Patellar Tendinitis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, & More

What is Patellar Tendinitis?

Patellar tendinitis, or jumper's knee, is an overuse sports injury that affects your patellar tendon. The patellar tendon is a connective tissue that connects your kneecap to the shinbone. The tendon helps in knee movement during sports activities like jumping and running. Due to overuse, the tendon may swell or get damaged, leading to pain, stiffness and lack of mobility.  

Symptoms of Patellar Tendinitis

Pain between your kneecap and tibia: You feel pain when you begin exercising or during rest after a tedious sports activity. The knee pain worsens with time, making it difficult to move up or down stairs and squat. You may notice tenderness when you touch the area below your kneecap. Stiffness or discomfort when you jump, run or climb stairs: Stiffness is a feeling of tightness when you bend your knee. Stiffness can happen due to wear, tear or a damaged cartilage. You may notice this symptom when you sit down for a long period and then try to stand. Progressive serious pain: Patellar tendinitis begins as mild pain and progresses to serious pain with time. Serious pain may be caused by intensive exercises or a lack of proper treatment.   Also Read: Common Running Knee Injuries & Their Treatment  

Causes and Risk Factors of Patellar Tendinitis

Common Causes

Repetitive jumping and running: Repetitive intense activities such as running and jumping may cause tiny tears in your tendon. Your tendon needs time to heal after a physical activity. Overuse: Overuse is repeating the same exercise daily, which uses the same muscles, leading to stress. Working on the same exercise causes tiny tears that lead to inflammation, adding stress to the tendons. Weak quadriceps and muscle imbalances: Muscle imbalances are when some muscles are stronger than others, therefore pulling harder on the tendon. Weak quads cause improper alignment, which puts stress on your tendon.

Risk Factors

Sudden increase in workout intensity or frequency: Increasing your activity level as a beginner or a professional is a risk factor for patellar tendinitis. Your body is designed to rest and recover between training sessions. Training on hard surfaces: In Hong Kong, basketball and volleyball players play on concrete courts and pavements. Hard surfaces increase the impact on your knee joint and cause stress on the patellar tendon. Poor biomechanics and improper footwear: Poor movement patterns and improper shoes can put extra stress on your knees, increasing the risk of patellar tendinitis. If your feet don’t land properly or your shoes don’t provide enough support, your patellar tendon can become overworked and inflamed. Over time, this can lead to pain and stiffness in the knee.  

Treatment for Patellar Tendinitis

Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation

Strengthening exercises for the quadriceps help provide support, reduce pain, and protect your tendon from future injury. Strengthening exercises strengthen muscles around your knee joint to support your joints and reduce too much stress on the tendon. Stretching techniques for the hamstrings and calves promote flexibility. To feel the impacts of the stretches, your healthcare provider may provide customized exercises specifically for your sport. Foam rolling and deep tissue massage improve flexibility and reduce muscle tightness. Foam rolling focuses on tight quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles that cause stress to the tendon. Foam rolling also improves blood circulation in the area of treatment. Deep tissue massage involves applying pressure on your deep muscles and connective tissues to relax the muscles and release chronic muscle tension. Deep tissue massage also improves blood circulation to enhance healing.   Further Read: Guide to Stretching Before a Run  

Rest & Recovery Strategies

Temporary reduction of high-impact exercises reduces stress on the tendon. High-impact activities can be jumping, squatting and running, while low-impact exercises include swimming. Ice therapy can also help you reduce pain and inflammation. At home, you can apply ice to the area where you feel pain, especially after running. Also, you can place ice in a plastic bag, wrap it with a cloth, and then place it on the area of treatment. You can also apply ice directly on the area of treatment.

Pain Management Options

Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory treatments such as ibuprofen and naproxen provide short-term relief from pain and inflammation. Consult your doctor before taking pain relievers for a long term. It's not advisable to take painkillers for more than 10 days without a doctor's instructions. Knee braces or taping are also good options. Knee braces and tapings provide support and still help you stay active. Taping shifts pressure from your tendon, therefore reducing pain.   Further Read: Recovering from Jumper’s Knee: A Comprehensive Guide  

Preventing Patellar Tendinitis

Proper Training Techniques

Gradually increase your training intensity to avoid stress on the patellar tendon and overuse injuries. Have a routine where you have resting days and light exercises. Increasing your training volume, intensity, and frequency can overload your patellar tendon.  Correct movement patterns distribute force evenly and reduce stress on your tendon. While running, ensure that you avoid overstriding and while jumping land with your knees bent and aligned over your toes.

Footwear & Equipment Considerations

Well-cushioned shoes absorb impact. During running or jumping, high-impact forces are transmitted to your knees, therefore, improper shoes cannot handle the force, resulting in stress on the patellar tendon. You can also prevent jumper's knee by using shoes designed for specific sports activities. Use orthotics for proper knee alignment if you have flat feet. Customized orthotics correct alignment issues and reduce stress on the tendon. If you have mild alignment issues, use inner soles with an arch for support.

Strength & Flexibility Training

Strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes prevents patellar tendinitis, improves stability and reduces stress on the tendon. Strong quadriceps absorb the forces that can stress the patellar tendon while the hamstring and glutes stabilize your knee. Regular stretches address tight quadriceps, hamstring, calves and IT band. Tight muscles alter knee alignment and increase tension on the patellar tendon during an activity.   Also Read: 10 Tips to Avoid Exercise Injuries  

Where to Get Treatment for Patellar Tendinitis?

For patellar tendinitis treatment, visit a physiotherapy clinic, sports medicine doctor, or orthopedic specialist. At Hong Kong Sports Clinic, our expert team of physiotherapists provides you with treatments and personalized rehabilitation plans to help you get back to your sports activities.  Book your consultation today and experience world-class care tailored to your needs.  

Final Thoughts

Addressing knee pain early prevents chronic issues. Chronic conditions can prevent you from participating in sports activities such as running, basketball and volleyball. Try to maintain a balance between training, strengthening exercises and recovery. Strengthening exercises keep your muscles strong, provide stability, and improve your overall performance. If pain persists or worsens, don’t wait and seek professional help. At Hong Kong Sports Clinic, our specialists are trained to provide expert diagnosis, personalised treatment plans, and support to help you recover.  

FAQs About Patellar Tendinitis

What is the fastest way to heal Patellar Tendinitis? The fastest way to heal Patellar Tendinitis is to avoid intense physical activities. Avoiding intense physical activities gives your tendon time to heal. Does Patellar Tendinitis ever go away? Yes, jumper's knee goes away with time. Taking enough rest may help the patellar tendinitis go away with time.  Can Patellar Tendinitis heal on its own? Mild injuries may heal with time and rest, however, severe injuries require medical attention such as surgeries to address the underlying issues. Is walking good for patellar tendinitis? Yes, walking helps with staying active during recovery. It is recommended for people with mild injuries; it helps retain a full range of motion. What happens if a patellar tendon tear is left untreated? Untreated tear may cause persistent knee issues. It may also result in severe disability that is accompanied by pain, stiffness, and loss of mobility.  

References

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10661584/