Patellar tendinitis is an injury that results from damage to the patellar tendon that connects your kneecap (or patella) to your shinbone. Patellar tendinitis is also known as patellar tendonitis or (colloquially) as Jumpers Knee. It is normally an overuse injury.
The patellar tendon works with the muscles at the front of the thigh to play a key role in straightening the knee when you run, jump and kick. As a result, athletes in sports that require these activities – such as basketball and tennis – are particularly at risk of developing patellar tendinitis/jumpers knee. However, individuals who are not involved in sports like these can also develop the condition.
Patellar Tendinitis Symptoms
The main symptom of jumpers knee is pain below your kneecap. The pain occurs here because the patellar tendon runs between the kneecap and the shinbone (tibia).
You may initially feel the pain of patellar tendonitis only at the start of physical activity or after completing it. However, you may eventually start to feel Jumpers Knee pain when performing everyday activities. These may include (for example) standing up from a seated position or when climbing stairs.
Treatment Of Patella Tendinitis/Jumpers Knee
If the patellar tendinitis is in its early stages, you can try treating it by using ice or a cold compress on the painful area. If possible, you can also try avoiding activities that cause the pain. Given a chance to rest, the patellar tendon may soon recover to its original healthy condition. You may also consider wearing a knee band or strap over the patellar tendon to apply compression for control of pain and any swelling you may have.
Other treatments for patellar tendinits include:
Reducing your activity level, at least as far as running, jumping and deep knee bending activities are concerned;
If a complete suspension of physically demanding activity is not a practical suspension, try interspersing days of high impact activity with days of low impact sports (e.g. swimming) that will not subject your knee to shocks;
Elevating your knee above heart level when you are sitting or lying down.
For a longer term solution to your patellar tendonitis, ask a physiotherapist to prescribe a series of exercises to strengthen your thigh muscles. You can also work with a jumping or running coach. He or she can advise you whether there are improvements in your technique that can reduce the risk that your patellar tendinitis / jumpers knee may return.
The Mueller Sports Medicine EASYfit® Kinesiology Tape applications are designed to be simple to use and can help relieve certain overuse injuries. Three (3) applications in each package for the knee, shoulder, foot/arch, calf/ankle/neck and waist/back applications. Six (6) applications in each package for the X & Y pattern applications.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Jumper’s Knee Strap boasts a tube shaped insert that helps to improve patellar tracking. The insert also provides concentrated mild pressure on your patellar tendon just below your kneecap. The Jumper’s Knee Strap will relieve pain that may result from frequent and intense running and jumping. The Knee Strap comes in…
The Mueller Sports Medicine Kinesiology Tape – 30m Continuous Roll features Mueller’s revolutionary wave adhesive pattern for effective rehabilitation of sore, weak or damaged muscles or joints.
Mueller Sports Medicine Kinesiology Tape – 5m Continuous Roll is a great choice for rapid rehabilitation for your sore, weak or injured muscles and joints. With its revolutionary wave pattern adhesive, it will lift your skin as you move to optimize your circulation and promote early recovery to full health. You cn wear it for up to 5 days at a time. Made from pure high grade cotton. Latex free, highly elastic and breathable in order to perform its “lifting” function more effectively.
The Mueller Sports Medicine Kinesiology Tape – I-Strip Roll will help you to treat ligament and other soft tissue injuries as well as repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel.
The McDavid Knee Strap / Patella employs a tubular, non-slip buttress to apply constant and uniform compression to your patellar tendon. It has  an adjustable hook and loop closure for custom fit.
The McDavid Knee Support / Adjustable uses movable padded buttresses for targeted compression and pain relief. There is also an adjustable hook and loop closure for custom fit. The flat-seam construction provides ultra comfort and contouring fit
The McDavid Knee Support With Stays features padded buttress to support the patella, spring steel stays to provide reinforced support and elastic hook and loop straps to ensure an outstanding fit. There is an exterior layer of nylon fabric for durability.
The McDavid Knee Support With Stays & Cross Straps has reinforced spring steel stays to offer superior medial-lateral stability and confidence. It also includes elastic cross straps for enhanced compression and for collateral ligament support. The padded open buttress offers 360˚ support of the patella.
The Bio Skin Patella Stabilizer is an effective choice for treating patellar instability, anterior knee pain and other knee problems. Its donut shaped buttresses help to stabilize your patella and control swelling away while you remain comfortable and cool even during extended wearing periods.
The Bio Skin Patella Stabilizer with Conforma Hinge will help to treat anterior knee pain and other patellar instability related knee problems. Constructed from Bio Skin’s patented, breathable materials, the Stabilizer gives excellent compression to control swelling and decrease pain in the knee. The donut shaped buttresses stabilize the patella and help keep swelling away from the knee joint. The brace has a lightweight and comfortable hinge to help address problems of knee joint instability..
Use Kinesio Pre-Cut Application tapes for treatment of various repetitive stress injuries. As the pieces are pre-cut, you do not need to cut them before putting them on, which simplifies application.
The low profile Bio Skin Q Baby uses Bio Skin’s patented Ultima 2SL™ material with micro fleeced lining for extra comfort. The Q Baby goes on your knee just below the patella and compresses your patellar tendon with its uniquely shaped silicon pad to reduce pain and speed healing.
Kinesio Tex Classic successfully treats a variety of orthopaedic, neuromuscular, neurological and medical conditions. It provides fast and effective pain relief and support for muscle aches and pains and directly targets the fascia (skin layers) and muscle tissue to treat the cause of muscle inflammation and pain.
The Bio Skin Visco Knee Skin with Conforma Hinge is an excellent all-purpose knee support. The Visco gel ring around the patella provides passive massage to remove swelling and decrease knee pain. The brace is comfortable enough to wear all the time and is very useful a few weeks after knee surgery to control swelling and speed recovery. Includes Bio Skin’s innovative, lightweight and comfortable Conforma Hinge for extra knee joint stability.
The Bio Skin Visco Knee Skin with Thigh & Calf Straps uses a ring made from silicone that helps control swelling and relieve edema via passive massage.