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Injuries are never fun for any athlete.
For jumping athletes like those involved in basketball, volleyball, and track & field, the most common injury is jumpers knee a.k.a patellar tendonitis.
What Is Jumpers Knee (Patellar Tendonitis)?
Jumpers knee occurs when the patellar tendon (located just below your knee cap) swells up due to inflammation.
The patellar tendon is very important in sports because it connects your quads to your knees and helps you propel yourself off the ground when you jump.
It also acts as a stabilizer muscle in the leg, ensuring that you remain balanced as you jump or move around.
The patellar tendon therefore comes under a lot of stress, especially by athletes in sports that involve lots of jumping.
Signs & Symptoms
Tell-tale signs of jumpers knee include:
- Pain right below the knee cap.
- Swelling of the actual patellar tendon.
- Difficulty and pain while running or jumping.
Causes of Jumpers Knee
The most common causes of patellar tendonitis are:
- Excessive playing of sports on hard surfaces (e.g. outdoor basketball courts made of concrete).
- Increased training frequency.
- Increased training intensity.
- Training or playing in worn out shoes or shoes without good cushioning.
How To Prevent Jumpers Knee
To prevent yourself from developing patellar tendonitis, do the following:
1. Always warm up before workouts.
- Warming up before workouts is one of the best ways to prevent injuries of any kind.
2. Always stretch your muscles.
- Perform dynamic stretches before workouts and static stretches after workouts.
- When it comes to preventing jumpers knee, make sure you stretch your quads, hamstrings, and calves very well.
3.Strengthen the muscles around your patellar tendon
- In order to prevent jumpers knee, you need to strengthen the muscles surrounding your patellar tendon.
- Strengthen your quads, hamstrings, calves, and shins to minimize muscle imbalances in the leg and prevent tendonitis.
4. Train on appropriate surfaces
- Always try to train on soft surfaces like grass or training surfaces made out of thick carpet or rubber.
- This will minimize the impact and shock on your knees while you train.
How To Cure Jumpers Knee
There are several ways to treat patellar tendonitis:
1. Icing
- Icing your knees after workouts is a great way to reduce inflammation and speed up your recovery.
2. Strengthen your shin muscles
- Most athletes never train their shins and usually have a huge muscle strength imbalance between their calves and shins.
- By training your shins to become stronger, you will reduce muscle imbalances, improve your leg strength, and recover from tendonitis faster.
- Most gyms are equipped with machines to strengthen your shins, but there is one simple exercise you can perform without any equipment.
- The exercise is called elevated toe walks.
- To perform it, simply walk on your heels (you will feel it in your shins).
- This is a simple and effective way to strengthen your shins.
3. EMS (Electronic Muscle Stimulation)
- Many college sports teams use EMS to treat patellar tendonitis.
- I used it while I played college ball, and it was very effective as a treatment for jumpers knee.
4. STOP playing your sport and wait for full recovery.
- The best way to cure jumpers knee is to stop any physical activity and let time heal your injury.
- Many athletes never get rid of their tendonitis because they never give it enough time to fully recover.
- Take as many weeks off as you need to completely get rid of the injury before returning to action.
5. If Symptoms persist, seek medical advice!
- It is always in your best interest to seek professional help when you are injured.
- A doctor will know exactly what you need to treat the injury.
Conclusion
Jumpers knee is one of the most frustrating exercises for jumping athletes.
It makes it extremely difficult and painful to run and jump.
Always make sure you take the necessary steps to prevent this irritating injury, and if you still happen to get injured, visit a doctor and treat it accordingly.
Once you are completely injury-free and ready to train again, use the Jump Manual. It will really help you improve your vertical jump.
December 17, 2011 at 11:24 am
About a month ago i did a jump rope workout, and it was bad. To get better i did it again a week later, bad idea. My knees especially below my right throbbed. I rested and just recently started p90x2. the pain is back especially below in the right knee. No swelling, just pain below the knee and into the shin and at times on the side of my knees.
January 31, 2012 at 12:57 am
Hey Aaron,
Sorry to hear about your knees. I am having the exact*** situation. (Jump roping followed by P90X only to find out it is back). I saw that you posted your comment in December. How are your knees now? I am so tired of waiting for them to heal and I am looking for SOME estimate…
February 5, 2012 at 11:48 am
Find a prolotherapist
December 18, 2011 at 11:56 pm
Hey, I’m a 15 year old boy that used to be extremely active. Last summer I went to a pool to swim. When I jumped in I noticed a dull pain in my knees. Since then, the problem has not gone away, it’s been about 4-5 months now. I have seen a doctor and he diagnosed me with patellar tendinitis and told me to rest my legs for 2 weeks. I have rested them for more than 2 1/2 weeks now… No luck. I am desperate to get better, I plan on joining the Marine Core when I graduate high school. Needless to say, the pain is much too great to pass boot camp. Any suggestions?! I NEED HELP!
December 22, 2011 at 1:18 pm
I was searching the web for answers just like you and came across something my friend suggested its called a Foam Roller. http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=9911 so check it out cause I might just get it my self considering I have the exact same thing in the same spot for same amount of time from skimming boariding. And like you said it just doesint heal even after months of Being off it.. So check it out. Here’s a link explaining what it fixes. I think runners knee and jumpers knee is close or the same. So either way I think it will help.
December 22, 2011 at 1:20 pm
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/runners-knee forgot to post the runners knee here you go.
December 29, 2011 at 1:39 am
Hi. Same thing happened to me but I’m fourteen. I run cross country, track and soccer. My doctor told me to stretch my hamstrings and quads, no active activity and ice a lot. Put your feet up to rest sometimes. Massage them. Hope this helps.
January 28, 2012 at 12:41 pm
This works.
I’m 22 and have had this problem since I was in 7th grade. This problem will not fully go away UNLESS YOU TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE CONSTANTLY. You need to ice and stretch after every activity EVEN IF IT DOES NOT HURT. Do the shin walks as well. “Walk on the heel of your toe”. Stretch your Ham strings!!! This is KEY! Do this and you will solve your problem!
I play basketball, football and Competitive Competition Style Paintball (PSP, NPPL)
December 29, 2011 at 12:24 am
i am suffering for jumping knee from past 3 years. i am a volley ball and foot ball player. when i was in 10, during my practice time i got pain in right leg below the knee. i consulted a doctor, he told to take rest for 6 months,but i took rest for 10 months avoiding all sports activity,but once when i started practice again after 10 months once again i got pain, then i took rest for 1 year, but even then pain is coming when i am practicing.so because of this i lost my sports carrier and i am not going to play also.
January 4, 2012 at 9:41 pm
proper English my dude !
January 9, 2012 at 10:53 am
iv had jumpers knee since i started dunking the ball. i was about 14 years old. then suddenly over time my knee started hurting more and more,, my jump got lower and lower and when ever i would try and dunk it would feel like it would give out or the knee cap right in the middle give this stinging sensation. iv been to the doctor… top knee surgeons had injection and had rest but it always comes back.. im at college level basketball. so the last 3 years i have developed my own routine that can keep me in the game,,, i am dunking again and my game is starting to grow to another level. i would like to share my routine n what i do to conques jumpers knee because i am absolutely sick of the stinging pain in the knee and really want jump , dunk and play my bball game the way i use to when i was 14.. basically its all very simple steps…every morning have have practice for my college team 8 -11 am. as soon as i get to practice i get on the jump rope for exactly five minutes no less or more.. i start off slow.. what this does it slowly gets you knees and all yours muscles a light sweat which will help you get warmed up.. unlike my team mates it seems that they can get straight into training however for me i need to do a little extra work to get warmed up… after my skipping i have my ball boi to give me a total full body stretch basically focusing on the legs. afte that i will get a light rub down on my legs with some special king of oil mixed in with other oils that makes my legs cole but hot at the same time. after i have competed my skipping, leg stretching and leg rub down.. ill go to the edge of the stairs and do single leg squats.. this will feel painful but will feel good at the same do about 7 to 10 pumps 3 sets.. now you are ready for training it will still hurt a little but you will still be ready to get into a hard session… after training stretching is so important i cant emphasize on that anymore,, after your stretching it is good to always get a light rub down on all your tight muscles if not its good to use a foam roller and roll your legs out.. after you have completed that i ice both knees for 20 mins this stops all swelling and pain,, and preparing you for the next day.. this will help you you in your games.. of course i do workout my legs squats dead lifts etc in my own time to strengthen them.. i always use leg compressions that go from the ankle up to the mid thigh these help keep your knees warm and keep support. i also did u the patller kneww strap which was also effective… i hope this helps!
January 25, 2012 at 1:52 pm
My 17yr old basketball star grandson is in his senior year in HS now has jumpers knee. The right knee is painful when jumping … His performance is now stunted. What suggestions do you have? Which products, best exercises, ice or heat, pool exercises, does support gear help? He has several offers for college we want him to be healthy ….. Please help!!!! Thx G-ma
January 24, 2012 at 9:19 am
Developed jumpers knee in High school, 1994. Played college baseball with it and all I can tell you guys out there is it will never ever go away as long as you are active. Ice after every workout or activity. 15, 20, 15. Pick your anti-inflammatory and deal with it. Try to keep your quad on the affected leg as strong as possible. That is what I have struggled with for years. My right quad atrophied and inch and a half smaller than my left. To this day it is still noticeably smaller. Ride a stationary bike, elliptical machine, whatever you can do to maintain strength without pounding the joint. Just my advice. Good luck to everybody on this.
January 28, 2012 at 11:48 pm
My son plays high school basketball and football, and suffers year round with jumpers knee.