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patellar tendon exercises (Jumper’s Knee)
Body Part:
Knee
Equipment:
Knee Hero, Mini Foam Roller, Stretching Strap
Level:
Beginner
Jump for Joy! 5-Minute Patellar Tendon Exercises
If you are experiencing knee pain when you run, jump, or walk, you may have patellar tendonitis, or what’s also called jumper’s knee. Patellar tendonitis occurs when the patellar tendon becomes inflamed.
The patella — most of us just call it our kneecap — is joined to our shin bone by the patellar tendon. Even though it’s called the patellar tendon, it’s actually a ligament. Tendons connect muscles to bones, ligaments connect bones to other bones. The patellar tendon stabilises our knee and facilitates movement. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to move our knees.
Patellar tendonitis can be a real pain in the… knee. Although anyone can get patellar tendonitis, it’s most common among athletes, especially professional volleyball and basketball players and those who exercise frequently and intensely.
What Causes Patellar Tendonitis?
Sports or exercises that require repeated jumping, sprinting, or squatting motions can cause patellar tendonitis. These activities can strain and overwork the knee joint. Tiny tears begin to appear that inflame, swell, and weaken the patellar tendon. If patellar tendonitis isn’t treated, it can lead to the tendon tearing.
What Are Risk Factors?
You may be at risk for patellar tendonitis if:
- you have suddenly increased your physical activity,
- resumed exercising or playing a sport after a long break,
- play sports or exercise on a hard surface,
- or wear trainers that are worn out or don’t absorb shock.
Additional risk factors are: you have tight muscles (especially the quadriceps muscles or thigh muscles) or one of your legs is stronger than the other.
What Are Symptoms of Patellar Tendonitis?
The most common signs of patellar tendonitis are pain, tenderness, or a burning sensation around the bottom of your kneecap. The pain can range from mild to severe. You may experience pain in your kneecap when you run, jump, walk, bend or straighten your leg. Squatting, kneeling, or going up the stairs may be particularly painful.
At the onset of patellar tendonitis, you may only experience pain irregularly, usually after physical activity. The more tears appear in the tendon, the worse the pain will get.
We’ve developed patellar tendon exercises that can help alleviate that burning sensation behind your knee. Our patellar tendon exercises only take 5 minutes, and all you need is our Knee Hero, Stretching Strap, and Mini Foam Roller. Take a look below for our easy-to-follow instructions on how to perform our patellar tendon exercises.
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Your Personal Pain Scale
While you are exercising, pay attention to your personal pain scale. This is your body's gauge that measures the intensity at which you exercise from 1 to 10.
One would be like pushing your finger into your forehead. You'd feel a little pressure, but that's it. You've gone above a 10 if your breathing becomes irregular or you feel yourself tense up. For each exercise, aim for an intensity between 8 and 9. If you find that you are experiencing pain that's higher than 9, reduce the intensity so you can continue exercising without pain.
Patellar Tendon Exercise 1
Leg & Knee Stretch
For this exercise, you’ll need our Stretching Strap and Mini Foam Roller.
- Starting position: Sit on the floor with both legs straight in front of you.
- Place the Stretching Strap around the ball of the foot of your affected leg.
- Keep your back straight, lock your affected knee, and pull the Stretching Strap toward you.
- Your heel will come up off the floor; place the Mini Foam Roller under it for support.
- You’ll feel a good stretch in your calf.
- Pull the Stretching Strap toward you until you reach between 8 and 9 on your personal pain scale.
- Hold for about 1 minute.
- Keeping your back straight, lean forward and pull the Stretching Strap toward you at the same time.
- You’ll feel a stretch in the hollow of your knee.
- Hold for about 2 to 2.5 minutes.
- Slowly release and finish.
- Repeat on the other side if necessary.
patellar tendon exercise 2
Knee Hero Calf Stretch
For this exercise, you’ll need our Knee Hero and a chair.
- Place your Knee Hero so it’s facing the back of a chair, at a distance of about 1 metre (approx. 3 feet).
- Step onto the Knee Hero with both feet and bend your right and left knee slightly. Your knees and thighs should be parallel to your toes.
- You’ll feel a stretch along your calf.
- Intensify the stretch by bending a little on each exhale. (It’s important to keep your back straight.)
- Hold for about 2.5 minutes.
- Step off the Knee Hero and circle each foot clockwise and anticlockwise.
- Finish.
Bring Patellar Tendonitis to Its Knees
Getting on a regular routine can help banish the burn. Perform our patellar tendonitis exercises once a day, six days a week, for a four-week sprint. When your patellar tendon pain starts to subside, adjust the frequency of your routine as you see fit.
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