Treating Knee Tendonitis

In most cases of knee tendonitis you will not need to see a doctor. The treatment of the condition involves rest, isolation and slowly easing back into activity. You should follow the R.I.C.E method. Here's how it works:

Rest
The first step is to rest the knee. If you feel the pain during sport, you should stop and rest immediately.

Ice
Ice is one of the best methods of reducing pain, inflammation and swelling. Ice also helps to promote blood flow to the area. You shoud apply ice to the knee straight away and then at intervals. Do not keep the ice on for longer that 20 minutes at a time and do not put the ice directly on the knee (wrap it in a towel).

Compression
Lightly compress the knee area when applying ice.

Elevation
Elevate the leg.

You should rest the knee until you no longer feel any of the symptoms. It's important that you ease back into activity slowly. After you knee has been rested, the tendon is weak and susceptible to injury.

If the above treatment does not cure the symptoms of knee tendonitis, or the tendonitis keeps reoccuring you should consult your doctor or physician immediately. Your doctor will give you a full examination and may recommend cortisone injections to help rebuild the damaged tendon. In very severe cases, surgery will be required. This rarely happens and is only used for a last resort.

Prevention Tips

Prevention is always better than a cure, and there are several easy ways you can help minimize your chance of developing knee tendonitis. Here are some of these methods:

Warm Up Properly
This is exercise 101, and is more common sense than anything. A well-structured warm up will prepare your heart, lungs, muscles, joints and your mind for strenuous activity. You should warm up for 5-10 minutes before exercise.

Stretching
Stretching helps to preserve the tendons elasticity and improves flexibility. Studies have show that adults that stretch on a daily basis have much less chance of developing tendonitis later in life. You should also stretch before and after exercise. Make sure you hold your stretch for 20 seconds and don't bounce.

Strengthening
You should work to imporve the strength in your leg muscles. Doing this will also strengthen your knee, hamstring, quadricep and patellar tendons. Strength training can have a very positive impact tendon strength.

Wearing the Correct Footwear
Be aware of the importance of good footwear. A good pair of shoes will help to keep your knees stable, provide adequate cushioning, and support your knees and lower leg during the running or walking motion.

Strapping/Bracing the Knee
Strapping provides extra support to the knee. You should only use strapping occasionally or when you are recovering from knee tendonitis. The reason is because if you use strapping all the time your knee will rely on it for support and will not get stronger.