Common Knee Tendonitis Symptoms and the Best Way to Treat Them
August 21, 2022
Summertime’s sunny weather and blue skies allow you to find more outdoor adventures than normal. For example, your super relaxing beach day suddenly turns into a fun pickup game of beach volleyball. Your muscle memory is pretty good from your high school days, and you’re diving, serving, and spiking pretty well. The next day, however, makes you realize that it’s been more than a few years since your sophomore year, and your knee is swollen and tender. With the amount of jumping you completed, you might be suffering from knee tendonitis, which is also known as jumper’s knee. This condition is caused by an inflamed patellar tendon, which connects your kneecap to your shin bone.
At Pain Treatment Specialists, we specialize in a variety of knee pain conditions, including knee tendonitis. If you’re experiencing inner knee bone pain or pain above the kneecap, it affects your ability to walk, run, or climb stairs. Our nationally recognized pain doctors understand how knee pain impacts your daily life, and strive to find solutions with minimal recovery time. The knee pain doctors at Pain Treatment Specialists only utilize minimally invasive knee pain treatments such as nerve blocks and steroid injections for effective knee pain relief. Schedule an appointment with one of our conveniently located knee pain clinics in NYC, northern NJ, or Long Island and find long-lasting knee pain relief.
What are Common Knee Tendonitis Symptoms?
There’s a reason why knee tendonitis is also known as jumper’s knee. This condition is caused by repetitive jumping motions that put extended pressure on your knee joint. The force of the repetitive landings causes stress on your patellar tendon, which may then become inflamed. Your knee’s patellar tendon connects your kneecap to your shin bone, and if left untreated could lead to a patellar tendon tear or a torn patellar tendon. Common knee tendonitis symptoms include:
- Sharp pain under the kneecap
- Inner knee pain when straightening the leg
- Knee pain on the interior side
- Pain when running or jumping
- Swelling and tenderness around your patellar tendon
- Tenderness behind the lower part of your kneecap
Risk factors for tendonitis knee include repeated stress from jumping caused by sports such as basketball or volleyball.
If you’re experiencing knee tendonitis symptoms, it’s best to contact an interventional pain doctor. At Pain Treatment Specialists, our team of nationally recognized knee pain doctors treat this condition with cutting-edge procedures that are also minimally invasive.
What Helps Tendonitis in the Knee?
During your consultation at Pain Treatment Specialists, you’ll have time to explain where your knee hurts, and what types of movements produce the most pain. From here, your knee pain specialist completes a gentle physical examination, and orders additional images if needed. Then, your treatment plan is outlined. One of the core philosophies of Pain Treatment Specialists is treating various types of pain with the most conservative treatments available. Some of our knee pain treatments include:
- Physical Therapy: Your physical therapist uses jumper’s knee treatment exercises to build strength in your leg muscles. This is a preventative measure, and ensures that you will have enough strength in your knee joint and leg muscles to avoid a similar injury in the future. Additionally, the work to relieve your current pain through stretches and heat and cold therapies.
- Platelet Rich Plasma Injections: Also known as PRP therapy, this cutting-edge treatment uses your blood’s platelets to promote healing and growth. This treatment involves almost no risk, since you’re using your own blood. It is shown in multiple studies to speed up the healing process of your patellar tendon.
- Steroid Injections: A corticosteroid injection provides targeted and powerful knee pain relief. Completing a steroid injection first allows many patients enough pain relief to successfully complete a physical therapy program.
During your meeting with the knee pain specialists at Pain Treatment Specialists, you’ll learn the cause of your knee pain, as well as the best treatment plan.
Can I Treat Jumper’s Knee at Home?
There are some ways to treat jumper’s knee through at-home remedies. Our knee pain specialists recommend following the RICE strategy for pain, which stands for “rest, ice compress, and elevate.” This series of steps greatly reduces pain and swelling in your knee. Rest your knee from the sports or activities that are causing pain, and ice in 20-minute intervals. Compress your knee with a bandage or brace for additional support, and elevate your knee while sitting. You can also use over-the-counter medications for knee pain relief throughout the day.
Get back to the beach and another pickup volleyball game by addressing your knee tendonitis symptoms. At Pain Treatment Specialists, our board-certified knee pain doctors are ready to help you relieve your knee pain and get back on the sand!
Book a Consultation
Scheduling a consultation with one of our pain treatment specialists is one of the best ways to determine the proper solution for pain relief.
Meet our Harvard trained team
Dr. George Hanna
Harvard Medical School | NY & NJ Pain Specialist
Dr. Hanna received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed anesthesiology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital – Harvard Medical School and a pain management fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hanna was then appointed Clinical Instructor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School – training new graduates for over 3 years in anesthesiology and pain management techniques at Massachusetts General Hospital.
