Jumper’s knee is when there is irritation of the patella tendon, which is the tendon just beneath your knee cap.
🦵 Patella and quadriceps tendon pain is a common source of anterior (front) knee pain often occurring from repetitive or excessive overload onto the patellar tendon. This is often a condition of younger athletes, especially men, who participate in jumping sports such as volleyball, tennis, football, and basketball.
Loading the tendon is the primary stimulus that helps with keeping tendons healthy
❓How do we treat it?
➡️First, load modification is used with the goal of reducing pain.
What does that mean? If playing football is the trigger to your cause pain, at a minimum you should reduce the volume or intensity at which you are stressing that tendon.
Often you will need to take time away from the trigger of your pain for a short period of time.
No time is wasted time though- While you are temporarily taking a break from your sport, you will begin a progressive loading program.
Some pain is acceptable during or after exercise, however, symptoms should resolve quickly and should NOT worsen over the course of the loading program.
Loading often makes tendon pain feel better! This is known as the “warm-up effect.”
Start with isometrics!
With isometrics – do the action of kicking a ball against a wall for 5 repetitions of 45-second holds with a 2-minute rest break, you want to go heavy! The load should be at about 70% of the maximal amount of strength that you can hold. After 45 seconds you should be getting fatigued. Isometrics have shown to reduce pain, which is why we love beginning our patients here.
For more help managing all your knee problems give us a call on 0113 268 7578 or pop in to one of our clinics and chat to one of our expert physiotherapists