Knee tendonitis, also known as a jumper's knee, is an inflammation of the knee patella tendon that causes intense pain in the knee, especially when walking or exercising.
Generally, knee tendonitis is more common in soccer players, tennis players, basketball players or runners, for example due to excessive use of the knee tendon for jumping and running. However, tendinitis may also occur in elderly patients in the presence of progressive wear and tear of the joint.
Tendonitis in the knee has healing through resting and ice application, however, when these measures are not enough it is recommended to start physiotherapy sessions to strengthen the knee muscles.
Symptoms of tendinitis in the knee
The main symptoms of tendinitis in the knee may include:
- Pain in front of knee;
- Pain that worsens when jumping or running;
- Swelling of the knee;
- Difficulty in moving the knee;
- Feeling of a hard knee when waking up.
When the patient has these symptoms should consult a physiotherapist or an orthopaedist to make diagnostic tests, such as X-ray, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging, to confirm tendinitis and initiate appropriate treatment.
How to treat tendinitis in the knee
Treatment for knee tendinitis can be started at home with resting of the affected leg and application of ice for 15 minutes 3 times a day, for example. However, if the pain does not go away within 3 days, it is important to consult an orthopedist to start taking painkilling and anti-inflammatory medicines, such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen, to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
In addition, your doctor may recommend doing physiotherapy sessions to perform exercises that strengthen and stretch the knee muscles, speeding up the healing process of the affected tendon. Get to know some of the exercises in: Knee proprioception exercises.
In more severe cases, where knee tendonitis does not go away with rest, medication and physical therapy after about 3 months, surgery may be needed to repair damage to the knee tendon.
Here's how physiotherapy and nutrition may be helpful in treating tendonitis:
Learn more about this problem and learn about other causes of knee pain: Knee pain
