Fix the Jumper’s knee:

In scientific terms jumper’s knee is also known as patellar tendonitis. The patellar tendon attachment between the patella (knee cap) and the top of the tibia. The patellar tendon helps to straighten the leg.

Jumper’s knee occurs due to irritation of the tendon and its progress to tearing and degeneration of the tendon. Jumper’s knee is degenerating and not inflammation.  Jumper’s knee causes micro-tears of the tendon due to repetitive, eccentric forcible contraction of the extensor muscles with poor flexibility of the hamstrings and quadriceps.

Causes of Jumper’s Knee:

Jumper’s knee (Patellar tendonitis) may develop due to repeated stress being placed on the patellar tendon. It is an overuse condition that often occurs in athletes who perform repetitive jumping activities while playing or practicing, such as-

• basketball,
• volleyball,
• football, and
• it also may occur in runners.

Some of the predisposing factors are:

• Quadriceps inflexibility and atrophy,
• Hamstring tightness,
• Playing on a hard surface,
• Sudden Increased training frequency,
• In addition, Patellar hypermobility.

Jumper’s knee is associated with focal patellar tendon tenderness, and it is usually activity-related. It can occur above the patella, below the patella, and the tendon insertion into the tibia.  But the most common area to occur is just below the knee cap.

Symptoms:

• Pain and Tenderness around your patellar tendon
• Swelling
• Pain with jumping, running, or walking.
• Pain when bending or straightening your leg
• There is tenderness behind the lower part of your kneecap.
• Also, Bruising or Redness

With physiotherapy treatment, 90 percent of athletes return to a pre-injury level of activity.

Physiotherapy Treatment of Jumper’s knee includes:

• Cryotherapy reduces inflammation and pain.
• Compression bandage or garment to reduce inflammation.
• Isometric exercises will help the patient to reduce pain.
• Eccentric exercises such as single-leg decline squats.
• Patellar mobilization.
• Stretching of quadriceps, hamstring, and calf muscles.
• Strengthening of the gluteus, and hip flexors muscle by heavy slow resistance exercise, progressive resistance exercise, and functional task. For example- side-lying abduction of the hip, straight leg raise exercise,  prone kickback exercise, lunges, bridging, clamshells,  etc.
• Exercise to increase muscle power such as split squats, faster stairs, skipping exercises, etc.
• Plyometric exercises such as-
  • jumping exercises,
  • deceleration, and
  • Also, change of direction tasks.
• Transverse friction massage.
• Myofascial manipulation of knee extensor muscle group.
• The knee bracing or taping technique, it will help to unload the knee joint.
• The patellar tendonitis strap helps relieve knee pain caused by patellar tendonitis.
• At our physiotherapy clinic we have the latest technology machines used by international athletes for faster recovery, such as the following:
  • Extracorporeal shock wave (ECSW),
  • High-intensity class 4 laser,
  • super inductive system (SIS),
  • Cryo-compression,
  • Cryo-air,
  • Targeted Radiofrequency (TR therapy), &
  • Also, the Combo machine, etc.
• In addition, Sports-specific training at set intensity and duration.