Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper's Knee)

Patella tendonitis (also spelled tendinitis) is a painful condition affecting the patellar tendon (also called the patellar ligament or anterior ligament) in the knee joint. Like all forms of tendinitis, Jumper's Knee is a condition that can flare up and subside over a period of time. Inflammation in the patellar tendon is often due to irritation and/or micro-tearing of the collagen fibers. When the fibers tear, they become weaker, inflamed and swollen causing pain and tenderness in the area.

Tendons, by nature, receive very little blood flow. This prevents certain areas of the tendons from getting adequate blood supply in order to repair and maintain themselves. This makes the tendons prone to tendinitis if they are strained or overused.

There are 2 types of tendonitis, acute and chronic. Acute tendonitis refers to inflammation that comes on suddenly, usually from a tendon strain or overloading it during exercise. Chronic tendonitis occurs over time and generally results from long term repetitive use of the patella tendon. With both types of patellar tendinitis, scar tissue develops on the tendon as the tears begin to heal. This scar tissue mends the tears in an abnormal way leaving the collagen fibers weaker and less flexible and its presence can result in re-tearing the same small areas over and over.

The patellar tendon connects the shin bone (tibia) below the (patella) kneecap to the quadriceps femoris tendon above the kneecap. The fibres of the patellar tendon encase the patella itself, allowing it to glide up and down.

The patellar tendon is responsible for extending the knee with the help of the quadriceps femoris tendon which passes down both sides of the patella and the quadriceps femoris muscle in the upper leg - a process known as the quadriceps mechanism.

Other conditions which can be a cause of anterior knee pain are commonly confused with patellar tendonitis. These conditions include quadriceps tendonitis, synovial plicae, chondromalacia, patello-femoral subluxation and hyper-pressure, fat pad impingement or Hoffa's syndrome, and patello-femoral arthritis.

Patellar Tendonitis Risk Factors

Patella Tendonitis is usually caused by repetitive use of the patellar tendon, but can also be caused by trauma such as a blow to the knee. This condition is most common in an athlete who is in involved in "jumping" sports such as basketball, volleyball and jogging. Other risk factors include:

• Activities that require sharp, sudden changes of direction such as soccer.
• Activities that involve repetitive use of the knees, such as cycling.
• Having diabetes, gout and/or para-hypothyroidism.
• Landing or falling heavily on your knees.
• Age - as we grow older, our tendons become more brittle and therefore prone to injury.
• Mis-alignment of the foot, ankle, and leg including flat feet, leg length discrepancy, tracking abnormalities etc.

Symptoms of Patellar Tendonitis

• Irritation or acute pain just below the knee cap.
• Tenderness and swelling in the knee cap area or just below the knee cap.
• Difficulty running down hills.

Treating Patellar Tendinitis

The best way to treat patellar tendonitis is to rest the area, especially avoiding the particular activity that produced the condition. If the strain was minor, the body should be able to heal the tendon fibers normally. Unfortunately, this is not the usual result, due to the injured tendon being used instead of rested.

The body heals the injured patellar tendon fibers by binding them together with fibrotic adhesions, or scar tissue. This is a normal, protective response of the body, done in an attempt to prevent further damage to the injured area. Unfortunately, this leads to inflexibility in the knee and possibly chronic knee problems.

The trick to healing any tendon injury is getting it to heal with minimal scar tissue formation - something therapeutic ultrasound is great at! Even with optimum healing there is always less elasticity in a previously injured tendon. You need to make sure you heal this as best you can- that way, your chance of re-injury down the road is much lower than average. If not treated properly, persistent symptoms will occur, which may eventually lead to corrective surgery.

Cold Compression Therapy

Using cold compression to treat Jumper's Knee reduces pain, swelling, and tissue damage.

The Knee Freezie Wrap^® allows you to treat yourself in an effective and convenient way to rid yourself of the pain of patellar tendinitis below your knee.

Cold compression therapy works by interrupting and slowing nerve and cell function in the damaged area. This is important because once blood vessels are damaged, they can no longer carry oxygenated blood to the patella tendon and tissue cells begin to break-down.

The deep cold provided by the Knee Freezie Wrap^® slows cell function thereby reducing cellular break-down. Furthermore, because the cold wraps serve to numb the nerves, the wraps also reduce pain! Only the Freezie Wrap^® gel pack is charged in the fridge. This means the cooling temperature of the gel pack will not cause cold burns, or cryoburn, on your skin like ice or freezie charged gel packs can. You can also treat yourself for longer periods of time so you get lasting pain relief.

Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasound Therapy increases tissue elasticity while promoting the flow of blood (filled with vital oxygen and nutrients) to your infrapatellar tendon. This cleans the injured area by getting rid of damaged tissue and reducing the inflammation, opening up the blood vessels to begin healing.

During the healing process, scar tissue that builds on the patellar tendon can attach it to the kneecap, tibia, fibula, or other surrounding tissue in the joint, limiting the flexibility in your knee. Fortunately, you can treat patellar tendinitis with therapeutic ultrasound to soften scar tissue and improve your range of motion.

Not only does ultrasound aid in the duration of healing, but it helps to prevent long term complications. Pain, scar tissue, lack of mobility and arthritis are some of the more common long term complications from patellar tendonitis. By treating your tendon with ultrasound, scar tissue is softened, reducing the risk of chronic problems in the future.

For those who suffer from long term complications of tendinosis, tenosynovitis or other knee injuries like ACL or meniscus tears, ultrasound can help. With dedication to your ultrasound therapy you can soften the tough and inelastic scar tissue that has built up on the patellar tendon.

Ultrasound can also be used to administer therapeutic medicines into the body. This is a process known as phonophoresis. Ultrasound with phonophoresis is rapidly becoming more popular than ultrasound therapy alone.

Phonophoresis can be received using a MendMeShop^® Ultrasound Therapy System. The treatment is safe, easy, painless, and generally requires between 5 - 10 minutes.

Ultrasound is based on a form of deep tissue therapy, which is generated through high frequency sound waves (that we can not hear). These waves send vibrations deep into your body and slightly increase the temperature of your soft tissue cells. The waves are delivered through a hand held transducer and conductive gel that are used together in a slow, circular motion on your skin over the injured area.

Once the inflammation and swelling of Jumper's Knee has been alleviated, nourishing and strengthening the tendon tissue in the knee is recommended. Using Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy will speed your recovery and heal your soft connective and muscular tissue more completely preparing your knee for leg strengthening exercises. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist to find out which exercises are appropriate for your situation.

Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy

After the inflammation and swelling below your kneecap and around your patellar tendon is gone, you can begin to treat your entire knee with Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy, or BFST^®. BFST^® increases the amount of blood that flows naturally to your knee to nourish your meniscal cartilage, muscles tendons, and ligaments to speed healing.

By treating yourself with Blood Flow Stimulation Therapy you can increase your body's blood supply to the knee and your body's natural healing power. In addition, the fresh blood flow whisks away dead cells and toxins that have built up from the tissue damage of patellar tendinitis leaving the area clean and able to heal faster. Our Knee Inferno Wrap^® provides the most effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief and healing with no side effects.

During your recovery, you will probably have to modify and/or eliminate any activities that cause pain or discomfort in your knee until your pain and inflammation settle. Taking the time to care for your knee properly will have your knee back to normal faster and allow you to get back to the activities you enjoy.

The more diligent you are with your treatment and rehabilitation, the faster you will see successful results! With these 3 easy therapies you will notice incredible results in your knee.

Remember: We recommend that you visit your doctor and/or physiotherapist before using any of our outstanding products, to make sure they're right for you and your condition.

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