My Knee is Killing Me!

By Ross Ashcraft

Pain is not an inconvenience. It is a signal that something is wrong. If you develop lingering or returning knee pain then you have a window of opportunity to fix what is starting to go wrong. If you have chronic knee pain then it is more important than ever that you start treatment. This week’s post discusses Jumper’s Knee or patellar tendinopathy.

Symptoms:

1. Pain below the knee cap

2. Stiff or aching after exertion

3. Pain when you move your Quads (front thigh muscles)

4. Affected knee has a larger tendon that the other knee. This tendon is right below knee cap.

5. Calf or groin muscle weakness

Jumper’s knee can be categorized into four grades of injury:

Grade 1: Pain only after training

Grade 2: Pain before and after training but pain eases once warmed-up

Grade 3: Pain during training which limits your performance

Grade 4: Pain during every day activities

Obviously the higher the grade the worse your knee is becoming.

Reference: http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/cybertherapist/front/knee/indexjumpersknee.html

Treatment:

1. Rest: The higher the grade the more rest you need. Example: Grade 1: Just modify the way you train. Grade 4: Requires several days of rest plus modifying the way you train

2. Cold Therapy: Apply immediately after activity and 1 hour before bed

3. Steroidal Anti-inflammatory i.e. Ibuprofen/Advil: Take as needed but recognize that taking medication robs you of your body’s pain signals which can prevent more injury. Consult with your physician before taking any medication, however, if you are asthmatic, you should not use a steroidal anti-inflammatory.

4. Wear brace: Helps retain heat in the area and provides muscular support.

5. Stretches:

I. In the beginning use gentle stretches held for 5 to 10 seconds

II. Do these stretch 5X a day

III. Hold these stretches longer as you continue treatment

IV. Stretch for several days after symptoms subside to prevent further injury.

6. Massage Therapy: Perform cross-fiber friction to the tendon for up to one minute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh043fBaAFM&feature=relmfu

View this video to see how a Massage Therapist can deduce your Jumpers’ Knee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QMysNJwPxQ&feature=player_embedded

View this attached video for some techniques you can use.

Perform the assessment and technique on a willing victim and let me know what you think!