Tendonitis Knee

This article describes the medical condition known as tendonitis knee and emphasizes on prevention of it at early stage.

Tendons are the tissues which are fibrous and help in smooth movement of the body parts and joints. They are responsible for the connection between the bone and the muscles. Due to some injury or any other reasons these tendons get damaged resulting in the inflammation of the bones or joints. This condition of the joint is known as tendonitis and when it happens in the knee it is called tendonitis knee. Tendonitis usually occurs due to over usage of the joints and is common in athletes and people above the age of 40.

Knee is the largest joint of the body; hence the tendons in the knee are also large which supports the knee. These tendons get damaged due to normal wear and tear with aging or overuse resulting in tendonitis knee. It is a common condition with runners and athletes who are involved in over usage of their knee. There are some specific types of tendonitis which occurs in knee they are patellar tendonitis and quadriceps tendonitis. Generally patellar tendonitis is referred to as tendonitis knee where the tendon above the patella or the knee cap gets damaged.

A tendonitis knee has symptoms of eruption of pain after running or walking. The swelling or inflammation in the knee with acute pain is a symptom of tendonitis. The severity of the condition can be diagnosed only after knowing the degree of damage the tendons are having. If the symptoms are ignored it may lead to total disability of the person in walking and running. Early diagnosis can help in taking preventive measures which may include stretching exercise, regular warm ups before strenuous activity, use of comfortable and correct footwear during the activity and use of straps or braces to support the knee.

Tendonitis knee can be treated effectively by giving rest to the tendons causing problem. Medications and heat treatment help improve the condition of the tendons. Cryotherapy or cold therapy which includes the usage of ice is also beneficial in treating tendonitis. Use of braces and straps to support the knees is also recommended by doctors.  In rare cases only where the tendons get a tendency to wear do experts suggest surgery. All the activities which lead to exert pressure on the knee should be avoided.

Tendonitis knee may also occur due to side effects of some antibiotic for example levaquin used to treat bacterial infection is considered to be a trigger for tendonitis in children. Therefore it is also necessary no drugs are taken without prescription if a person is prone to tendonitis.

While recovering from tendonitis knee it is recommended that knee should be braced up occasionally so that knee does not face any exertion. Breg braces are considered to be the best which provides support and uses the cold therapy to heal the tendonitis. Tendonitis is not a chronic disease. It is curable if detected at an early stage. Sportsperson should take extra care because they are mostly prone to it. Knee pain should not be ignored because tendonitis is curable at early stage but a prolonged condition may worsen the condition and surgery may be the only option left.

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