10 Knee-Slapper Secrets to Outsmarting Your Baker's Cyst

2. Corticosteroid Injection Medication

An individual who has a Baker's cyst and is experiencing significant pain as a result of the cyst may require corticosteroid medication. Baker's cyst causes damage and compression of surrounding tissues and structures. The patient's immune system reacts to this compression and injury with an inflammatory response. An inflammatory response includes blood vessel dilation to increase blood flow to the area. The increased circulation is so a rush of oxygenated blood and immune system components can effectively reach the site of the damage. This response causes the area around the cyst to swell up, become red and warm to the touch, and experience sensations of pain. While the inflammatory response has the intention of mediating and repairing cellular damage caused by the cyst, not all of its effects are beneficial in terms of a patient's symptoms. In such cases, medication may be required to inhibit the action of the inflammatory response to help with the reduction of pain and swelling. This type of treatment can be accomplished with the delivery of a type of medication called a corticosteroid through a syringe to the affected region. Corticosteroids work to put the brakes on an affected individual's immune system temporarily so they will not experience so much pain and swelling from the benign cyst.