Expert Interview - Physiotherapist on Jumpers Knee
Premiership physiotherapist Neal Reynolds talks to sportsinjuryclinic.net about Jumpers knee - the initial treatment, recovery times and rehabilitation.
Initial Treatment
Patella tendonitis is very similar to shin splints in that you don't tend to get one incident which causes the pain. It tends to be a build up of activity which causes a gradual build up of pain.
The biggest question Neal always gets asked is "why has it suddenly happened now?". This is usually because one small change in activity, or footwear or training etc has just tipped it over the edge. Once it starts, this is when you need to get the treatment in as soon as possible.
The first aim is to get into and out of the inflammation stage as soon as possible. This can be done with ice, used for 20 minutes at a time and really regularly for the first couple of days to get the tendon to calm down.
Electrotherapy such as ultrasound and laser can be used.
Rehabilitation
After the initial week of ice and electrotherapy treatment the tendon will begin to look normal again to the naked eye. This is when you can start to put some load through the tendon so that it gets used to it and dveleops tensile strength to withstand the activities required of it.
Cross training such as cycling and swimming can be used to reduce the load but maintain fitness. Over a period of time the aim is then to gradually increase the load through the tendon, using stepper, cross trainers, then running then finally twisting and jumping, explosive movements. Neal thinks it is the landing which actually puts the most stress on the tendon and causes the injury so this is important to consider and work on this in rehabilitation.
Throughout the rehab programme then you are looking for pain and swelling. If either of these are present then you need to go back to the treatment room and start again.
Recovery Times
Patella tendonitis can take a fair while to get back to normal, especially if they have been going on for a while before treatment as this means there could be quite a lot of damage.
The aim of rehabilitation is to be able to withstand a load and that can take a couple of months. You then need to carry on with maintenance work to make sure the pain doesn't return.
