Your shinbone and kneecap are connected with one tendon that is extremely vulnerable to overuse injuries and might cause you a lot of troubles if seriously and severely injured.
If it gets injured, it’s a condition known as jumper’s knee or Patellar Tendinitis. It’s mostly characterized by pain at the top of the shinbone or the tibia and just below the kneecap.
During leg exertion, the pain intensifies and sharpens, making any knee movement painful. Jumper’s knee is one of the most common and classic overuse injuries and it’s mostly caused by repeated stress on the tendon.
The irritation is so severe that the body can’t fix it on its own and pain results. Leaving jumper’s knee untreated isn’t an option, so here is how to fix and rehab it.
Treatment
First of all, take it easy, as relaxation of the injured area plays a crucial role in the process of full recovery. So, that means avoiding jumping and any similar activities for the time being.
Swimming is recommended if you can do it pain-free, but the most important part of your treatment is doing intense core and upper-body workouts. You’ll need to maintain fitness to fully recover so, here are a couple of excellent tips on what to do:
- Use ice – ice helps relieve pain so apply ice several times a day for 15 minutes.
- Use a strap – jumper’s pain can be easily relieved with a proper patellar tendon strap which can help relieve pain by supporting the tendon.
- Massage – massage improves circulation, promotes healing of scar tissue and lessens the pain.
Rehab
To rehab or prevent jumper’s knee, it’s recommended that you stretch your hamstrings and quads on a regular basis. Inflexible hamstrings and quadriceps put extra stress on your patellar tendon and can cause irritation.
In combination with overuse injuries, this can lead to a jumper’s knee and jumper’s pain. Stretching regularly help heal tendinitis but also help prevent it as well.
You can try eccentric training by doing regular leg extensions. Start with lifting at normal speed and then slowly lower the weight. With tendon rehabilitation, have someone apply resistance to your lower leg.
The more you lower the weight, the more you challenge the muscles and the tendon which makes them stronger. This helps with preventing further and future injuries. Leg extensions help you fully recover but it’s always important to ask for professional help. Visit Ray of Health and start your knee treatment to minimise the risk of long-term complications.
