I would like to know how others live with a Baker’s (popliteal) cyst. I get swelling and stiffness that last for days after most runs. Are you doing anything special to reduce the swelling or are you modifying you’re training to minimize discomfort?
My running till 4 months ago was only during the triathlon. I have been putting in gradually more base miles over the last 16 weeks. In the last week I have added hill work. In a month I will add track work. My goal is a half-marathon in January. Additionally I keep up “off season” LT and power work on the bike.
I have seen an orthopedic doctor who diagnosed the Baker’s cyst. From his recommendation and all that I have read on the web the conclusion is if it doesn’t keep me from doing what I want then live with it rather than draining or surgery. From the x-rays and examination I don’t have any structural or arthritic issues that would be the root cause. I visited a podiatrist to make sure I have the proper shoe and arch support for my structure. He found no significant issues.
I had a similar situation. In 2005, I started having pain in my R knee while training for a marathon. I went to get an MRI, and I was diagnosed with cysts. My doc suggested not running and PT for 3 months, which I reluctantly did. I went to PT and stretched and stretched and stretched. Once I started running, I immediately felt the same pain. I received a cortisone shot, and then pain went away.
Flash forward to this July. I finished IMCDA in late June, and my first run back, I started feeling the same pain again. Went back to the doctors and new MRIs showed that I still had the cysts (although they shrank from the cortisone shot) and I also had a partial tear of my popliteal tendon; there were a bunch of mucus bubbles on the tendon that were breaking it down. The doc suggested another cortisone shot, which I just had 2 weeks ago. Pain has again subsided.
I think you should first try some sort of stretching regimen (if you are not already doing this) and if that does not provide relief, look into getting someone to prescribe you a cortisone shot if the stretching is not relieving the pain.
Stretch and deal with it basically. Stretch your hamstrings a lot.
If you drain it, it will come back. I had mine drained 4 times. If you have it removed, it still may come back.
Once you learn to manage it you will hardly ever notice it.