Patella tendonitis (jumper's knee)
Discussion
Hi all
After any advice from anyone who has had this and got rid of it. I'm 52 was pretty fit not so much now as CV is painful. I'm 6ft and weigh 80kg.
About 2 years ago, I started getting pain in my right knee just on the bottom of the knee cap and down through the big tendon attaching to the shin.
I have run for years but just for fitness so never really above 10k usually 5 to 7 3 times a week. Due to work stuff getting in the way I stopped ringing early that year so probably hadn't run for 8 months before the pain.
I was doing a fair bit of kneeling on the jobs on hard floors so do wonder if that might have something to do with it.
Anyway I stopped the kneeling or at least used knee pads and gave the leg a rest.
Over the next year or so it has just got more painful, some days going up or down stairs can be a problem.
I went to ( OK spoke to on the phone) the docs they just said rest and ibuprofen sounds like jumper's knee.
This achieved nothing, so I figured it would get better as I was not running anymore and this is classed as an over use injury.
It did not get better and I guess subconsciously I was guarding that knee because of the pain. Now if you compare both legs the tear drop shaped muscle on the inside of my right leg the vastus medialis is way smaller, I have skinny legs anyway but it is hardly there at all.
I went back to the docs last year and eventually after much nagging they arranged an MRI.
In short
Grade II chondromalacia patella
The patella tendon shows increased signal with associated bone marrow oedema in the patella suggestive of patella tendonitis.
I have been to physio and do the various exercises as often as I can but it does not seem to be getting ant better.
The only lower body exercise I can do without too much discomfort is cycling. So I do this to keep my CV up.
Has anyone had this and got rid of it?
Any suggestions as to what to do. I considered going private to see if they would suggest anything above the NHS but I can't really afford it.
Any advice would be great, any specific exercise you used to help it and so on.
I would like to be able to do squats and lunges and be able to go running with my wife again but that is looking unlikely.
After any advice from anyone who has had this and got rid of it. I'm 52 was pretty fit not so much now as CV is painful. I'm 6ft and weigh 80kg.
About 2 years ago, I started getting pain in my right knee just on the bottom of the knee cap and down through the big tendon attaching to the shin.
I have run for years but just for fitness so never really above 10k usually 5 to 7 3 times a week. Due to work stuff getting in the way I stopped ringing early that year so probably hadn't run for 8 months before the pain.
I was doing a fair bit of kneeling on the jobs on hard floors so do wonder if that might have something to do with it.
Anyway I stopped the kneeling or at least used knee pads and gave the leg a rest.
Over the next year or so it has just got more painful, some days going up or down stairs can be a problem.
I went to ( OK spoke to on the phone) the docs they just said rest and ibuprofen sounds like jumper's knee.
This achieved nothing, so I figured it would get better as I was not running anymore and this is classed as an over use injury.
It did not get better and I guess subconsciously I was guarding that knee because of the pain. Now if you compare both legs the tear drop shaped muscle on the inside of my right leg the vastus medialis is way smaller, I have skinny legs anyway but it is hardly there at all.
I went back to the docs last year and eventually after much nagging they arranged an MRI.
In short
Grade II chondromalacia patella
The patella tendon shows increased signal with associated bone marrow oedema in the patella suggestive of patella tendonitis.
I have been to physio and do the various exercises as often as I can but it does not seem to be getting ant better.
The only lower body exercise I can do without too much discomfort is cycling. So I do this to keep my CV up.
Has anyone had this and got rid of it?
Any suggestions as to what to do. I considered going private to see if they would suggest anything above the NHS but I can't really afford it.
Any advice would be great, any specific exercise you used to help it and so on.
I would like to be able to do squats and lunges and be able to go running with my wife again but that is looking unlikely.
See my thread - "knackered knee". It's not exactly as yours but it is patella tendinitis and may be useful.
Thing ive found is the most important thing is upper leg stretches, the pain was getting worse for me because my muscle was tightening, making the pain worse, then when it got really bad is was going into spasm, hence pulling on an already enflamed tendon.
You need to get to a good specialist sports physio. Yes, they aren't cheap, it'll likely cost you a few hundred quid... but.... if your pain dissapears within a few weeks (as mine did) and they can work with you on rebalancing your muscles and can "fix" you then you really have to weigh it up. For me, a few hundred quid over a few months is well worth the money. Pain is horrible, and at this stage, where I am with my knee, I'm really really grateful to those on PH who said i needed to get to a physio. Ive felt the best I have in months.
Where in the world are you?
Thing ive found is the most important thing is upper leg stretches, the pain was getting worse for me because my muscle was tightening, making the pain worse, then when it got really bad is was going into spasm, hence pulling on an already enflamed tendon.
You need to get to a good specialist sports physio. Yes, they aren't cheap, it'll likely cost you a few hundred quid... but.... if your pain dissapears within a few weeks (as mine did) and they can work with you on rebalancing your muscles and can "fix" you then you really have to weigh it up. For me, a few hundred quid over a few months is well worth the money. Pain is horrible, and at this stage, where I am with my knee, I'm really really grateful to those on PH who said i needed to get to a physio. Ive felt the best I have in months.
Where in the world are you?
I use to be a keen road cyclist and rack up lots of miles in a week .Had the same problem in the right knee (physio never seemed to fully fix it ) .He pressed hard with his thumb to try and release the pressure but after failed attempts then went harder and over done it a bit .some years later my knee has never been the same for road biking.infact gave up cycling altogether now
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff