- Symptoms of tendonitis in the knee
- How to treat patellar tendonitis
- Physiotherapy for patellar tendonitis
Knee tendonitis, also known as patellar tendonitis or jumping knee, is an inflammation of the knee patella tendon that causes severe pain in the knee area, especially when walking or exercising.
Generally, knee tendonitis is more frequent in football, tennis, basketball or runners, for example, due to the excessive use of the extensor muscles (posterior thigh) to jump and run. However, tendonitis can also appear in elderly patients due to progressive joint wear.
Patellar tendonitis can be classified as follows:
- Grade I: Mild pain after activities; Grade II: Pain at the beginning of exercises, but without loss of performance in training; Grade III: Pain during and after physical activity, loss of performance in training; Grade IV: partial or total rupture of the patellar tendon.
Tendonitis in the knee is curable by resting and applying ice, however, when these measures are not sufficient it is recommended to start physiotherapy sessions to strengthen the knee muscles, relieve pain, and improve movement.
Symptoms of tendonitis in the knee
The main symptoms of patellar tendonitis can include:
- Pain in front of the knee; Pain that worsens when jumping or running; Swelling of the knee; Difficulty moving the knee; Feeling of stiff knee upon waking.
When the patient has these symptoms, he / she should consult a physiotherapist or orthopedist for diagnostic exams, such as X-ray, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging, to confirm tendonitis and initiate appropriate treatment.
How to treat patellar tendonitis
Treatment for tendonitis in the knee can be started at home with rest of the affected leg, use of an elastic bandage on the knee, and application of ice for 15 minutes 3 times a day, for example. However, if the pain does not go away in 10-15 days, it is important to consult an orthopedist to start taking analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen, to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
It is also recommended to do physiotherapy sessions to use electrotherapy devices, and to perform stretching and strengthening exercises, which speed up the healing process of the affected tendon.
In the most severe cases, where knee tendonitis does not disappear with rest, medication and physiotherapy after about 3 months, it may be necessary to have surgery to repair the damage to the knee tendon, but this is not normally necessary because physiotherapy reaches great results.
See how physiotherapy and nutrition can be useful to treat tendonitis:
Physiotherapy for patellar tendonitis
Electrotherapeutic equipment such as laser and ultrasound is recommended for pain relief and tissue regeneration. It is necessary to strengthen the muscles of the entire leg, but especially the muscles of the front of the thigh, and global leg stretching exercises are also important to maintain a good balance between forces during day-to-day activities. Get to know some of the exercises in: Knee proprioception exercises.
The mobilization of the patella is very important so that it can move freely over the joint, preventing it from being 'glued', making movement difficult.
Learn more about this problem and learn about other causes of knee pain: Knee pain
