Patellar Tendinitis (Jumper's Knee)

JRstriker12

JRstriker12

Hall of Fame
Think I came down with some patellar tendinitis in my right knee. I've been playing a bunch recently and have started playing singles again since I am now playing outdoors instead of doubles indoors.

The pain is basically right where the patella tendo, attaches to the top of the shin. The pain goes away after a warm up, but I"ll have hell to pay later after my game if I play on it.

Besides the basic R.I.C.E mehtod, any suggestions for treatment?

Anyone have patella tendinitis? How long did it take to heal up 100%?

Do those patella straps really work?
 
JRstriker12 said:
Think I came down with some patellar tendinitis in my right knee. I've been playing a bunch recently and have started playing singles again since I am now playing outdoors instead of doubles indoors.

The pain is basically right where the patella tendo, attaches to the top of the shin. The pain goes away after a warm up, but I"ll have hell to pay later after my game if I play on it.

Besides the basic R.I.C.E mehtod, any suggestions for treatment?

Anyone have patella tendinitis? How long did it take to heal up 100%?

Do those patella straps really work?
Click to expand...

Mine seems chronic now. Had it for about 6 months or so. Icing has not helped. Stretching has not helped. Rest has not helped (though, I only took two weeks off). Short of taking a chain saw to my legs, I have no clue what will work. Glad you posted though as I'm so very NOT AMUSED at having it.

-Robert
 
chess9 said:
Mine seems chronic now. Had it for about 6 months or so. Icing has not helped. Stretching has not helped. Rest has not helped (though, I only took two weeks off). Short of taking a chain saw to my legs, I have no clue what will work. Glad you posted though as I'm so very NOT AMUSED at having it.

-Robert
Click to expand...

I found that taping was more effective than the pateler straps (though more time consuming and expensive, too). My ortho told me to apply two types of tape-one was a "base" and the other type, taped over the first layer, secures it. You basically tape the knee in a "V"-shaped pattern, with the point of the V pointing toward the bottom of the knee.

Maybe there's some information on this on the Internet. The tape, which, of course, is not reusable, is not cheap. But I found that using regular first aid tape works just as well, though you'll lose a few hairs when you pull off the tape-if you have hairy legs.
 
Mine was relieved by a new pair of shoes (look and see if your heals are really worn down) and a couple of weeks of light weight lifting, leg extensions and curls. Rest didn't help much and aspirin was only a temporary fix, The straps or taping may let you play but if you can fix the root of the problem you may be happier.
 
Thanks for the tips guys.

I've been really slacking on my general conditioning, so I may need to go back to the gym and do some light conditioning.

As for the shoes, I just bought a new pair of Breathe 3's about 3 weeks ago. The sole on the shoes are still good and so is the cushioning. I've bought about five pairs of B3's for over the past year and a half and never had this problem before.

I also think that playing keeper for my soccer team may have started/agrivated it as I have to take all the goal kicks and punts and I am right footed. I usually don't play keeper, but I have to fill in for our nromal keeper who is getting married.
 
I had this a few years back. I went to a physical therapist who gave me a bunch of different exercises to do. I stopped doing most of them but the stretches and that 'chick" squish your legs together while sitting down machine. Kind of silly to do but it seems to help. It strengthens your inner thighs (which I believe can help pull your Patella back into place).

Pete
 
Five years ago (at age 29), I jumped back into tennis too fast without ramping up slowly, and I ended up with severe tendinitis in both knees. Both knees were tweaked with acute injuries within a week of each other - I couldn't play for a month. I re-tweaked one of them a few months later when I tried to enter a tournament a few months later (I had to retire from my match even though I was leading 7-6, 4-0). Then I retweaked it again running to catch a bus a few months after that. It gradually healed up, but it took a year to get back to the point where I didn't have to worry about it anymore. I needed to take ibuprofen to play matches.

When I first injured it, a doctor prescribed 600mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day, every day for 3 weeks (along with a layoff form tennis). This is one of the standard treatment regimens because it supposedly heals faster if the inflammation is not allowed happen. I didn't use the ibuprofen OD. The main thing is you need to treat the tendinitis like an injury and give it time to heal.
 
Man I think I just developed a case of this as well. Since I started up playing again 5 months ago, my knees feel bruised right below the knee cap. No pain when running or playing only afterwards. Did you guys have that same "bruising" feeling below the knee, almost to the shin??

Then this last weekend I was playing some beach volleyball, after digging a ball I stood up and hurt my knee at that same spot (right below the knee). I am pretty sure its the Patellar Tendinitis.

I am only 23 and not looking forward to getting older joints...I guess I can blame soccer.
 
One of my sons had it really bad last year. The doctor reccomended the straps and shoe inserts called "Good Feet" (I think that was the name). That combination seemed to help him and let him keep playing.
 
I was diagnosed with it a year ago, and cant shake it. I take ibuprofen before playing and ice right afterwards both of which seem to help. I also just took 3 weeks off hoping to enjoy the outdoor clay season. Played Saturday and the knees felt pretty good. I do daily calf and thigh stretches, and go to the gym 2 or 4 times a week to do the stationary bike and sitting leg presses. I think I have finally resolved to have surgery in the fall if I dont see significant improvement. But I'm 46 and suspect the long healing time has something to do with my age.
 
Striker,

Been there; here's what worked for me:

Get thee to a gym and:

1. Strength training for your quads

2. Flexibility training for your quads and hamstrings

3. Use NSAIDS when needed

4. Ice down after play/exercise
 
Thanks for all the advise on this thread, I think I have it as well. Just got back to playing tennis and maybe overplayed last week. There were tiny twinges right below the kneecap before that, but never really much pain until now (so that I have to very carefully put weight on the knee). Four days of no tennis so far... hope it doesn't have to be much longer.
 
heyy i have had this for the past 5 years from basketball which I was forced into giving up so now I only play tennis and now I am having trouble bending the knee fully even when it doesnt hurt and it is affecting my backhand because I am leaning on my right knee(healthy one) too much when I should be on the left one...any advice on how to get the knee to bend more easily and efficiently??
 
Some of what you guys are complaining about sounds more like osgood schlatter's, but some of you are too old for that.

Ice after any activity involving running helps. I find that being on my toes, even while not playing tennis, helps take some stress off of my patella, and helps my tennis game too.
 
I found out I had this problem cause I walk and run with the outside of my foot landing on the ground and then my foot twists so the inside of my toes hits the ground first. This twisting/pronation puts extra stress on my patellar tendon. I got some specialized running shoes for this and some foot arches to put over my insoles that helps take the pressure off. This helped me a lot though I can still feel the pain a little bit. It normally has taken me about 3 weeks to heal in the past though it depends on how bad it is and while it heals I quit playing tennis.
 
JRstriker12 said:
Think I came down with some patellar tendinitis in my right knee. I've been playing a bunch recently and have started playing singles again since I am now playing outdoors instead of doubles indoors.

The pain is basically right where the patella tendo, attaches to the top of the shin. The pain goes away after a warm up, but I"ll have hell to pay later after my game if I play on it.

Besides the basic R.I.C.E mehtod, any suggestions for treatment?

Anyone have patella tendinitis? How long did it take to heal up 100%?

Do those patella straps really work?
Click to expand...

I had some problems about a year ago, and just started icing it, and eventually new running shoes solved the problem.

Sounds like yours has already gotten better, though! :)
 
take antiflammitory medicine and after resting it when it gets better

i have read you're supposed to do tendon stregnthening exercises as long as you do those exercises you're fine but if you stop it ocmes back with a vengence and i believe it

i have a repetitive motion injury in the wrist but

tendonitis is tendonitis

all are caused by when the tendons are inflamed

here is the site that caught my eye because it said if i don't continue tendon stregnthening exercise that it'll probably come back such as my case now neither the doctor nor the 2 specialest gave me exercises and i weight lift and it didnt come back until i started school and writing alot

http://ezinearticles.com/?Wrist-Ten...-Injury-And-Preventing-A-Recurrence&id=571643
 
Eccentric Exercise for Chronic Patellar Tendinitis

For chronic patellar tendinitis (i.e. patellar tendinosis), "eccentric exercise" can be of great help to treat the condition, but they must be done properly with the correct protocols.

(Elsewhere in these forums, there is a discussion of how eccentric exercise helped treat achilles tendinitis, as well.)

If eccentric exercises are not done properly, one can relapse or have flare-ups of pain. So, it is important to do them the right way.

After a couple of years of trial-and-error with a number of programs of eccentric exercise therapy, one athlete discovered a way that led to permanent, significant improvement in his pain and other symptoms while reducing the risk of pain flare-ups.

He describes eccentric exercises and his protocols at his eccentric exercise blog -- http://eccentric-exercises.blogspot.com

Hopefully, this may help.
 
Gmedlo said:
Some of what you guys are complaining about sounds more like osgood schlatter's, but some of you are too old for that.

Ice after any activity involving running helps. I find that being on my toes, even while not playing tennis, helps take some stress off of my patella, and helps my tennis game too.
Click to expand...

I was diagnosed with Osgodd Schlatter's when I was a teenager and the pain went away in my early 20s. I still have the bump sticking out just below my knee cap. Now that I started playing tennis religiously and am 26 years old, either it came back or I am suffering from Patellar tendinosis, because I have had pain in my knee for the past 6 months with no relief. But the pain is not that severe, just a nuissance. I'm able to channel it out most of the time unless I do something on the court that really puts alot of pressure on my knee. I'm guessing the only way to let it heal is to stop playing for like 6 months but I'm not willing to do that unless I needed surgery or something.
 
maverick10 said:
For chronic patellar tendinitis (i.e. patellar tendinosis), "eccentric exercise" can be of great help to treat the condition, but they must be done properly with the correct protocols.

(Elsewhere in these forums, there is a discussion of how eccentric exercise helped treat achilles tendinitis, as well.)

If eccentric exercises are not done properly, one can relapse or have flare-ups of pain. So, it is important to do them the right way.

After a couple of years of trial-and-error with a number of programs of eccentric exercise therapy, one athlete discovered a way that led to permanent, significant improvement in his pain and other symptoms while reducing the risk of pain flare-ups.

He describes eccentric exercises and his protocols at his eccentric exercise blog -- http://eccentric-exercises.blogspot.com

Hopefully, this may help.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the url. That's a developing site, but I think he's going in the right direction. I've had some mild patellar tendonitis in my knees, and have gone to doing eccentric leg presses for therapy. I've only had three sessions, but I HAVE taken off the tape from my knees and my movement has improved. I can now leap on my serve, whereas I was reluctant to do so while my knees were hurting. I'm doing another session today and will post my progress next month.

Some other things I'm doing, include:

1. Standing on one leg and bending the ankle to the butt and holding it for 30 seconds. I do 5 repeats of these with each leg, 3 times per day.

2. Shoes! I am now wearing my Prince MC4 shoes in size 12. I'd been trying to wear my Addidas that I bought in England in size 11.5, but I think they are a partial cause of my knee problems. So, I've shelved those puppies for now. :)

3. I am icing 3 sessions per day, about 15 minutes each knee.

4. I've reluctantly gone to taking 2 ibuprofen before I play.

-Robert
 
Patella tendinitis "jumpers knee" is not very difficult to get rid of if you know what to do. Basketball players get it all the time and treat it successfully. Years ago I had it badly while playing both basketball and tennis. Also, I was practicing my serve alot too and got it on my left knee which I would land on when serving. Because of how severe it was, for once I did the smart thing and got professional help from a physical therapist. Besides showing you the proper stretches and strengthening exercises to do, they use ultrasound to really speed up recovery. I simply followed their advice and was back on the court in three weeks. Have not had a problem sense with my knee. How it started I think, is I never stretched my quads-bring foot up to butt behind you which also stretches your patella tendon. This is when I learned the true value of proper warm up and stretching and not hesitating to seek professional physical therapist if a problem is severe enough that rest , ice, ect. won't cure. Most "inflamed tendons" in elbow, shoulder, knee, ect. usually start do to lack of proper warm up and stretching, and too much stress placed on the tendon do to lack of strength in muscles surrounding the tendon. Your also vulnerable if you increase your workout load through extra practice and playing, which causes more force than the tendon is used to. If the inflamation is mild -rest, ice, advil,stretch, and strengthen muscles around the tendon. If pain is severe, or doesn't go away after doing the above for a few weeks be smart and see a physical therapist. Otherwise, the problem lingers for months and you will be helplessly posting and reading messages on the internet. From my experience, most tennis players who are constantly getting injured do not stretch properly, nor lift weights, and when they do get hurt have no clue what to do, and keep playing through the pain without treatment, only making it worst and chronic!
 
Last edited:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1323297

"We have attempted to present the current information regarding the efficacy of patellar taping on different outcome variables. Although the precise mechanisms are still unclear, patellar taping seems to significantly reduce perceived pain and improve function in patients with PFPS. Additionally, none of the reviewed studies demonstrated detrimental effects with patellar taping. Therefore, patellar taping may be a low-cost, noninvasive intervention to relieve symptoms in patients with PFPS. Regardless of the choice of therapeutic intervention, it is important to thoroughly understand the mechanisms and causes of the patient's patellofemoral pain. The clinician should remember that the patellofemoral joint is only one part of the dynamic lower extremity chain and that it is critical to identify the source of the problem and use appropriate techniques to correct that problem to ensure optimal results.
Therefore, it seems prudent to use a combination of various interventions based on the individual patient's symptoms and causes. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of patellar taping and possibly the mechanisms for treating patellofemoral pain. However, it appears that, based on the current literature, patellar taping may provide a useful tool to the clinician in treating PFPS and does not seem to exacerbate the symptoms."

-Robert
 
I've had a case of this for several years, initially brought on by running everyday for cardio. I started up tennis and found some relief since the stress was not always in the same place as it is with running, however, over time it came back and I had to deal with it.

I found that a combination of rest, ice, supplemental exercises to strengthen the quad muscles and those around the knee joint, stretching, and ibuprofen enabled me to manage the problem to the point where I was able to continue playing 6-7x a week, ~2 hours/day. I have also found taping to really help reduce pain, whereas the removable straps did not really provide the same degree of relief. I now tape if there is any pain and it seems to help considerably.
 
jrod said:
I've had a case of this for several years, initially brought on by running everyday for cardio. I started up tennis and found some relief since the stress was not always in the same place as it is with running, however, over time it came back and I had to deal with it.

I found that a combination of rest, ice, supplemental exercises to strengthen the quad muscles and those around the knee joint, stretching, and ibuprofen enabled me to manage the problem to the point where I was able to continue playing 6-7x a week, ~2 hours/day. I have also found taping to really help reduce pain, whereas the removable straps did not really provide the same degree of relief. I now tape if there is any pain and it seems to help considerably.
Click to expand...

I bought the NIKE straps and they work fine for me. I've made sure to tighten them very tight, because they tend to loosen a bit as you play. At the end of each set I re-tighten them.

-Robert
 
maximo said:
Would playing in heavy shoes such as BV's be bad if you have jumper's knee?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. You might need orthotics, or have the wrong size shoe, or it's possible the BV don't have the right arch support for your feet. I have high arches and prefer a high arch support.

You also could have tight hamstrings, or the muscle running down the front of your lower leg could be tight. (Pull your toes to your knee with a towel. Also, try pulling your heel to your butt.)

-Robert
 
Have you seen those new z coils ..those shoes with springs in the heal

they have made some for running now...

the bad thing is that they are $200

but that would deffinately help take some of the impact

or buy some of those Dr. Scholls inserts the one where the heel is elevated a little and it is shorter that the actual shoe and you don't cut these.

just don't buy the ones that are pure rubber and say sport on them they are terrible

the Dr. Scholls i am talking about has a little rubber in it but these are distinct by the elevated heel and short length

those help alot

and i use the stretchy thing that goes over the knee and it helps alot
i have two one that is loose and a really tight one...the really tight one would be better for you or a knee brace

i only have basic knee pain because of weak joints i don't have tendonitus in my knees but i do my wrists

and if all of the above don't work you may want to consider something besides tennis that you can exercise

i have had wrist problems for 3 years now and i am giving alot of thought of quitting the sport ( i am only 17) because it is not worth keep getting hurt over there are other things i can do and maybe for me later on in life i can return to the sport

by the way that Elations Healthier Joints drink or a Glucosamine suppliment really helps also
that will cut your pain in half atleast
i can testify that it really works
 
bluestreak711 said:
Have you seen those new z coils ..those shoes with springs in the heal

they have made some for running now...

the bad thing is that they are $200

but that would deffinately help take some of the impact

or buy some of those Dr. Scholls inserts the one where the heel is elevated a little and it is shorter that the actual shoe and you don't cut these.

just don't buy the ones that are pure rubber and say sport on them they are terrible

the Dr. Scholls i am talking about has a little rubber in it but these are distinct by the elevated heel and short length

those help alot

and i use the stretchy thing that goes over the knee and it helps alot
i have two one that is loose and a really tight one...the really tight one would be better for you or a knee brace

i only have basic knee pain because of weak joints i don't have tendonitus in my knees but i do my wrists

and if all of the above don't work you may want to consider something besides tennis that you can exercise

i have had wrist problems for 3 years now and i am giving alot of thought of quitting the sport ( i am only 17) because it is not worth keep getting hurt over there are other things i can do and maybe for me later on in life i can return to the sport

by the way that Elations Healthier Joints drink or a Glucosamine suppliment really helps also
that will cut your pain in half atleast
i can testify that it really works
Click to expand...

If you are a runner and a heel striker those shoes might be of some help. The trend in distance running is away from heel striking I believe. Lots of people still do it though. :) I would think tennis players might be better off on the balls of their feet? :)

-Robert
 
Do you feel a slight pain when trying to touch your heel with your butt?
Cause my knee hurts too, but I can't figure out if it's Jumper's Knee or not...
 
I had a recent stint with jumper's knee playing basketball in the winter season where I live. I play a lot of ball and am a more explosive type of player; jumping and leaping for a lot for rebounds, blocks, and passes. I had bought some new Nike Huarache's for the season and after repeated awkward landing jumps had pain in both knees right under the kneecap, after reading about it here and other places, I diagnosed myself(looking back, probably stupid to do so) with jumper's knee.

During the 1 month or so I had it, I would tape just below the knee caps with pre-wrap and then athletic tape. I would tape very similar to how Nadal tapes his knees. This helped to relieve the pain, but it by no means fixed it and I felt less explosive as a result, but it let me to continue to play.

As stated before by posters, ice, ibuprofen and taping allowed me to play 4-6 times a week, but I did not feel my best while playing.

I had remembered shortly thereafter, however, that in my old basketball shoes I was using extra insoles purchased form a sports store. I went out and purchased some insoles to place inside of my new shoes, and I haven't had any pain since, it really made a difference. The pain seemed to gradually resolve within a week.
I'm not actually sure if I had jumper's knee, but the pain was right at the spot that Patella Tendinitis occurs. This is something I would recommend, finding a pair of insoles to put over the originals for extra padding and stability.

The thing I am having trouble with now is finding a pair of insoles that last and don't rip apart so easily, apparently I am really rough on shoes. Has anyone had a good experience with a durable, thin, light shoe insole/insert?
 
chess9 said:
Not necessarily. You might need orthotics, or have the wrong size shoe, or it's possible the BV don't have the right arch support for your feet. I have high arches and prefer a high arch support.

You also could have tight hamstrings, or the muscle running down the front of your lower leg could be tight. (Pull your toes to your knee with a towel. Also, try pulling your heel to your butt.)

-Robert
Click to expand...


Very useful reply, thanks. :)
 
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