In this article you learn what Knee Tendonitis is, how it is treated, whether your can fix it on your own, what happens when it goes untreated and exercises to relieve knee tendonitis you can implement today.
What is Knee Tendonitis?
Knee Tendonitis is a chronic (persistent or recurring) condition caused by repetitive trauma or an injury to the knee that hasn’t healed. By contrast to tendonitis, tendinitis is an acute (sudden, short-term) condition in which inflammation is caused by a direct injury to a tendon. It is found that the main difference between tendonitis and tendinitis is time.
Knee Tendonitis Symptoms
You might feel a slight annoying pain to sharp debilitating pain in the section just between the kneecap and the shin bone. When that area is inflamed we call this Knee tendonitis, Patellar tendinitis or Jumper’s knee.
You may feel a sharp pain when
- squatting,
- kneeling or
- getting up from a seated position.
The pain typically occurs due to repetitive running, jumping, hopping, squatting or kicking activities. It is also particularly common in sports requiring frequent acceleration and deceleration or repetitive jumping (such as basketball or netball).
Muscles that support the knee
The quadriceps and the hamstrings support the knee. As part of the quadriceps, the rectus femoris is the muscle that attaches at the hip and at the patella. The patellar ligament attaches from the kneecap to the tibia (the shin bone). Any tension in the rectus femoris muscle may cause subsequent pain in the knee.
Things to avoid doing
- Avoid activities that cause you any pain.
- Rest the knee and legs while still exercising other areas of the body.
- Instead of squats opt for dead lifts for example, only for the time being.
How is Knee Tendonitis treated?
- The first step is to relieve the pain, and with that, tendonitis in knee treatments vary.
- At home: use an ice pack while keeping the leg elevated.
- At a clinic: get a massage treatment to address any tension in the muscles surrounding the knee thereby alleviating the pressure on the knee.
- the lymphatic drainage technique in massage therapy could also be used to drain the area of excess fluid from the inflammation, using the lymphatic drainage technique.
Can I fix it on my own?
- Depending on the severity of the pain, it is possible to fix it on your own.
If you experience little to mild pain, you should strongly consider stopping any activity that is aggravating the knee. - Take your time when getting to places, going up stairs, lifting heavy boxes or any weighted items, for example when carrying a toddler or assisting a person who has mobility needs.
Knee Tendonitis Exercises
Exercises to relieve knee tendonitis include:
To strengthen the muscles supporting the knee – do some standing hamstring curls at your desk when taking a break. No weights required but if you want to increase your level of difficulty, incorporate some ankle weights. In doing these exercises, rest is an important part of the healing process as well as having a sports massage whether it is a sports massage at Yonge and Eglinton or elsewhere, from time to time a massage can help keep you on track and expedite the recovery.
STANDING HAMSTRING CURLS
Instructions:
- Stand erect with 2 inches between your knees, hold on to something to maintain your balance
- Start by bending one knee behind the body, lift the heel off the floor while keeping the thighs aligned, do not point your toes, keep it a neutral position. Continue to lift the heel in a smooth motion until the knee bend reaches a 90-degree angle. Keep the straight leg slightly bent to avoid locking it. Hold the bent leg for approximately 5 seconds then lower your leg to the floor and repeat
- Repeat this exercise 3 times on the same leg, then alternate.
- Duration: every other day but be wary of PAIN, if you feel any, consider taking a day off, and exercising every two days.
WALL SQUATS
Instructions:
- Stand against a wall or door frame with your arms at your sides and your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your feet about 18 to 24 inches out from the door frame or supportive surface.
- Lean against the surface, with your back straight, and your neck aligned with your spine.
- Breathe in and exhale while lowering your body to a squatting position.
- Start with 3 sets, holding for 10-15 seconds each, twice a day. As you get stronger increase the duration while maintaining the 3 sets.
Visit this website for even more Knee Tendonitis exercises!
How long does it take to heal, recovery time?
- Recovery for mild injuries can be 3 weeks, the more severe the injury the longer it will take to heal; it may take 6 – 8 months or more.
- The duration in recovery is strictly depending your ability to stick to a regular rehabilitative exercise program.
- A massage from a licensed registered massage therapist can often help with Knee Tendonitis and improve your healing and recovery experience.
What happens if it goes untreated?
For a lot of people, ignoring the pain my seem like an option especially when the pain is only there from time to time. However, the problem will get worse if not addressed.
- First: the inflammation fluids continue to break down the tissue in an effort to protect the knee.
- Second: the tendon gets weakened over time which will lead the condition to a chronic stage, and with that, comes chronic pain.
Regardless of how knee tendonitis happens, we can be sure that we are all getting older and changes are occurring, but, it is possible to live a life without PAIN, it starts with the acknowledgment that you may need treatment and exercises to relieve your knee tendonitis.
