and the bursa on the back of your knee (popliteal bursa).
This regulates the amount of synovial fluid going in and out of the bursa.
But sometimes the knee produces too much synovial fluid, resulting in buildup of fluid in the bursa and what is called a
Baker's cyst. This can be caused by:
• Inflammation of the knee joint, such as occurs with various types of arthritis
• Knee injury, such as a cartilage tear
Western medicine Treatments
Many times, no treatment is required and a Baker's cyst will disappear on its own.
If the cyst is very large and causes a lot of pain, the doctor may use the following treatments:
• Physical therapy. Icing, a compression wrap and crutches may help reduce pain and swelling. Gentle range-of
-motion and strengthening exercises for the muscles around your knee also may help to reduce your symptoms
and preserve knee function.
• Fluid drainage. Your doctor may drain the fluid from the knee joint using a needle. This is called needle aspiration
and is often performed under ultrasound guidance.
• Medication. the doctor may inject a corticosteroid medication, such as cortisone, into your knee to reduce
inflammation. This may relieve pain, but it doesn't always prevent recurrence of the cyst.
Typically though, doctors treat the underlying cause rather than the Baker's cyst itself.
If the doctor determines that a cartilage tear is causing the overproduction of synovial fluid, he or she may recommend
surgery to remove or repair the torn cartilage.
In some instances, particularly if you have osteoarthritis, the cyst may not go away even after your doctor treats the
underlying cause. If the cyst doesn't get better, causes pain and interferes with your ability to bend your knee, or if — in
spite of aspirations — fluid in the cyst recurs and hinders knee function, you may need to be evaluated for surgery to
remove the cyst.
Alternative Medicine
There is a significant progress using alternative medicine in this area.
If you want a referral of an expert alternative medicine practitioner in your
local area, please use our free referral service by calling our toll-free at
1-888-919-1188, or e-mail us to wei@weilab.com, or click the button
at the right to have us contact you.
Information gathered from the Mayo Clinic
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