Finding the best treatment for knee tendonitis can be difficult sometimes but is necessary to overcome this common condition that affects both athletes and weekend warriors alike. Also known as jumper’s knee or patellar tendonitis, this condition happens when the tendon connecting the patella to the shinbone develops small tears. Because of its reputation among athletes, many people suffering from knee pain have self-diagnosed themselves with this condition, which often leads them to end up seeking out treatment (either medical or at home) that may not work at all for their specific case.
To avoid this mistake, it's important to learn about possible ways to treat knee tendonitis in addition to success stories about others who have successfully treated their cases. Read on for more information on getting rid of your symptoms without additional complications!
Home Treatment
With the pain of the knee, and tendonitis comes a lot of frustration. You can't do anything about it because your body is healing itself. Many people use medical treatments to help their bodies but many prefer home remedies instead because they think those will be more useful.
RICE
Rest, ice, compression, and elevation, also known as RICE, is a famous acronym used to treat patients with soft tissue injuries and tendon problems.
Rest
Knee tendonitis is typically caused by overuse. The tiny tears in the tendons don't have time to heal because, between extreme exercise and overzealous use, blood circulation reduces which causes them to be damaged even more severely than if you gave yourself a break from it. Resting gives these torn tendons time to heal and is an essential treatment that is often overlooked.
Ice
icing your knees will give you temporary pain relief by numbing the area. It also reduces inflammation by minimizing fluid accumulation in the surrounding tissues. Always wrap a cold therapy pack in a towel before applying to any sensitive area, for example, your knee, because extremely cold temperatures can cause serious skin injuries.
Compression
Compression is used to facilitate the fragile joint, reduce swelling, and support ligaments that have been stretched. You can accomplish this by wrapping your knee with a reusable elastic bandage, knee sleeve, or brace. Reducing the volume of plasma in your knee will ensure that you continue to heal properly and reduces any pain you might have in the interim. Just make sure that your compression isn't so tight that it impedes blood flow to the area.
Elevation
Just like a cold pack, elevation is a convenient and easy way to reduce swelling in the knee. Your doctor may suggest an elastic bandage or flexible knee brace, but these options tend to make regular walking difficult. It may be more comfortable for you to try the conventional home remedy of propping your leg up on a few pillows when at rest and taking breaks from movement throughout the day.
Stretches and Exercises
Your knee joint is supported by strong tendons and the many muscles that make up your leg. Strengthening exercises for your hamstrings and quadriceps will help curtail further injury, rebuild muscle tissue and support your joint for the long term. Stretching exercises are also important to prevent injury and ease strains on overworked muscles in your leg. Wait until the pain has subsided before you start exercising. Once this has happened, be sure to carefully complete a low-impact exercise routine every day or every other day to stretch out those sore muscles!
Medication
Naproxen and Ibuprofen are medications commonly sold over-the-counter for reducing inflammation, pain, swelling, and fever. These products can be found at any pharmacy or even online and are relatively inexpensive. Before you begin taking a new product of this kind, it's important to consult your doctor or chemist to make sure everything is just fine before moving forward with the next step. While these products are generally considered safe, they can sometimes interact with other medications or cause different side effects so one must double-check their research before anything else to ensure their safety and well-being when working with medication in this area.
Professional Treatment
When home treatment isn’t enough to manage your knee tendonitis then it’s time to seek professional treatment.
Physical Therapy
A physical therapist will evaluate your knee injuries and develop a personalized plan for treatment. Often physical therapists will help to guide you through different treatments, routines, and remedies you can take care of at home which is what makes them so useful for anyone that needs to rehabilitate their pain easily and conveniently. Their expertise will also cover how to modify your current movements and activities to decrease pain levels and the risk of worsening the injury.
Surgery
Surgery to repair a torn or damaged patellar tendon is often a recommended course of treatment when your condition doesn't respond to non-surgical treatments like steroid injections or physical therapy. If your knee injury is so severe that it has left you with little more than crippling pain, week after wasted week, you may have worn down the previous options that were available for you. When this happens your doctor will refer you to a surgeon who can review your diagnosis and determine what subsequent surgery is required for a surgical resolution.
Arthroscopic surgery
Arthroscopic surgery uses small incisions in the knee to perform the surgery. As opposed to an open surgical procedure, arthroscopy is less invasive. Arthroscopic surgery can increase knee function and decrease pain. Although the size of incisions is tiny, the surgeons use a special tool called an endoscope to be able to see inside your knee joint on a monitor displaying real-time images captured by high-definition cameras. Then they're able to repair any tears or damage that has occurred in your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as well as any other damaged body parts within your inner knee area.
Post-Surgical Recovery
Although recovery from surgery will depend on the extent of the injury and how much repair the surgeon had to do, in some cases patients will need to wear a cast during their recovery whereas others will have an aggressive rehabilitation plan for them. Talk with your surgeon and work closely with a physical therapist to determine the best post-surgical recovery route for you.
Trying Patellar Tendonitis Treatment Safely
Knee tendonitis hurts a lot. The tearing of tendons can lead to pain for days at a time, and be frustrating if you aren't going about it the right way. It's important not to treat knee tendonitis lightly though because it's always best to deal with this type of injury alongside a medical professional who will render the proper treatment which may include: anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, or cortisone injections. Needless to say, home treatment should be discussed with your doctor as well.