Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper’s Knee) Treatment and Prevention Tips

Ever feel a tenderness in the front of your knee? Or poke just below your kneecap and feel a sharp pain? Maybe you’ve assumed it’s bursitis, a meniscus tear, or osteoarthritis. But it could be something else: jumper’s knee. 

When you put a lot of force through the patellar tendon (by, for example, repeated jumping), it can contribute to inflammation in the front of the knee. While that may sound bad, it’s something that your body is fully able to heal on its own. If your patellar tendon gets stretched or hurt, you can actually make it stronger and more resilient for the future, and it usually only takes a few weeks to get there. 

Read on to learn more about what causes patellar tendonitis (tendinitis), along with how to prevent and treat it — especially with exercises recommended by our Hinge Health physical therapists.

What Is Patellar Tendonitis? 

Patellar tendonitis occurs when the patellar tendon — the tendon that connects the bottom of the kneecap (patella) to the shinbone (tibia) — becomes injured or inflamed, causing pain at the lower part of the kneecap. While patellar tendonitis can affect anyone, it’s often referred to as “jumper's knee” because it’s a common injury among athletes who participate in sports that require a lot of jumping, like volleyball, track and field, and basketball.

What Causes Patellar Tendonitis?

The patellar tendon works with the thigh muscles to straighten your leg. Simply overloading the patellar tendon by doing more activity than normal can cause some pain, says Cody Anderson, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. “Often, weekend warriors are affected by patellar tendonitis. For instance, if you normally play soccer once a week, but participate in a tournament and play six games over the weekend, you might hurt after that.“

Certain activities tend to put a high load on the patellar tendon. A top cause is — you guessed it — jumping. “Jumping creates a large load because you have to propel yourself up, plus slow yourself down when you land,” explains Dr. Anderson. Other activities that are common contributors include sports like volleyball, track and field (long jump or high jump), basketball, skiing, and weight lifting.

Patellar Tendonitis Symptoms

The symptoms of patellar tendonitis typically include:

• Knee pain 

• Pain in the knee that worsens with activity, especially when jumping, squatting, running, or going up and down stairs

• Swelling

• Tenderness when pressing just below the kneecap 

• Knee stiffness

One of the best tools to prevent and rehabilitate patellar tendonitis is exercise therapy. The above exercises recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists gradually increase the amount of pressure on the patellar tendon to strengthen it. Focus on doing each move in a controlled manner, suggests Dr. Anderson. Start by doing them every other day, maybe at lower repetitions, to allow for some recovery time. Then you can build up to doing them most days of the week at higher rep counts. 

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Patellar Tendonitis Treatment

The following interventions can be used to treat pain related to patellar tendonitis: 

• Physical therapy. A physical therapist (PT) can recommend exercises, like the ones above, to strengthen and restore range of motion in your patellar tendon. Working with a professional can also give you confidence to find your “movement sweet spot,” where you’re able to challenge your knee enough to heal without aggravating it. You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health to access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

• Activity modification. It’s okay to scale back on activity until the worst of your knee pain has passed, but it’s important to keep moving to help your body heal. Focus on gentle movement like walking and stretching to let the pain and inflammation subside while you take steps to build strength in the tendon, says Dr. Anderson. Once the initial pain and swelling has subsided, you can start gradually adding load to the tendon to strengthen and heal it with targeted patellar tendonitis exercises. 

• Compression. As you ease into activity, orthotic taping or a patellar tendon strap can help reduce strain across the tendon caused by jumper’s knee. Patellar tendon straps are worn just below the kneecap. They are designed to apply targeted pressure to the patellar tendon. This pressure helps distribute the load across the tendon more evenly. This can help alleviate pain during activities and allow you to continue moving and strengthening your knee. 

• Cold therapy. Apply ice for 10-20 minutes at a time to help constrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the affected area. This decreases swelling and inflammation. Apply ice immediately after physical activity, or whenever you have pain, to numb the area and get quick pain relief. 

• Over-the-counter medication. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be helpful for knee pain. It’s important to make sure that you are safely able to take these medications, based on your medical history. 

While patellar tendonitis can be uncomfortable and frustrating, you don’t have to give up activities you enjoy (even if they include running and jumping). Even if a new activity, or a change in activity intensity, brings on patellar tendonitis, it doesn’t mean you should avoid that activity or that your body can’t handle it. Quite the opposite, in fact. Your body is remarkably strong and adaptable. Incorporating strengthening and stretching exercises in addition to the activities you enjoy better prepares your body to handle a variety of loads and prevent pain from rearing its head in the future.  

When to See a Doctor

Most cases of jumper’s knee can be treated without needing to see a doctor or get imaging. But if your pain is severe and prevents you from performing day-to-day tasks, see a doctor.

If you’re doing regular strengthening and stretching exercises, you should gradually see a decrease in pain and an increase in your ability to do your daily activities over time. If you don’t see improvements from the treatments above in four to six weeks, see a doctor to rule out other issues. Patellar tendonitis is sometimes mistaken for other injuries such as meniscal injuries, patellofemoral syndrome, quadriceps injury like a strain or tendonitis, or knee bursitis. 

How to Prevent Patellar Tendonitis

Although you can experience patellar tendonitis from regular, everyday activities, there are steps you can take to try and prevent it from occurring altogether.  

• Warm up before activity. Walk for five to 10 minutes or do dynamic stretches to prepare your body for a more vigorous workout, especially one that involves running, jumping, or hiking. 

• Strengthen and stretch thigh muscles. Tight and weak thigh muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings) are associated with a higher incidence of patellar tendonitis. The quadriceps also connect to the patellar tendon. “Anything that strengthens the quads also strengthens the patellar tendon,” says Dr. Anderson. 

• Listen to your body. Pain is tricky because it’s not always an accurate indication of damage. Sometimes, we feel pain when there’s no damage present. Other times, pain is a signal that your body might experience an injury soon. You don’t need to drop everything and stop moving at the first sign of a twinge in your knee. But putting heavy loads on an already inflamed tendon may make for a longer recovery. If you notice knee discomfort, it’s okay to temporarily scale back to prevent pain from getting worse. 

• Increase exercise gradually. If you run 20 miles in one week, for example, and want to increase how far you run, aim to run just a few miles more the following week, and maybe think about adjusting your pace to be easier on some runs. Or if you usually play one soccer game a weekend, and you have three coming up, find ways to adjust by substituting out more often or playing at a more moderate intensity for some of the game.

PT Tip: Think of Sitting as Squatting

“Oftentimes, people are afraid to squat when they have knee pain,” says Dr. Anderson. “But you have to sit down — whether it’s on a chair, couch, or toilet — every day. And every time you do those things, you're squatting!” So take advantage of those everyday movements as an opportunity to rehabilitate your knee. Every time you go to sit, control your motion so you can use it as an opportunity to strengthen and heal. 

How Hinge Health Can Help You

If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.

The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app, when and where it works for you.

Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.

See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.

This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.

References

1. Wittstein, J. R. & Wilkerson, R. (2021, September). Patellar Tendon Tear. OrthoInfo — American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. https://www.orthoinfo.org/en/diseases--conditions/patellar-tendon-tear/

2. Rudavsky, A., & Cook, J. (2014). Physiotherapy management of patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee). Journal of Physiotherapy, 60(3), 122–129. doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2014.06.022

3. Rutland, M., O’Connell, D., Brismée, J.-M., Sizer, P., Apte, G., & O’Connell, J. (2010). EVIDENCE–SUPPORTED REHABILITATION OF PATELLAR TENDINOPATHY. North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy : NAJSPT, 5(3), 166–178.

4. Santana, J. A., Mabrouk, A., & Sherman, A. l. (2022). Jumpers Knee. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532969/