Patella Tendonitis?

[CollinWoods]

Anyone had it? Did you get rid of it?

[i_like_sun]

Is your pain on the top or bottom of your knee cap? I had a partial tear of my patellar tendon in 2003, and it took like 12 months to feel strong again. You have make sure you keep working it out, but not to the point where you just piss it off. Ice it a lot, too..

[CollinWoods]

Hey thanks, its more of the bottom.

[rocky_joe]

I've had it >4 times now and can get it healed in ~3 weeks if i do every thing right. go to PT, it helps a ton as there is only so much good you can do for yourself (in regards to deep tissue massage).

top 5 things to do.

1.stretch your hip...patellar tendonitis tends to stem from tightness in the hips.

2. strength exercises that isolate the affected quad...this can help counteract the tightness in the IT band and hip.

3. rest, nothing worse for it than a run, or hike, well actually just don't have fun for a few weeks.

4. get a knee band asap...the strip one that goes over the patella. they're like 15-20 and help a ton.

5. if you can get your hands on some liquid (pure) DMSO...its fantastic. It is usually reserved for race horses, but I have a friend who works in a lab on campus and has access to it. what it does is penetrate the cellular membranes through your knee (or other place) and remove the free radicals that cause inflammation...tons better than any NSAID. apply topically.

 

good luck.

 

[i_like_sun]

I found the best thing that helped was to finally start telling my climbing and bike buddies "sorry dudes, I've blown my knee out and can't shred for a while". That was drastic enough to convince myself to actually REST IT. (I'm really bad at that part)

 

Second thing I found most effective was to really work on getting super strong, particularly in my core and lower extremity (the scar tissue in your patellar tendon needs mechanical loading to properly re-model itself in a functional and strong direction. Think of healthy parallel bungee-cord fibers, instead of a jumble of knotted-up shoe laces that like to tear easily). It is true that the whole kinetic chain begins in the hips. Focusing on just "the effected quad muscle" won't help; if you have any crappy biomechanical factors going on that are causing or exacerbating it, you must fix it by starting at the pelvic girdle (basically meaning stretch your hip flexors, and strengthen your hip extensors and external rotators [gluteals]). Specific knee extensor exercises help, but doing closed chain dynamic movements are now thought to be the most effective method of therapy in the PT literature (such as squats).

 

I hope it feels better soon man

[shinsain]

If you're sure it's patellae tendinitis that's one thing, but keep in mind that Osgood-Schlatter (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osgood-Schlatter_disease disease can masquerade as something like patellae tendinitis. I have it and for a long time thought I just had really painful tendinitis.

 

At any rate, for the pain: RICE, rest, ice, compression, elevation. I run a lot with a full pack and some days the general area down there just *kills.* I've found that strengthening the quads/legs in general helps a ton. Also, you can do reverse calf extensions to strengthen that muscle on the front of your calves...the one on front of the tibia (forget what it's called). That has helped me as well. Also, a patella brace or compressor such as this: http://supports4less.com/alex/patella_knee-support.htm You can also get the band mentioned above that simply compresses the patella below the knee.

Edited September 16, 2009 by shinsain

[i_like_sun]

Good point.....

[CollinWoods]

Thanks all. I had it checked out awhile ago (begaining of summer) and the doc said not to use waights, run, carry a pack and play basketball. Im a gym rat and last summer i focused on legs quite a bit to get in shape for basketball season. The doc said that the impact from my body on the woodgrain is likley the cause. Whenever i try to do leg press n squats and such, i always feel pain. Did you guys feel pain when you did leg exercises? Thanks everyone for you help and adivce!

 

c

[i_like_sun]

Well, the osgood slaughter hypothesis is pretty valid...

 

I have from time to time experienced pain in my tibial tuberosity (patellar insertion) but usually only after having suffered a blunt trauma to it. The best advise is to listen to pain. Don't work through it! It is my understanding that many legpress machines do increase anterior shear forces at the knee to a greater extent than free-form squats do. Perhaps you can adjust your squating form to reduce knee pain? The further you stick your ass out the back, the more of the force your hips will take and not your knees. Also, stay away from wall squats, and if you do lunges, be super careful.

 

After all that, ice it, ice it, ice it, and ice it some more (in 15 minute intervals).

[CollinWoods]

Awesome. Best advice i got compared to the doctors who just told me to "comeback in about 6 weeks and we'll take it from there".