Treating Jumper’s Knee
I have recently been seeing a lot of knee pain in my practice working with volleyball and tennis players dealing with knee pain, so it seems like a good time to discuss the topic of what is commonly called ‘Jumper’s Knee.’ Jumper’s knee, or medically described as patellar tendinopathy, is pain located just below the kneecap on the high shin. This often presents stronger when active, but may slightly improve after a small ‘warm-up’ period. The more aggressive the activity, usually the more painful the area. Activities that are usually the most bothersome are jumping, running, descending or ascending stairs, and squatting.
I have discussed tendons in past blog posts but it is important to mention them again because that is the tissue bothered here. The patellar tendon is the soft tissue structure that anchors your quad muscle (front thigh) to your shin, which allows you to straighten your knee. The tendons in our body act like springs, needing to be able absorb load and disperse it appropriately. Similar to springs, tendons compress and then expand. This is the absorbing and releasing of force/energy. If the tendon itself doesn’t have the capacity to do this well, pain can become present.
So how do we get this pain to go away? We initially to address quadriceps mobility, making sure appropriate mechanical force is being dispersed well through not only the tendon but the whole muscle. Next, there is a combination of muscle strength and tendon load tolerance practice that needs to be addressed. Tendon loading protocols are usually very specific, so I always highly recommend seeking a trusted healthcare provider who understands these protocols to best recieve optimal results!
Have more questions about how physical therapy can help knee pain? I would be happy to chat further about how Loon State Physical Therapy can be your teammate in getting you back to moving and feeling your best! Call us at (612) 405-8503 or book with us online at www.loonstatephysicaltherapy.com for an in-person or virtual appointment.
Until next time!
Andrew Eccles
Owner and Physical Therapist at Loon State Physical Therapy
