How Athletes Can Prevent Jumper's Knee

Oct 20
09:04

2011

Grace Beavis

Grace Beavis

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What Is Jumper's Knee?

Do you ever experience from jumper's knee? Patellar tendonitis or jumper's knee is an average sports-related injury which affects athletes or players of many sports including baseball,How Athletes Can Prevent Jumper's Knee Articles golf, soccer, volleyball, track and field, volleyball, and basketball. Such accident can keep them out for several games in a period of time. But later in time, it can get serious.

What is The Patellar Tendon?

Your patellar tendon is located below your knee cap (patella). For those involved in sports, it connects your shin bone or tibia. This tendon is extremely strong. It allows the quadriceps muscle group to straighten the leg. The quadriceps straightens the knee in jumping to propel the individual off the ground and function to stabilize their landing. The patellar tendon stabilizes your leg muscles, helping you balance when you jump and move around.

How Jumper's Knee Occurs?

Jumper's knee occurs when your patellar tendon swells up due to the inflammation it sustains. The patellar tendon always comes under a great amount of stress by athletes who oftentimes jump a lot and alter directions while playing their sports, thus putting additional strain on the knee joints. Most common uses of patellar tendonitis include excessive activity on hard surfaces (like playing basketball or volleyball on outdoor courts made of concrete), increasing frequency and intensity in training, and not wearing the correct shoes for sports. With repeated strain, micro-tears and collagen degeneration may also occur in the tendon.

Symptoms of Jumper's Knee or Patellar Tendonitis

The symptoms of jumper's knee are characterized by pain below the knee cap, swelling of the patellar tendon, and running or jumping difficulties. Patients are present with an ache over the patella tendon.

-               Pain below and at the front of the knee cap

-               Aching and stiffness after exertion

-               Pain when contracting the quadriceps muscles

-               Affected tendon may appear larger than the unaffected side

-               May be associated with poor Vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) function

-               Calf weakness

Jumper's knee is categorized into four grades of injury namely:

-               Grade 1: Pain only after training

-               Grade 2: Pain before and after training but pain eases once warmed-up

-               Grade 3: Pain during activity which limits your performance

-               Grade 4: Pain during every day activities

How You Can Handle Jumper's Knee

For a sports-loving individual like you, what you can do to prevent jumper's knee? Here are the following tips:

-               Always warm up before any workout. Warming out before workouts can help prevent injuries.

-               Always stretch your muscles before and after any workout. Stretching your quads, hamstrings, and calves do aid in preventing jumper's knees.

-               Play your sports on the right surface. Avoid training on hard concrete surfaces. Try training on soft surface like grass or on surfaces made out of thick carpets and rubber.

-               Always ice your knees after workouts. This helps lessen inflammation and speed up effort.

-               Train your shins to become stronger. Strengthening your shins helps you lessen muscle imbalance, increase leg strength, and recover speedily for patellar tendonitis.

-               Stop all physical activity for a while to allow full recovery. Like numerous sports injuries, jumper's knee can take some time to heal. Postpone all physical activities to provide healing time for your injury.

-               If the discomfort persists, see your doctor. Seek professional medical advice if your patellar tendonitis is too painful to bear. Your doctor is your best help when you are injured.

Jumper's knee can be treated by effective physical therapy. If the injury persists, your doctor might suggest surgery.

Physiotherapy Sydney for Jumper's Knee

Physiotherapy can also be applied to heal injuries. Physiotherapists can assist athletes rehabilitate their sports-related injuries. In the case of jumper's knee, they suggest the R.I.C.E methods to treat the injury's early stages. R.I.C.E stands for rest, ice, compression and elevation. The physiotherapists may also recommend specific exercises and stretches to strengthen muscles and tendons.

If you happen to sustain jumper's knee, do not hesitate to seek physiotherapy Sydney aid from expert physiotherapists.