Tendonitis

About Knee Tendonitis

The ending of the word “itis” is defined as inflammation. Therefore, tendonitis is inflammation of a tendon, which connects muscles to bones. Commonly, the tendon that connects your quadriceps muscle to the tibia bone (quadriceps tendon above the kneecap and patellar ligament below the kneecap) can become inflamed resulting in a condition also known as jumper’s knee. This thick tendon runs over the top of your kneecap and attaches to the tibia bone below. This structure can often become inflamed due to abnormal joint movements, poor posture and weakness of the surrounding musculature. This causes strain to the tendon with resulting pain during repetitive movement and especially with squatting or kneeling down. Other areas of tendonitis in the knee can occur such as the back, outside or inside of the knee.

How physical therapy helps

Physical therapy is the first line in conservative treatment for tendonitis. Most tendonitis is due to underlying abnormal mechanics of movement, walking and weakness. Our trained physical therapists are experts in evaluating your movement to pinpoint the source of the trouble. Modalities may be used to alleviate pain and discomfort, while hands-on therapy improves joint mechanics and movement.

Finally, gentle strengthening exercises and joint coordination exercises help to restore stability to the affected area and prevent re-occurrence of symptoms. To discover how we can help your knee tendonitis call us today!