If The Back Of Your Knee Feels Tight Or Stiff:
You may have Osgood Schlatters Disease. This is an inflammation of the area just below your knee where the tendon of the kneecap attaches to the shinbone. It occurs during growth spurts or times when bones, muscles, and tendons are changing rapidly. Other symptoms include knee pain and tenderness or swelling.
How Is Sciatica In The Knee Diagnosed
To make a diagnosis and determine the cause, your doctor will review your medical history and perform a physical exam.
To diagnose sciatica, your doctor will tap on the area around the top of your tibia. This is where the nerve in your knee is located. You probably have a pinched peroneal nerve if you feel shooting pain down your leg.
Diagnosing sciatica also involves getting an X-ray so that the doctor can check for fractures or abnormal masses in your knee.
A knee MRI can confirm the diagnosis and show details of the fractures or other issues in the bones, including masses within the nerves.
The doctor will also test your muscles using electromyography and do a nerve conduction test to determine how fast signals travel along a nerve for a more accurate diagnosis.
Sciatica can be mistaken for the runners knee. Make to get a proper diagnosis from a doctor or therapist.
This medical condition can have several underlying causes, such as cysts and tumors. Injuries in the hip joint may also cause it. Make sure to seek medical care when pain in the knee is reoccurring more than usual.
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Treatment And Prevention Tips For Pain Behind The Knee
When you experience knee pain that doesnt go away within a day or two, you should seriously consider health care. Here are a few tips on protecting your knee in situations where you might have a minor knee injury or experience reoccurring knee problems.
- Avoid activities that cause pain
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When Should I See A Doctor
If pain is interfering with normal daily life activities, it is time to talk to a doctor about the problem. It is important to diagnose the cause of the pain quickly and begin treatment to relieve pain and maintain healthy, functioning joints.
You should see a doctor if:
- Pain is accompanied by a fever
- There is unexplained weight loss
- Pain is preventing you from walking normally
During the appointment, the doctor will ask many questions to figure out what may be the cause of the pain. The patient should be ready to answer questions about previous injuries to the joint, when the joint pain began, a family history of joint pain, and the type of pain experienced.
An examination of the affected joint will follow to see if there is pain or limited motion. The doctor will also look for signs of injury to the surrounding muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
If necessary, the doctor may also order X-rays or blood tests. X-rays can show if there is joint deterioration, fluid in the joint, bone spurs, or other issues that may be contributing to the pain. Blood tests will help confirm a diagnosis or rule out other diseases that may be causing the pain.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 03/28/2018.
References
Symptoms Of Quadriceps Tendonitis
The most common symptom of quadriceps tendonitis is pain at the bottom of the thigh, above the patella . The pain will intensify as you move your knee.
Other symptoms of quadricep tendonitis include:
- Swelling around the quad tendon
- Sensitivity to touch
- Warmth or burning pain in the affected area
- Stiffness in the knee in the early morning
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Hamstring And Calf Muscle And Tendon Injuries
The hamstrings muscles are a group of large muscles that run the length of the upper legs, ending at the knee. The calf muscles are the beefy muscles that run behind the lower legs, starting at the knee.
There are tendons in the hamstrings and calf muscles that connect these muscles to the bone just behind the knee. So your back of knee pain could be caused by an injury or problem in these muscles or tendons. An additional sign of this problem might be chronically tight hamstrings or calf muscles that you constantly feel like you need to stretch or roll out .
And even further up the line, if you have hamstrings or calf muscles that wont let go and are always tight, it could be your back, not your hamstrings or your knee, thats the true cause of the problem . How does that work? Check out the video which explains the connection.
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Causes Of Quadriceps Tendonitis
A majority of quadriceps tendonitis injuries are due to overuse from playing sports such as volleyball, running or soccer. Quick turns, starts, stops, jumping and running contribute to quadriceps tendonitis.
Other factors that contribute to quadriceps tendonitis:
- Excessive frequency, intensity or duration of training
- Inappropriate footwear
- Misalignment of the foot, ankle or leg
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Sciatic Nerve Links The Back To The Legs
The most common back ailments that cause pain in the knees are related to the sciatic nerve. If you have back pain and feel a shooting sensation originating from your lower back running down your leg and through your knee, your sciatic nerve is to blame.
As the longest and largest nerve that runs through the body, the sciatic nerve if damaged or compromised can cause debilitating pain. The condition is called sciatica, and it is often the byproduct of a degenerative nerve condition or an injury .
When any part of the spine puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, the result may be shooting pain or a tingling sensation that travels from the back down to your hips, buttocks, knees, and feet.
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Causes Of Pain In The Back Of The Knee
The back of the knee is composed of various muscles, bones, ligaments, nerves and arteries. See this image to get a visual representation of the knee and all of its parts. The knee also contains fluid that lubricates and protects the joint. Many different processes can result in damage or injury to these components and cause pain in the back of the knee.
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What Are The Most Common Causes Of Upper Leg Pain
The most common causes of upper leg pain are hamstring injury, thigh injury, and overuse. In addition, upper leg pain can be caused by injuries to the sciatic nerve, a pulled muscle, and referred pain from the hip. Treatment regimens for upper leg pain is based on the cause. For example, pain related to sciatic nerve injury includes rest and pain medication. Upper leg pain related to a hamstring injury is often relieved by alternating hot and cold packs, temporarily resting the leg and taking anti-inflammatory medications.
Often, upper leg pain is temporary, and the cause is sometimes never determined. In these cases, no further treatment is usually indicated. When upper leg pain becomes severe and intrudes with activities of daily living, however, further medical evaluation is recommended.
Diagnostic tests to determine the cause of upper leg pain include traditional x-rays, CAT scans, or MRI evaluation. When no cause can be identified, chronic upper leg or thigh pain might benefit from physical therapy. The physical therapist can recommend a series of exercises to strengthen the muscles of the leg and surrounding structures to help reduce pain and weakness.
How To Know If Your Knee Pain Comes From Your Spine
Many people assume knee pain is always caused by a problem in the knee joints. However, that is not necessarily the case. If youre suffering knee pain or discomfort, there is a possibility that a problem with your spine is the cause.
So how do you know if your knee pain comes from your spine? The muscles around your knees are connected to the nerves in your lower spine so if these nerves are irritated or compressed, your knees may be affected by symptoms such as intermittent back pain, hamstring tightness, weakness in the hips or quads, and the development of bunions on your feet.
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Tendinopathy And Muscle Complex Injuries
Tendon injuries are associated with repetitive mechanical stresses that cause degenerative lesions. Hamstrings, gastrocnemius, and popliteus tendon typically cause posterior knee pain.
The hamstrings are frequently injured in sports that require sprinting. Semimembranosus tendinopathy usually presents as an aching pain localized to the posteromedial knee with tenderness on palpation inferior to the joint. Some of the possible risk factors for hamstring injury include body mechanics, flexibility, balance, hamstring strength, improper warm-up, fatigue, specific activities, running techniques, and psychosocial factors.
The gastrocnemius muscles superficial location and action across the knee and ankle make it susceptible to injury. Pain in the gastrocnemius occurs during knee flexion with resistance and during calf raises.
The popliteus muscle can also be a significant source of posterior knee pain. Both the muscular and tendinous aspects of the popliteus can be injured. Injuries to the popliteus may promote injuries to other structures in the postero-lateral complex and to ligaments of the knee. The mechanism of injury is thought to occur from direct stretch or when overused to maintain posterolateral stability. Guha et al. suggested that a stable knee with posterolateral pain and hemarthrosis on exam indicates a rupture of the popliteus tendon.
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What Does Arthritic Knee Pain Feel Like
It can feel as if you have a pain in your knee whether you are in the front or back. If you move your knee in a certain way, such as down stairs, you may experience more pain. People wake up in the middle of the night because they feel pain.
The Many Treatments Of Arthritis
There are numerous ways to treat arthritis, but there is no cure. Even after youve had joint surgery, its still critical to manage arthritis to alleviate pain in your knees. If your arthritis causes limitations in your daily activities or movements, you may be eligible for disability benefits.
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Treating With Ice Or Heat
Heat or ice can be beneficial in the management of musculoskeletal pain.
Ice is most beneficial if your thigh problem is related to an injury. You can try heat to help your pain levels if there’s no swelling and your symptoms are not related to a recent injury.
Never place ice or heat directly on your skin. Use a barrier, like a towel, to protect your skin from a burn.
How long you use ice as a treatment can vary. However, you should generally apply heat or ice for up to 15 minutes. You should also leave a few hours between treatments.
You should stop treating the area with ice or heat and seek advice from a medical professional if you notice an increase in redness, discolouration or blistering of the skin.
If you have any issues with circulation or sensation, you shouldn’t use ice or heat as a treatment for thigh pain.
Proper Diagnosis Essential To Treatment
The doctor will ask you about your symptoms, such as:
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When the pain started
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Where you feel the pain
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Activities that reduce or worsen pain and symptoms
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Whether the pain goes all the way down your leg or stops at the knee
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Is there weakness or tingling in your legs and/or feet?
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How severe your pain is, on a scale of 1 to 10
The doctor may perform a straight-leg test to see if you have an inflamed nerve. You lie on your back while the doctor lifts each leg. If lifting a leg causes, or produces sciatic-like pain and sensations, you may have a bulging or ruptured disc.
The doctor may ask you to walk as you normally do, then on your heels and next, your toes. This helps the doctor to check your balance and aspects of lower-body strength. Compression of the nerve can cause muscle weakness in the foot which will be revealed by these tests.
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What Else Could It Be
Only your doctor can tell for sure if your symptoms are sciatica. There are many other structures in the spine that can cause similar types of pain. For instance, the joint between the pelvic and sacrum , the lowest part of the spine can cause pain in the buttock. You may also feel sciatica-like pain if you sprain a low back facet joint, which are the connecting joints in the back part of the spine. A tear in a disc can cause pain down into the leg. The hip joint can occasionally cause pain in the thigh.
Can Knee Pain Come From Your Spine
Most people assume if they have knee pain, it is due to a problem with the knee joint. This is not always the case. While the discomfort can be due to a knee condition, it can also be the result of a disc protrusion or a pinched nerve in your lower back. Working with your healthcare provider and a physical therapist can help determine if that is the case.
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Accurate Diagnosis Is Key
If your physician examines your hip joint and notes no hip pain, and then examines your back and notes leg pain, the spine is usually the source of the problem. Some people may have localized hip pain without leg pain, but are found to have a normal hip and an abnormal spine. Others may have only leg pain, but are found to have an abnormal hip and a normal spine. Therefore, in addition to a good physical examination, imaging is important. Plain X-rays may be helpful, but sometimes an MRI is needed as well. If imaging does not determine the source of the pain, the next step would typically be to perform an injection of pain-relieving medication directly into the area suspected of causing pain. Whether you get pain relief from the injection can help your physician better understand where the pain is coming from.
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Treating A Bakers Cyst
Treatment will not usually be necessary if you have a Bakers cyst that is not causing any symptoms.
Painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can be used to reduce the swelling and relieve any pain. Bandages or an ice pack may also help. A bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel works well as an ice pack.
If you have an underlying condition thats causing your cyst, its important that the condition is properly managed. The cyst may disappear when the condition causing it has been treated.
In some cases, it may be possible to drain the cyst. Surgery may also be needed to repair any significant damage around the knee joint.
Page last reviewed: 11 June 2018 Next review due: 11 June 2021
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Can Arthritic Knee Cause Thigh Pain
The knee is a weight-bearing joint that is susceptible to a variety of conditions that can lead to pain and disability. One of these conditions is arthritis, which is a degenerative disease of the joint. Arthritis can cause pain and stiffness in the knee joint, and may also cause pain in the thigh. The exact cause of the pain is unknown, but it is believed to be due to inflammation of the joint capsule or the muscles and tendons that surround the knee joint. Treatment for arthritis of the knee includes weight-loss, exercise, and pain relief medication. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to replace the damaged joint.
An inflamed knee joint caused by arthritis may be painful and painful. Although sudden onset of pain is also possible, it is common for pain to develop slowly over time. There are other symptoms as well, such as joint swelling that makes it difficult to bend and straighten the knee.
Its possible that arthritis of the knee will weaken your calf, thigh, and hip muscles, but theres no evidence of pain in either area.
A sharp or dull pain, frequently falling down or up the leg, stiffness, knee swelling, and weakness and or inability to bend or straighten the leg are all possible symptoms of keratophysealis. The body may experience popping and crunching noises, tingling, numbness, pins, and needles.
Does Back Pain Cause Knee Pain
As one of the most complex joints in the body, the knee allows the entire leg to move, flex, and have a good range of motion. Meanwhile, with its vertebrae and shock-absorbing discs, the back has a myriad of responsibilities it holds you physically together and secures the high-speed conduit for your complex and delicate nervous system.
Together, the knees and the back provide flexibility, motion, and support. However, they also rely on each other to maintain balance and equilibrium. Therefore, when your back hurts, so might your knees.
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Can Thigh Pain Cause Problems Anywhere Else
You may feel some pain in the muscles around your hip, knee or calf. This should improve as your thigh problem gets better.
If you experience these for longer than 6 weeks, you may need to speak to a healthcare professional.
Occasionally, problems felt in your thigh can be due to a back problem – even though you don’t feel pain in your back. People with this sort of problem often describe the pain as pins and needles, sharp, hot or burning pain.
If you have any of these symptoms it would be helpful to read about back problems.