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Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it?
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 2009-07-15 2:11 PM |
Member 34 |  Subject: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it?I need a little help please. I posted a thread a little while ago about knee pain. Turns out it is Patellar Tendonitis. If you have had it or know someone that has, can you tell me how YOU treated it and what you thought worked best. The reason I am emphasizing "YOU" is, i want to hear what people that have had it have done. Basically, straight from the horses mouth, no offense! Thank you! |
| 2009-07-15 2:22 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
Extreme Veteran 374  Hoboken, NJ | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? I had that a while ago. I rested up for a good while and that didn't help at all so I went to physical therapy a 2-3 times a week. We did some exercises which I'm sure helped, but I think the key was the stretching (basically ham-string - type stretches among others) and massage. She could feel that 1 patella was "tighter" than the other and would gently move it around, stretching the tendon. It felt nice and really helped. After a few weeks the pain was significantly decreased and with a little more rest I was fine. If I had started with the therapy right off (with moderated, though not eliminated, exercise) I probably would have been back to normal in less than two months... |
| 2009-07-15 2:22 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
Master 3127  Sunny Southern Cal | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? I rested my knees for a while, then resumed running using knee straps. I still use them. Maybe I could get by without them now, but why bother taking the risk? For a while I tried PT to supposedly improve muscle balance, but honestly it seemed to be doing more harm than good. I think my patellas have always tracked off a little bit, and I'm skeptical that I can change that significantly. The knee straps are easy to use, and I don't see a down side to using them. |
| 2009-07-15 2:37 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
Master 2571 Tiger's Den | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? I rested for about 2 weeks, reduced my mileage, and started wearing a knee strap. I also began doing PT exerices to strengthen my quads, which is normally why you get Patellar tendonitis (weak quad that can't hold patella in place). Wall squats were particularly helpful. Oh and I took ibuprofen. Edited to add... after about 3 months of building my mileage back up using the 10% rule and faithfully doing the quad exerices, I started going without the strap. At first just on shorter easier runs, then gradually all of them. Haven't needed it again, that was 3 years ago. BTW, make sure you are running in the right kind of shoes and not on cambered roads. Fixing your problem won't do you much good if you just give it to yourself again after you've healed. Edited by SuzanneS 2009-07-15 2:39 PM |
| 2009-07-15 2:50 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
Elite 3471 Evergreen, CO | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? I cut back on mileage, stretched, and started running barefoot. I've noticed a big difference in my strength already and it forces me to run with better form. |
| 2009-07-15 3:13 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
| 244 | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? Ice after each run, leg lifts and squats (around the clock type), cut back to 2 runs a week for awhile. ^^^ These were per my PTs instructions and it did work. I tried the strap thingy and it didn't help, plus it slid down my leg all the time. I have a small leg, so sizing was hard. |
| 2009-07-15 3:33 PM in reply to: #2287679 |
| Member 34 | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? LaurenCO - 2009-07-15 4:13 AM Ice after each run, leg lifts and squats (around the clock type), cut back to 2 runs a week for awhile. ^^^ These were per my PTs instructions and it did work. I tried the strap thingy and it didn't help, plus it slid down my leg all the time. I have a small leg, so sizing was hard. awesome everyone! i REALLY appreciate the help........tell me what 'around the clock' squats are please? |
| 2009-07-15 3:37 PM in reply to: #2287534 |
Regular 288 Doylestown, PA | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? SevenZulu - 2009-07-15 3:22 PM I rested my knees for a while, then resumed running using knee straps. I still use them. Maybe I could get by without them now, but why bother taking the risk? For a while I tried PT to supposedly improve muscle balance, but honestly it seemed to be doing more harm than good. I think my patellas have always tracked off a little bit, and I'm skeptical that I can change that significantly. The knee straps are easy to use, and I don't see a down side to using them. x2 |
| 2009-07-15 4:51 PM in reply to: #2287533 |
Master 1390 Ferndale, MI | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? ezl - 2009-07-15 3:22 PM I had that a while ago. I rested up for a good while and that didn't help at all so I went to physical therapy a 2-3 times a week. We did some exercises which I'm sure helped, but I think the key was the stretching (basically ham-string - type stretches among others) and massage. She could feel that 1 patella was "tighter" than the other and would gently move it around, stretching the tendon. It felt nice and really helped. After a few weeks the pain was significantly decreased and with a little more rest I was fine. If I had started with the therapy right off (with moderated, though not eliminated, exercise) I probably would have been back to normal in less than two months... x2. This was my exact plan and now if I feel any pain coming on, I make sure to get on the strengthening exercises (mine was due to a weak hip) and it keeps it at bay. |
| 2009-07-15 7:23 PM in reply to: #2287740 |
| 244 | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? Around the clock squats. I forgot to add, one legged squats. You squat on one leg, with the other leg in front of you, at 12 o clock. Hold for 5 seconds. Rise. Repeat with the leg to the side, 3 o clock. Repeat with leg beind you at 6 o clock. I worked up tp 10 sets. |
| 2009-07-15 9:19 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
| Extreme Veteran 844 | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? petty much what everyone else stated. rest, 6 weeks of PT.. stretching and strengthening exercises such as: leg lifts with toe pointed up, then in, then out, repeat. leg lifts on side various resistance band exercises. happened in early oct got done with PT 6 weeks later, built mileage back up, got my orthotics then ran my first full Marry @ Disney in Jan with no pain. search on teh intraweb for it as well, ton of good info, but best to get checked out by a PT to start. |
| 2009-07-15 10:39 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
Master 2665 The Whites, New Hampshire | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? Mine's pretty much eternally chronic at this point. I wear a knee strap, that helps. I don't know how much is psychological and how much is real, but I believe what the athletic trainer told me about the anatomy and how the strap works. I know when I forget it, especially on hikes, I notice it a LOT. Ice, quad exercises. Need to do more of those, it is flaring up again. When it was really, really, REALLY bad, I went to the AT. She had me get on the stationary bike and spin through the pain. I was, needless to say, very skeptical, but under her supervision I did it. I had my head down on the handlebars with tears from the pain, and I could barely keep the machine from shutting off I was spinning so slowly on the lowest resistance. Once my knee warmed up, though, I could get a little faster. Every day I did this, but about a zillion strengthening exercises, and it got much better. However, NEVER push through the pain without direct supervision from someone who knows what they are doing! I think it just needed to get stronger, and the pain was from the grating, and I just had to get through it. Sucked, but worked. Good luck! |
| 2009-07-16 10:49 AM in reply to: #2287496 |
Expert 961 Illinois _ Chicago area | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? First I stopped running. I went to a chiropractor that did ART. (Active Release Technique ) and Graston. I also had a running gait analysis. Weak hamstring and hips was one area that was noted, so I was given specific exercises and stretches. Then I began to run again. Unfortunately, since everything was feeling so great I added mileage too fast and developed tendonitis in my ankle. If it's not one thing it's another. Hope your knee is feeling better soon. I know how frustrating injuries can be. Edited by suzimmer 2009-07-16 10:50 AM |
| 2009-07-16 10:50 AM in reply to: #2287496 |
Master 1651 Breckenridge, CO | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? aunt_esther - 2009-07-15 1:11 PM I need a little help please. I posted a thread a little while ago about knee pain. Turns out it is Patellar Tendonitis. If you have had it or know someone that has, can you tell me how YOU treated it and what you thought worked best. The reason I am emphasizing "YOU" is, i want to hear what people that have had it have done. Basically, straight from the horses mouth, no offense! Thank you! I ignore it. Mine is from knee surgery where they used the middle third of the tendon for an ACL repair. It never grew back all that well and it hurts a bit most of the time but I usually have something else hurting more so it's just a minor inconvenience. |
| 2009-07-16 10:52 AM in reply to: #2287496 |
Member 26 | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? I have had 4 scopes, two per knee and I had terrible PT for years. Until I started cycling, I would stay on the bike and really minimalize your running. Also some light weight squats and leg extensions can be helpful, but don't use to much weight. |
| 2009-07-16 2:39 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
Expert 1074 Madison, MS | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? First, I got a strap so I could keep running. It worked for me. But I had to wear it so tight, it left marks on my leg. Then, I did these exercises: http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_jumpersk_rex.htm Which I supplemented with exercises from the book Pain Free. Also, got my massage therapist to work on it. Eventually, I was able to run without the strap. Haven't used it in over a year. I do maintenance exercises from Pain Free fairly regularly. |
| 2009-07-16 4:09 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
| 12 | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? I went the strap route as well and trained to run the Flying Pig Marathon with it. With the use of the strap, exercising, ice, and the occasional ibuprofin I got through it and now I am pain free and training even harder towards the Chicago Marathon. You can continue to exercise on it if you can tolerate the pain just know that it will prolong the recovery from it. |
| 2009-07-17 9:43 AM in reply to: #2287496 |
| Member 34 | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? all very good things......thank you all for your help, i am going to put together a plan and let you know what happens.....i would rather 'heal' this season and come back strong next season than to be permanently friggin injured! |
| 2009-07-17 10:38 AM in reply to: #2287496 |
Extreme Veteran 837 Wellesley, Massachusetts | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? Thank you for starting this thread! My knee just started flaring up and I want to curb it ASAP. I have a sprint in Sept and a Marathon end of Oct. Here's to some good rehabbing! |
| 2009-07-17 12:07 PM in reply to: #2287496 |
| 286 | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? So this flared up for me back in mid may. I did basically what everyone did in the above posts (stopped running, iced, stretched, strengthen the hips and quads, etc). Still had issues for 2 months (no running, except for 2 sprint races, but lots of biking and swimming). Then finally i went to see a PT. She's fantastic, basically my hips and IT bands were so tight that my knee cap was literally being pulled out to the outside. You can actually see how much farther outside it is than the other one. So she has me doing a lot of hip, quad, and IT band stretches (tons of foam roller which is downright painful). Also exercises to strengthen the hips and glutes (apparently my quads are plenty strong, which added to the knee issues). And she does a lot of hip and IT band adjustments in our sessions. She also does McConnell taping to try and get the kneecap over. Today I have a "running analysis" session where she'll look at my form to see if there are any potential causes there. She said that she sees this a lot w/ triathletes as we're biking in the aero position, really bunching up the hips. Advice: Find a good PT and let them figure it out. |
| 2009-07-17 2:16 PM in reply to: #2291986 |
Regular 95 Oregon City, Oregon | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? jdevito20 - 2009-07-17 12:07 PM ...and IT band stretches (tons of foam roller which is downright painful). I went thru the same issue last year - tight IT band pulled the kneecap off track. Caused severe pain that was interferring with all aspects of my life. Doctor took x-rays, but said the knee looked fine - take some more Advil and rest was the advice. That did nothing. After some ultrasound and adjustments from my chiro, I started using the hard foam roller regularly. Now, after every run, I roll my IT bands. I've gone from barely able to massage my IT bands last fall to now being able to roll the length of my IT band with nothing more than a hand for balance. I've experienced no knee issues since the episode last fall. I highly recommend taking care of your IT bands as they definitely led to direct and severe knee pain for me. |
| 2009-07-17 2:24 PM in reply to: #2292314 |
| 286 | Subject: RE: Patellar Tendonitis...how do YOU guys treat it? daleskibum - 2009-07-17 2:16 PM jdevito20 - 2009-07-17 12:07 PM ...and IT band stretches (tons of foam roller which is downright painful). I went thru the same issue last year - tight IT band pulled the kneecap off track. Caused severe pain that was interferring with all aspects of my life. Doctor took x-rays, but said the knee looked fine - take some more Advil and rest was the advice. That did nothing. After some ultrasound and adjustments from my chiro, I started using the hard foam roller regularly. Now, after every run, I roll my IT bands. I've gone from barely able to massage my IT bands last fall to now being able to roll the length of my IT band with nothing more than a hand for balance. I've experienced no knee issues since the episode last fall. I highly recommend taking care of your IT bands as they definitely led to direct and severe knee pain for me. That's good to hear! I hope to be rolling and running pain free soon. |
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