25 Mar Chronic Patellar Tendonitis Treatment
Do you continuously experience pain or discomfort around your kneecap? Did it start gradually, but is now nearly a daily occurrence? If you’ve answered yes to these, you could be dealing with chronic patellar tendonitis. Here at New York Sports Medicine Institute, our team is well versed in offering care for this condition. Those looking for treatment shouldn’t wait to schedule an appointment with Dr. Roth, our expert medical professional.
What Is Patellar Tendonitis?
Patellar tendonitis is a condition that affects the tendon that connects your kneecap to your shinbone. It occurs when the tendon is overused or irritated, leading to pain and discomfort developing in the area. When treatment is administered quickly, patients likely don’t need to expect any long term adverse effects related to this injury. However, it can become a chronic problem when left to linger, leaving you in pain more often than not. That is why if you begin to notice any of the below symptoms, you shouldn’t wait to seek care:
- Pain in or around your knee during physical activity.
- Swelling or tenderness around the kneecap.
- Physical discomfort that worsens as you perform an action.
- Being unable to complete routine daily activities without knee pain.
Risk Factors To Watch For
The best way to prevent a condition from becoming chronic is to stop it from occurring altogether. In terms of patellar tendonitis, one of the best ways to do this is to understand the risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing this condition. By understanding what they are, you’ll be better equipped to create a personalized prevention plan that will help keep your knee healthy. Some of the most common risk factors to be aware of can include the below:
- Suddenly increasing the intensity of the physical activities that you regularly partake in.
- Failing to stretch out your quad and hamstring muscles before physical activity.
- Having muscular imbalances in your legs.
Preventing Chronic Patellar Tendonitis
Now that the common risk factors have been mentioned, our team can directly address how patients can prevent these injuries through a personalized prevention plan. Even making a few small changes can have an enormous impact on your overall health, which is why we highly recommend following our advice, and discussing your health with a doctor. To keep this joint protected, we recommend that you focus on the below:
- If you begin to experience pain during physical activity, take time to rest the knee. Don’t resume until the pain has entirely dissipated.
- Always take the time to warm up before physical activity. For the best results, we recommend dynamic stretches.
- Strengthen your leg muscles to reduce any imbalances and keep unneeded pressure off of the patellar tendon.
- Use proper running mechanics to prevent overusing the patellar tendon.
Potential Treatment Options
Although it is unfortunate, the reality is that even after prevention methods are put in place, chronic patellar tendonitis can still develop. Working with the right medical team will offer the best chance at making a full recovery if this happens to you. After scheduling an appointment with our team, we will determine what needs to be done to help improve your condition. You may have any of the below to take place once a treatment plan has been decided on:
- Teaching you strengthening exercises to promote healing in the patellar tendon and prevent it from becoming irritated in the future.
- The use of a patellar tendon strap to distribute force away from the tendon itself.
- Corticosteroid injections to reduce swelling and inflammation of the tendon.
- Platelet-rich plasma injections to promote the formation of new, healthy tissue in and around the knee.
- Surgery to remove damaged parts of the tendon so healthy tissue can be easily created by the body.
Contact Us
Chronic patellar tendonitis does not need to be a condition that takes over your life. If you’re ready to receive the proper care, be sure to contact us here at New York Sports Medicine Institute today.