Patella Tendinitis

Patella tendinitis, also called jumper’s knee or knee tendinitis, is a serious condition that refers to the inflammation and even slight tearing of the tendons in your quadriceps, the muscles in the front of your thighs.

People can develop patella tendinitis for a variety of reasons, including:

• Rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis can be a factor in your risk for patella tendinitis.

• Excessive exercise can result in patella tendinitis.
• Repeated trauma can cause patella tendinitis.
• Strain can contribute to your development of patella tendinitis.

Many athletes – especially those playing soccer, basketball, football and volleyball – often develop patella tendinitis. Basketball players are known for coming down with patella tendinitis; after all, patella tendinitis is called jumper’s knee.

If you do come down with patella tendinitis, you will showcase the following symptoms. It would be a good idea to see your doctor if you have these signs of patella tendinitis:

• Pain when you move your patella, due to friction as the tendon moves over the knee, could be an indication you have patella tendinitis.
• Swelling due to fluid accumulation and inflammation will be present if you have patella tendinitis.
• Localized tenderness that increases as you move your knee could be an indicator of patella tendinitis.
• Increased warmth due to inflammation will result if you have patella tendinitis.

You can help control the pain of patella tendinitis symptoms – and decrease your risk for ever developing patella tendinitis – by doing the following:

• Apply heat before stretching and exercise and ice afterward to help relieve and prevent patella tendinitis symptoms.
• Strengthen the quadriceps and stretch the hamstrings effectively to help treat and prevent patella tendinitis.
• If you feel any pain, rest the knee joint for a few days to help prevent patella tendinitis.

If you have already developed patella tendinitis, you can use the RICE treatment to alleviate pain: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. You can also try the following for patella tendinitis relief:

• Compress and stabilize the joint with a patella splint to help treat and prevent patella tendinitis.
• Take oral anti-inflammatory agents, such as aspirin, ibuprophen, naproxen and glucosamine, to help ease symptoms of patella tendinitis.
• Gradually return to activities with gentle strengthening and stretching of the knee joint:

• Knee extension exercises can help strengthen the quadriceps muscles to relieve patella tendinitis pain. For example:

• Sit down.
• Slowly extend one leg so that it is as straight as possible.
• Hold this position and flex your foot so that you’re pointing your toes toward your head.
• Slowly lower your leg back down to the floor.
• Repeat these steps using your other leg.

• Knee flexion stretches – to stretch the quadriceps muscle and patella tendon – are especially effective at relieving patella tendinitis pain. For example:

• Stand up straight. You can hold onto a table or the back of a chair to help you balance effectively.
• Slowly bend your knee as far as possible. You may feel a burn in the backs of your thighs.
• Hold the position.
• Slowly lower your foot all the way back down to the floor.
• Repeat these steps using your other leg.

Use with ankle weights to increase the effectiveness of these exercises for patella tendinitis relief.

Also, you can visit FootSmart for a wide selection of knee supports – including knee braces, knee sleeves and patella straps – to help you treat and prevent patella tendinitis.

Information on foot, leg and lower body health conditions like patella tendinitis provided by The Podiatry Institute, dedicated to advancing the standard of care in podiatric medicine and its effects on musculoskeletal health.