Topic: PATELLA TENDINITIS

[Dean Redzic]

Does anyone have advice for a weightlifter with Patella tendonitis?

Are there any resources for the weightlifters online?

Thanks

[Jim Storch]

Rest and Ice.

Easy stretching if it can be done WITHOUT pain.

[Paul LaDuke]

Patellar tendinitis is common among weightlifters because of the nature of how we lift.

There are several things to do:

1.  Decrease the offending activity(ies) to a level where it doesn't cause pain.  This may include total cessation of the exercise for a week or so.

2.  Take an NSAID as directed by the bottle.  Aleve or Ibuprofen are 2 examples.

3.  Use a hot pack on the knee for 15' before stretching.

4.  Stretch the quadriceps after heat or warm up to the point that causes some discomfort.  Hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times.  Do this 3 or more times a day.

5.  Perform leg extensions with light to moderate weights.  Extend the knees using both legs on the machine, perform the negative for a slow 4 count with the knee that has the tendinitis.  Start with 40 reps in sets of 10-20 reps.  Work up to 100 reps in sets of 20-25.  Perform this exercise 3 times per week.

6.  Stretch once after each set holding for 15 seconds.

7.  Ice massage for 10' after performing the leg extensions.

8.  Perform about 2' of deep cross friction massage rubbing perpendicular across the tendon.  This will cause some pain.  Stretch once more after doing the massage and ice massage for a few more minutes if the pain from the massage lingers.


This method has worked very well for me with my athletes.  Most of them are relieved of their pain within 2 weeks, IF they do the program and stay away from the offending activity.

Good luck.

[Mike Wittmer]

Some have found power snatches and power cleans to be the cause, at least for them.  The thinking is that the sudden stopping in the partial squat increases shearing forces on the knees.  If those exercises produce more pain than anything else I'd think about eliminating them.

[Paul LaDuke]

Mike Wittmer stated:

Some have found power snatches and power cleans to be the cause, at least for them. The thinking is that the sudden stopping in the partial squat increases shearing forces on the knees. If those exercises produce more pain than anything else I'd think about eliminating them.

I would agree with you that these exercises probably are the culprit.  But my theory as to why is different.   But it is my theory, not a fact.

There is a lot of research that shows that performing the negative portion of the isotonic contraction is very beneficial in rehabilitation of tendinitis.   With this science in mind, my theory is that exercises that use just the explosive contraction of a muscle without an equal negative contraction result in tendinitis.  If you perform a power snatch or power clean, you are virtually getting no negative contraction.  

A weightlifter who performs a large percentage of their routine performing only pulls and power versions of the lifts will probably get tendinitis because they are not getting enough of the negative isotonic contractions to strengthen the tendon.  To prevent this from occurring, make sure you perform full squats with a slow descent, perform cleans and snatches with a full squat more than the power version.

[Matt Denslinger]

I've read about possible scar tissue in the quads causing Patellar tendonitis.

[Ryan Ventrella]

Do knee sleeves help for the pain from patella tendonitis?

[Paul LaDuke]

Yes, they keep the knees warmer which will increase tissue temperature which increases flexibility.

Another option is the patellar tendon strap.  It is a 1" strap that wraps around the knee just below the patella.  It puts pressure on the tendon and biomechanically changes the forces through the tendon and may be enough to make exercise pain free.  (Do a Google image search for "patella tendonitis strap" to see several pictures of one.)

Either method is treating the symptom, which is okay, but you still want to treat the cause and eliminate the problem ASAP.