patellar tendonitis

[10-13]

my left knee is killing me. ive popped 3 aleves already, rubbed ben gay, and ice bagged for about an hour.

using the stairs is when the pain really hits hard, going down hurts more than going up.

i just started running again about a month ago and PT started bothering me about a week ago. i rested for the last 3-4 days, but after a phys. endurance run today its back and worse than before.

anybody have any tips for helping with the pain? will this happen every time i run, or will the pain stop after ive been running for a while?

[JRT6]

The number one cause of patellar tendonitis is "patellar subluxation" this is caused in part from muscle imbalances induced from running. Tall people are prone to it too. What happens is the I.T. band on the outside of your thigh starts to contract before the VMO (the tear drop shaped muscle on the inside of your thigh near the knee) which causes the the knee cap(patellar) to pull out instead of up. This causes the cartilage to wear under the knee cap(the cause of the rice crispies sound when getting up) and thus irritate the patellar tendon.

The good news:
with physical therapy one can get the muscle balance back and stop the wear. Orthodics can help too if your feet are out of alignment.

The bad news:
if orthotics, PT, and running on a softer surface don't help then your running days are over. Remember the pain is there for a reason. A new personal record in a run is temporary and a knee replacement is too.

The only way I can run is by wearing orthotics, running on an orthopedic treadmill, and periodization of my running i.e. I don't run when it hurts and instead do something else for a while. The eliptical rider is a great thing for taking a few weeks off of running.

[BunnyFoo-Foo]

I have a graft made of who knows what material in my right knee in place of the patellar tendon that ruptured years ago, so I know how you feel.....I suggest you rest for awhile; the tendonitis will only get worse with running.
Do short leg raises if you want to exercise ; place a rolled up towel inder the affected knee while sitting on the floor.....gently raise your lower leg leveled out with towel...it will work your quads and help build up muscle that surrounds that tendon. If that gets weak , your knee is screwed. A stationary bike is o.k too. 15 minutes a pop..dont be a superhero even if you feel well....dont wear it out. Running is too jarring and high impact for that tendon and it could make it worse. Ben Gay is wimpy..use Tiger Balm if you dont have senstive skin (test a spot of skin) ; I also like Myoflex....always ice it down after you do any activity...walking even.
Dont let this go on for too long; that is an important tendon; the kind basketball players rupture often...has a lot to do with helping them jump.....I cant jump worth a flip...look like a jumping bean insetad of a bunny! :p
I will let you know more if I remember anything they did to me during rehab! Get some GOOOOD shoes! It is worth it!

[Fastie]

I'm going to try some of these suggestions. I've had trouble with my knees in the past from skiing falls etc. Nothing too serious, Today I was going one way and my knee went the other... ouch !!! Now I'm hobbling around hoping I don't do anything else to it to make it worse/so I won't be able to walk <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> !!! Back to the ice for me...I'd stay home but I'm traveling this week and screwed, thank goodness the hotel had ace bandages in the gift shop and that handy ice machine....

I totally agree with the muscle imbalance and I know that has been one of my problems in the past. I guess it's time to look at that again!!

[BunnyFoo-Foo]

I remembered another exercise they had me do when I had tendonitis and before my 4th knee surgery....squats; with or without weights. I did not do them when my knee was still sore...they waited about a week before they had me do them in P.T. Dont get carried away with the weight and do not...I repeat DO NOT let you knee go past the point of you toes....(know what I mean) that will cause some back pain, which you dont want. Avoid jarring exercise, let it be smooth ..if you feel the tibia go one way and the femur go the other; you may have a bit of medial or lateral collateral lig. instability or even AC,PCL instability and the patellar tendon is just secondary damage...which can evetually happen if those other ligaments are damaged and not treated. Find a website with a good anatomical drawing of the knee, as well as a detailed physiological explanation that helps you figure out what your knee is doing. If you see a doctor and he wants to cut you open right away...see another doc. Much of this can be treated with P.T. and dont let anyone touch your menisci ..your knee will never be the same once those are gone......surgery from the 70's that some surgeons still do!
Good luck..I just got a steroid shot in the bursa of my shoulder (OOOWWWWW) and have P.T tomorrow and then see M.D. next week..again.....my shoulder is achy from the shot ..I think....my shoulder is "whacked" as the doc said....but treatable at this point. He suspects the impingement is secondary to a neck problem....could be....