Common Causes of Knee Pain - Jumper's Knee

Many injuries that cause pain to the knees are not actually injuries at all, but are actually just repetitive movements that over time will cause irritation, leading to pain and inflammation. Jumper's knee, or patellar tendonitis, is a painful condition that is often caused by repetitive movements and is common in many athletes. Jumper's knee is one of the most common types of knee pain, and it can easily be treated.

What is Jumper's Knee?

Before we explain the condition, we first need to talk about the construction of the knee. There are two main tendons that allow the knee to have the range of movement that it does - the quadriceps tendon and the patellar tendon, which connect the muscles to the bones, and allow people to straighten and bend their legs. Most times, this condition is caused by overuse, which is why it is often seen in athletes, who tend to use a lot of repetitive movements that involve running and jumping. Jumper's knee can be painful, and there is often inflammation to go along with the pain. Jumper's knee can also be caused by not properly taking care of a serious injury to the tendon, but overuse is a much more common reason for the condition.

Symptoms of Jumper's Knee

There is usually quite a bit of pain associated with jumper's knee, and this pain is usually centralized directly around the patellar tendon. It is fairly easy to diagnose jumper's knee. All a physician needs to do is to press on the affected area, and if the patient displays the right symptoms, he or she more than likely has jumper's knee. Many people with jumper's knee complain of pain when they are doing certain activities, such as running, jumping, kneeling and going up and down stairs. Sometimes, there is inflammation around the patellar tendon. To make sure that the tendon is not degenerating, an MRI may be performed, as well as x-rays, to make sure there are no bone spurs, which are associated with jumper's knee.

How Can Jumper's Knee Be Treated?

One of the first recommendations a physician will make to someone with jumper's knee is to rest the affected knee as much as possible, and if the person is an athlete, it is recommended that they stop playing sports until the tendon is properly healed. Most times, the patient is the best judge of how much rest his or her knee requires, and the majority of people are going to take it easy as long as needed to make sure that they have no problems with their knees in the future.

Anti-inflammatory medications are often prescribed to patients with jumper's knee to relieve pain, or they may prefer to take weaker medication that they can find in pharmacies without a prescription. Ice treatments are important, as well as stretching exercises that will help to strengthen the tendon. Many patients need to wear a brace of some sort, usually an infrapatellar or Chopat strap or a knee brace.

As long as patients follow their physician's advice properly, there is no reason why the knee should not heal completely. Then, they will be able to take part in all of their normal activities, including the sports they love so much.