Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeTrendingCan You Get Tendonitis In Your Knee

Can You Get Tendonitis In Your Knee

Tendonitis Is A Confusing Diagnosis

Patellar tendonitis: Signs, symptoms and remedies for this difficult knee problem

Please see our article Tendinopathy injections and treatments for a general discussion on what is Tendinopathy.

New research says imaging studies confuse the diagnosis.

Australian doctors writing in the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy suggest that while damage of the tendon is frequently diagnosed and managed with the clinical use of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging there is no direct link between what the MRI says and clinical symptoms, with findings on imaging potentially creating a confusing clinical picture.5

Causes Of Patellar Tendinopathy

The exact reasons why you can develop patellar tendinopathy arent known. But its thought to be an overuse injury, which means it can develop after repeated stress on your patellar tendon. This may happen if you jump a lot, which is why volleyball and basketball players often develop it. The strain on your patellar tendon when you land from a jump can damage, and gradually wear down your tendon.

You may be more likely to get patellar tendinopathy in your teens to thirties, but you can get it when youre older too. It has also been linked to:

  • overtraining
  • playing on hard surfaces

You can access a range of treatments on a pay as you go basis, including physiotherapy. Find out more about physiotherapy >

Diagnosis Of Tendonitis In The Knee

Patellar tendonitis is diagnosed in a medical exam with your orthopedic or sports medicine physician. Your doctor will take a full medical history to understand your normal activity level, symptoms and when they occur, and remedies that reduce the pain.

Your doctor will also examine the knee, probe for pain and test range of motion in the knee joint. To determine if there is severe damage to the bones or tendons, the physician may also order an x-ray, MRI or ultrasound.

Read Also: Inversion Table For Knee Pain

Key Points About Jumper’s Knee

  • Jumpers knee is inflammation of your patellar tendon, the tendon that connects your kneecap to your shinbone .
  • Jumpers knee is often a sports-related injury caused by overuse of your knee joint.
  • You may need an X-ray to help diagnose jumpers knee.
  • The best treatment for jumper’s knee is to stop any activity thats causing the problem until the injury is healed.

What Should I Do If Home Remedies Dont Work

Can You Treat Peroneal Tendonitis with Compression Socks ...

Home remedies dont always provide a permanent solution for tendonitis. If your case is persistent, chronic, or giving you more than mild discomfort, it is time to see a pain doctor or a knee pain specialist.

A variety of physicians treat tendonitis, including your primary care physician, but a specialized knee pain doctor is the best choice. These experts ensure you get an accurate diagnosis and medical advice that relies on the most current treatment options available.

During your initial exam, your pain doctor may order some tests. In some cases, an x-ray is appropriate to rule out a fracture or displacement of the kneecap. An MRI or an ultrasound may also be appropriate, so your doctor can see any damage to your soft tissue.

Your pain doctor may recommend physical therapy to stretch and strengthen your tendons. If your pain is so severe that it is limiting your ability to manage daily activities like walking and driving, a medical injection or other treatment may be the right solution.

Learn more about what tendonitis in the knee is and how it is treated by visiting your pain treatment specialist. At our Pain Center, we offer minimally invasive treatments for your knee pain, without unnecessary medication or downtime. We also offer same/next day appointments, making sure you dont have to suffer unnecessarily.

You May Like: Does Aflac Cover Hysterectomy

Why Are Exercises For Knee Tendonitis Helpful

Multiple muscles overlap the knee joint like quadriceps, thigh, hamstrings, calf, gastrocnemius and soleus. All these muscles work together to flex, extend and stabilize the knee.

Strengthening and stretching the muscles will not only stabilize the knee. It will also stimulate

tendons and ligaments to become more flexible, durable and resistant to stress. While repetitive activities cause microtears, inflammation and degeneration of structures of the knee, stretching and strengthening will stimulate the structures to regenerate, take more stress without further damage and prevent injuries.

This is the reason why you should exercise all muscles that are connected to knee joint and not just certain groups of muscles.

What Are The Symptoms Of Tendonitis In The Knee

Symptoms associated with a diagnosis of tendonitis in the knee, patients often experience pain at and around the patella/kneecap . Specifically, the pain is often localized at the patellar tendon which is situated between the patella and the tibia bones.

Pain is often felt behind the knee when bending or straightening the leg, such as during walking and squatting. This may result in pain and inability to bend at the knee. In severe cases, there may be a burning sensation at the knee as well which can indicate nerve involvement.

Don’t Miss: What Is The Best Knee Walker

Mild To Moderate Patellar Tendonitis: What To Do

  • Mild to moderate cases may require additional treatment such as splinting the knee joint to restrict the movement of the knee joint and thereby prevent undue stress on the knee joint, allowing it to heal.
  • Injection of steroid medications near the affected knee joint may be required if the symptoms persist even after following the above mentioned simple approaches.

Conservative Treatment Of Tendonitis

How a patellar tendon strap can worsen your jumper’s knee

There are several conservative treatment options for tendonitis.

A common recommendation is the RICE-protocol , combined with the use of NSAIDs .

Other modalities used to deal with knee tendonitis include ultrasound treatment, deep friction massage, shockwave therapy and plasma-rich platelet injections. Speaking of injections: in his book Framework for the Knee, Nichalos DiNubile, MD, explicitly warns against cortisone shots, as they can cause a rupture of the tendon .

In physical therapy, the rehab protocols for tendonitis revolve around strengthening and stretching of the leg muscles, with a focus on stretching the quadriceps muscle group.

Keeping these traditional approaches in mind we can build on them to create an even better program for knee tendonitis. This will help us to deal with jumpers knee more thoroughly and also seems necessary, as the traditional methods of treatment apparently only provide temporary relief.

You May Like: Nano Knee Surgery Cost

Exercises For Groin Inflammation

Both stretching and strengthening exercises are important for recovering from groin inflammation. As this is an overuse injury, the emphasis is on rest, recovery and gentle stretching exercises. All exercises should be done pain-free. If any pain is felt either during, after, or the following day then stop exercises, rest and take a step back before continuing.

When pain allows, strengthening exercises should be done with the aim of gradually increasing the load through the injured muscle.

Why Do People Get Patellar Tendonitis

People often get patellar tendonitis because of the overuse of the tendon. When there is constant stress with insufficient recovery time the tendon begins to change. You can think of this similiar to a rope beginning to fray. For instance, an overactive basketball player who plays basketball for several hours every day without sufficient rest may begin to develop this condition. This is often compounded by fatigue, diet, training errors, and muscle imbalances. Individuals who suddenly change their activity may also develop this condition. For instance, an office worker who was previously sedentary begins training for a 10km run with her colleagues is prone to developing patellar tendonitis. For some individuals, changes in footwear may cause the onset or aggravate this condition. It is important to have proper foot which match your individual foot structure if this is the case. It is always important to ascertain the root cause of this injury. If not, it is extremely likely to recur or worsen.

You May Like: How Do I Get Rid Of Fat Around My Knees

What Are The Signs Symptoms And Treatment Of Knee Tendonitis

The severity and the specificity of the signs and symptoms associated with knee tendonitis may vary with the amount of inflammation in the tendons and the specific tendon involved.

Pain is the most common symptom associated with knee tendonitis, or patellar tendonitis. The severity of the pain a patient with patellar tendonitis may experience is based on the severity of injury to the tendons.

  • In mild cases, patients may experience pain only after participating in sports activities or brisk walking.
  • In moderate to severe cases of patellar tendonitis, the pain is also present while performing any activities involving the knee joint, such as running or even walking.
  • In severe cases, the pain may be severe enough to restrict the affected individual from moving the affected knee. The affected knee joint is also painful to touch and some amount of external swelling may also be visible in some patients. Pain may be noticed in older individuals while climbing or descending stairs.

What Are The Symptoms

What is Knee Tendonitis? How is Knee Tendonitis treated ...

The most noticeable sign of calcific tendinitis might be pain, though you might not have any at first. Thatâs because it can take months or years for calcium deposits to form.

Over time, calcific tendinitis can also make movement painful and can limit your range of movement. If itâs in your shoulder, it might hurt to lift your arm. The pain might also make it hard for you to sleep.

Also Check: Where To Get Knee High Converse

Physical Therapy For Tendonitis Of The Knee

Physical therapy can often relieve pain and inflammation from tendonitis of the knee.

– Initial treatment is to restrict activities causing tendon pain. The time and degree of activity restriction depends on the severity and length of time symptoms have been present.

– During the period of rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medication are recommended as well as physical therapy to improve joint range of motion and muscle flexibility.

– Once pain is reduced and range of motion/flexibility is restored, exercises to strengthen the tendon and muscles of the lower leg are started.

– Once range of motion/flexibility/strength are maximized and symmetric to the other side, education is given to gradually return to activities and manage symptoms.

Types Of Knee Tendonitis

Some of the specific types of of tendonitis that you might group under “knee tendonitis” include patellar tendonitis , quadriceps tendonitis, and iliotibial band friction syndrome.

Patellar tendonitis or jumper’s knee is the most common type of tendonitis of the knee, and it’s the kind of tendonitis most likely to be referred to simply as knee tendonitis in some cases. Athletes and others involved in sports such as running, jumping and other movements of the legs that put high pressure on the knees or result in extensive usage of the knee joint are more prone to patellar tendonitis, which is an inflammation of the tendon that links your patella to the tibia or shinbone.

When these structures are exposed to heavy and frequent pressures, it can commonly result in microscopic tears which tend to increase over time and finally resulting in inflammation of the tendons. Knee tendonitis may also be noticed in people living with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, which is characterized by inflammation of multiple joints in the body.

Aging, in general, affects the functioning of different parts of the body and may also play a role in the development of knee tendonitis. It has also been noted that knee tendonitis is commonly seen in individuals and athletes in whom the muscles of the knee have been matured to the maximum extent. Trauma or injury to the knee due to a fall or awkward extension of the knee joint may also result in knee tendonitis in certain instances.

Don’t Miss: Bleach Dark Knees

How Can You Prevent Knee Tendonitis

As processes such as increasing age cannot be changed, following certain preventive measures can be helpful in preventing knee tendonitis. Participation in sports is not a problem but following proper physiotherapy techniques and warm up procedures can prevent the occurrence of knee tendonitis.

Early identification of knee tendonitis and prompt treatment can prevent it from becoming severe enough to restrict day to day activities.

The muscles, tendons and other parts of the body need to be warmed up before beginning any activity that involves the continuous use of the joints. Simple warming and stretching exercises are necessary before getting started with any kind of sport activities. This helps to improve blood circulation and enables the muscles to get ready for the higher stresses associated with strenuous physical activity.

Stretching and squatting exercises are often beneficial in strengthening the knee joints and can thereby help prevent knee tendonitis.

Continuous sitting or standing for prolonged periods may also put undue pressures on the knees, making them prone to knee tendonitis. Intermittent walking or stretching the knee joint and the legs can be beneficial in improving the muscle health.

Recovery From Tendonitis In The Knee

How to Fix Tendonitis in your Right Shoulder FAST!

Recovery from patellar tendonitis depends upon the severity of your case. The longer you continue your normal routine before treatment, the longer your recovery will be.

It is also important to follow your physician and physical therapists instructions completely in order to get back to your routine as quickly as possible.

You May Like: My Knees Crack When I Squat

About Our Health Information

At Bupa we produce a wealth of free health information for you and your family. This is because we believe that trustworthy information is essential in helping you make better decisions about your health and wellbeing.

Our information has been awarded the PIF TICK for trustworthy health information. It also follows the principles of the The Information Standard.

Everything I Learned Since 2011

Recovering from tendonitis is difficult, especially if you start from scratch. Ive struggled with it myself so I know how easy it is to waste months on conflicting advice only to land back on square one.

Even though Im not a doctor Ive dedicated a huge part of my life to helping people with patellar tendonitis get back into sports. Ive and recently created an in-depth online course.

And Id love to work with you too.

If youre ready to make some real progress, sign up below to get started today.

Recommended Reading: How Much Does Aflac Pay For Ambulance Ride

What Does Patellar Tendonitis Feel Like

Patellar tendonitis symptoms usually get worse, slowly. At first, you may feel only minor knee pains. Discomfort may happen rarely, and only after physical activity. Over time, pain may get sharper and more severe. You may start to feel pain during physical activity.

If left untreated, patellar tendonitis can sometimes become debilitating. Symptoms may make routine tasks painful. Even sitting may cause discomfort.

How Long Does It Take For Patellar Tendonitis To Heal

Patellar tendonitis: Jumpers knee â Get Well Physical Therapy

Healing takes time. The details of your recovery will depend on many factors that are specific to you.

You may start feeling better after a few weeks of taking it easy. Yet someone with more severe patellar tendonitis may find it challenging to stay on top of chronic pain.

Try not to rush your body through recovery. Pushing your body before its fully healed can damage tendon tissues more, which may set your recovery back.

Recommended Reading: Whiten Knees Fast

Treatments For Knee Tendinopathies

The typical treatment regime for tendonitis, such as knee tendonitis, rotator cuff tendonitis or patellar tendonitis, includes RICE therapy, ice, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , physical therapy and cortisone injections. The problem with this approach is that they do not regenerate or rebuild the weakened tendon and, thus, does not alleviate the chronic pain that people with this condition experience. While ice, anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone shots have been shown to produce short-term pain benefit, they result in long-term loss of function and even more chronic pain by actually inhibiting the healing process of soft tissues and accelerating cartilage degeneration. If the individual with tendonitis receives cortisone injections into the tendon, or if they take anti-inflammatories for a very long time, the tendonitis will become tendinosis. This means the tendon becomes degenerated.

Other treatment options include cryotherapy and massage. But again, although they may provide pain relief, they do not address the root of the problem weakened and/or injured tendons and ligaments. When the patient tries these treatment modalities and the pain persists, patients who experience tendonitis may be referred to a surgeon. Unfortunately, surgery has consequences and side effects and may make the problem worse.

Treatment For Knee Tendonitis

Knee tendonitis, also called patellar tendonitis, is an inflammation of the tendon that links your patella to your tibia . People who have knee tendonitis usually experience worsening pain in the knee area until they receive treatment.

This is a frequent injury among athletes, which is why its often called jumpers knee. It is usually due to overuse or repetitive stress on the knee. Small tears develop in the tendon and become inflamed, eventually weakening the muscle and causing pain.

Don’t Miss: How To Whiten Knees Fast

How Is Patella Tendinopathy Diagnosed

Your consultant will discuss your symptoms with you and examine your knee to check for tenderness, stiffness, swelling and any difficulties with movement. In most cases, they will arrange for you to have a magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound scan to show the extent of the injury and any damage to the surrounding area.

Treatments For Patellar Tendinopathy

No More Knee Pain! Fix Your Patellar Tendonitis NOW!

The initial treatment for patellar tendinopathy is to reduce your pain and inflammation. You can do this with rest, ice and medicines. Further treatment includes stretching and strengthening exercises with physiotherapy to gradually get you back to your usual activities. You may need surgery if your patellar tendon ruptures.

You may find it helpful to see a sports medicine professional, such as a physiotherapist or a sports doctor. Your GP may refer you, or you can book an appointment with a physiotherapist yourself.

Theres no quick fix for patellar tendinopathy. You may need a long period of rest and rehabilitation before your symptoms go completely.

Read Also: How Much Does Aflac Pay For Outpatient Surgery

RELATED ARTICLES

Popular Articles