Jumpers' knee is a term that's thrown around when referring knee pain associated with sports, but you might be surprised to find that it's not what you might think.
If you've been discussing your knee pain with friends while at the sports events you participate in, you may have been told that you have a condition known as jumpers' knee. In some cases that may even be true, but before you start to treat your knee pain, you may want to take a moment to look a little more closely at exactly what may be the problem.
Jumpers' knee is a condition resulting from degeneration of the tendon that attaches the knee cap (Patellar) to the shin bone (Tibia). Where as, tendonitis patellar is the inflammation of the same tendon.
Confused yet? Meet too! Actually it's simpler than it sounds. When the tendon is swollen, it is called one thing. When it has degenerated over time it is called another (Jumpers' knee). The pain may feel exactly the same with either condition. The Rehabilitation process is similar as well.
The most important thing to take away is that if your knee hurts, it's trying to tell you something. If we listen to that pain and respect it, we can get it to go away.
Here's how we get tendonitis patellar to go away.
- Rest. We don't have to give up out physical activities entirely, just go easy on the activities that put the most stress on the knee joint. This may mean sitting out a season or two from the intramural sports you enjoy. Look at it as a sacrifice for the greater long term good.
- Strengthening exercises. Your physical therapist can set you up with specific exercises designed for your particular condition. Some involve hip and quadriceps movements targeting surrounding muscles to build a stronger foundation.
Without knowing whether what you have would be diagnosed as tendonitis patellar or jumpers' knee, the best course of action is best left for a professional to determine. Suffice it to say that early detection and the right customized remedy will bring the best results no matter what you're diagnosed with in the end.
