What is Patellar tendinitis?
Patellar tendinitis is a condition that affects the tendon that connects your kneecap (patella) to your shinbone. The patellar tendon collaborates with the muscles in the front of your leg to allow you to kick, run, and leap.
Patellar tendinitis, commonly known as jumper’s knee, is more common in athletes who participate in activities that require a lot of jumping, such as basketball and volleyball. Patellar tendinitis can affect those who do not participate in jumping sports.
Patellar tendinitis is a frequent overuse injury produced by repetitive strain on the patellar tendon. Stress causes small rips in the tendon, which your body tries to repair.
However, when the tears in the tendon proliferate, they produce discomfort due to inflammation and tendon weakness. Tendinitis occurs when tendon injury lasts more than a few weeks.
- Physical activity: Running and jumping are the most prevalent causes of patellar tendonitis. Changes in how hard or frequently you participate in the activity, as well as changing your running shoes, can all put stress on the tendon.
- Tight leg muscles: Tight quadriceps and hamstrings, which go up the back of your thighs, can put a strain on your patellar tendon.
- Muscular imbalance: If you have stronger muscles in your legs than others, the stronger muscles may strain harder on your patellar tendon. Tendinitis might result from this unbalanced pull.
- Chronic illness: Some disorders reduce blood supply to the knee, weakening the tendon. Kidney failure, autoimmune disorders such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, and metabolic diseases such as diabetes are examples.
The initial sign of patellar tendinitis is pain, which generally occurs between your kneecap. Where the tendon joins to your shinbone (tibia).
Initially, you may only experience discomfort in your knee when you begin physical activity or immediately after a strenuous workout. The discomfort develops with time and begins to interfere with your ability to play your sport. The pain eventually interferes with regular activities such as climbing stairs or rising from a chair.
Treatment of Patellar tendinitis:
A range of physical therapy procedures may assist lessen the symptoms of patellar tendinitis:
- Stretching exercises: Stretching exercises done on a regular basis can help minimize muscular spasms and lengthen the muscle-tendon unit. Don’t bounce when stretching.
- Strengthening exercises: Weak thigh muscles lead to patellar tendon strain. Exercises entail carefully lowering your leg after extending it, as well as exercises that develop all of the leg muscles at the same time. Such as a leg push, which can be very beneficial.
- Patellar tendon strap: A strap that puts pressure on your patellar tendon can help to deflect forces away from the tendon and via the strap. This may aid with pain relief.
- Iontophoresis: This therapy includes applying a corticosteroid drug to your skin. And then push the medication through your skin using a device that generates a mild electrical charge.
- Electrotherapy: such as Extracorporeal shock wave therapy, Super inductive system, High-intensity class 4 laser, etc.