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Jumper’s knee is also known as patellar tendinitis. It refers to a condition that’s characterized by pain just below the kneecap and at the top of the shinbone. The patellar tendon is the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shinbone. This tendon is quite vulnerable to overuse injury, especially if it’s used too much, too fast. Without Medi-dyne’s jumper’s knee treatment, the pain gets worse and sharpens. If the tendinitis is allowed to progress, any knee movement that the patient makes is bound to hurt.
Medi-dyne’s jumper’s knee treatment
Continually exposing one’s tendon to stressful situations causes irritation that cannot be fixed quickly. The treatment takes a while and pain becomes the order of the day. It takes time before the patients can extend their lower legs.
Here are some tips to follow when treating tendinitis:
- Take it easy
Stay away from high-intensity exercise such as running or jumping. One also needs to avoid carrying heavy loads as this puts more pressure on the knees. Some forms of exercise like swimming are okay as long as the patient isn’t in too much pain. Intense upper body and core workouts to maintain fitness are also okay.
Note, however, that it’s not advisable to take complete rest for months as this only reduces the tendon’s tolerance even further. The patient might feel better but the pain only disappears for a while and returns. One should take short rests if the pain gets unbearable
- Icing and massaging
Applying ice on the tendon for about 15 minutes a couple of times daily goes a long way in relieving the pain.
Massaging the area is another great way of reducing pain and promoting healing.
- Knee strap
Most of Medi-dyne’s jumper’s knee treatment plans involve a knee brace. The patellar tendon strap goes around the patient’s leg under the knee. It helps support the tendon and relieves the pain.
How does one prevent the jumper’s knee?
One of the main causes of tendinitis is an intense physical activity which causes repeated stress on the tendon. To prevent tendinitis, do the following:
- Stretch the quads and hamstrings
Stretching the quads and hamstrings makes them more flexible. If they’re inflexible they’ll put extra stress on the patellar tendon. Stretching both muscles not only helps prevent tendinitis but can also be used to heal it.
- Try eccentric training
Eccentric strength training programs may be a little painful. Try as much as possible to slowly lift the weights. One can do this in an old-school way by finding another partner to apply resistance to the lower leg and then move to a leg extension machine as the training progresses. Lowering the weight slowly challenges the tendon as well as the muscles around it, thus making all of them stronger.
Conclusion
Ignoring the pain on the knees is a terrible thing to do. Pain is an indicator that something is already wrong. If a person continues to overuse the already strained tendon, the result is a build-up of fluid in the tendon. If this goes on, the tendon could tear. People should get started on Medi-dyne’s jumper’s knee treatment as soon as they start feeling the pain to minimize the period they’ll experience pain. Following the instructions given by the doctor hastens the recovery time.
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