Here Is What You Can Do for Back of Knee Pain When Bending

Knee Pain When Bent Back?

First you need to understand why exact your knee hurts when bent.

The first reason is it’s complex.

The knee has a lot of moving parts and you use them a lot. When you are using them so much, there are high chances something might go wrong.

Too much of one particular kind of motion, especially if you don't work up to it, can cause "overuse" injuries. Simple wear and tear is a problem, particularly as you age. 

Accidents can snap bones and tear tissue. In some conditions, your body attacks its own joints. Your doctor can help you in figuring out what's going on with your knee when it doesn't feel right.

We can categorize the causes of knee pain when bending it into two types:

Number 1. Weight-Bearing Knee Pain

Weight-bearing knee pain is when the weight is going through the knee as you bend it. For example, when you squat down, go up and down stairs and as you sit down in a chair.

Number 2. Non-Weight-Bearing Knee Pain

It is when there is no weight going over the knee when you bend it. For example, when you are sitting on a chair and moving the knee.

Related: How To Treat Osteoarthritis In Knee? 9 Simple Methods

Knee pain on bending inclines to be worse when there the weight is going through the knee as you bend it due to the firmness and pressure on the different parts of the knee.

It’s no surprise when you realize how complex the knee structure is and what amount of force goes through it in order to keep it up and running.

Here is fact for you. When you bend your knee in order to climb the stairs, a force roughly around three times of body weight goes through the knee.

When squatting down the force is even greater at seven times body weight and when jumping, a huge force ten times body weight goes through part of the knee.

What Are The Major Causes of Knee Pain When Bending?

Here are some of the major causes of knee pain when bending:

Number 1: Runner’s Knee

Don’t get misled by the name. This is a very common cause of knee pain when bending is just as likely to affect office going workers as runners or athletes.

What Is It: Runners Knee is an issue with how the knee cap moves and puts extra stress and friction on the cartilage as the knee bends and strengthens.

Causes: Muscle tightness or weakness or transformed biomechanics such as foot arches and hip angle.

Click here to learn more about runner’s knee and how to treat it without medication.

Number 2: Knee Bursitis

Bursa are small, fluid-filled pouches located between the bone and soft tissues to reduce the friction.

What Is It: Bursitis is swelling of one or more of the bursa located around the knee.

Causes: Repetitive or prolonged pressure, excessive friction, a fall or blow to the knee.

Symptoms: Knee pain when bending. The exact location will depend upon which bursa is affected.

Number 3: Housemaids Knee

Housemaids Knee is quite common among people who spend a lot of time kneeling. People face constant swelling which resulted in knee pain when bending.

What Is It: It is a swelling on the prepatellar bursa found just below the kneecap at the front of the knee.

Symptoms: You might feel front knee pain when bending and during straightening the knee. Swelling at the front of the knee can also happen.

Number 4: Bakers Cyst

What Is It: A Bakers Cyst is swelling of the semimembranosus bursa located at the back of the knee.

Causes: Excess fluid in the knee joint leaks back into the bursa and gathers resulting in swelling. Typically, Baker’s Cyst caused by arthritis but can develop with any ailment that causes swelling in the knee joint for example a cartilage tear or gout.

Symptoms: Difficulty and knee pain when bending and straightening the knee, feeling uncomfortable with activity and better when resting. People can repeatedly feel a small bulge at the back of their knee that feels like a water balloon.

How To Treat Back of Knee Pain When Bending?

Number 1: Managing Knee Pain

Knee pain when bending it is usually the result of inflammation which is a natural response by your immune system to manage damaged joint tissue.

Pain and swelling are completely normal and essential for proper joint healing. In spite of being “natural”, joint inflammation can harmfully influence your quality of life. 

Your knee may hurt so much that it ruins your day and makes day to day tasks even more difficult. In such situations, reducing soreness with NSAIDs, the R.I.C.E. method and exercise are frequently used to manage knee pain when bending in the short-term.

Number 2: Professional Knee Exam

Getting your knee evaluated by a healthcare professional is vital. This is even more important in case you have suffered a disturbing knee injury.

A conclusive diagnosis will give you peace of mind and help expedite the healing process.

Number 3: Getting Rid of Your Knee Pain When Bending Naturally

If you are fortunate, your knee pain may get better on its own with adequate rest. However, if not, you will need to involve in rehab exercises to overcome the injury. Physiotherapists specialize in providing exact exercises and treatment routines that increase the strength, stability, and mobility of your joint.