Quadriceps Tendonitis (One of three type of knee tendonitis)

What is it?

The quadriceps tendon is part of the extensor mechanism of the knee. This mechanism consists of the quadriceps muscle group, quadriceps tendon, patella, patellar retinaculum, patellar ligament and various soft tissue in the area. In the United States, knee injuries occur in more than 3 million people every year. Chronic anterior knee pain is common and often is associated with patellar malalignment (an imbalance of patellar posture) and abnormal patellar tracking (abnormal movement of the patella when flexing the knee, commonly associated with anterior knee pain and osteoarthritis).

Quadriceps Tendonitis affects the patellar tendon just above the kneecap area. This condition is the painful degeneration of the inside of the quadriceps tendon above the kneecap. A person experiencing quadriceps tendonitis will have particular pain straightening the lower leg, or decelerating when walking. The major point of pain coming from above the kneecap. Occasionally other conditions may be associated with quadriceps tendonitis including diabetes, gout, para-hypothyroidism. Other conditions which can be a cause of anterior knee pain are commonly confused with quadriceps tendonitis. These conditions include patellar tendonitis, synovial plicae, chondromalacia, patello-femoral subluxation and hyper-pressure, fat pad impingement or Hoffa's syndrome and patello-femoral arthritis.

Treatment

When treating tendonitis of the quadricep, rest the area, especially avoid the particular activity that produced the condition. Anti-inflammatory medication, ultrasound treatment, regular ice, stretching and physiotherapy are all helpful. An ultrasound application over the affected area, will reduce swelling quickly and increase blood flow to the area - increasing the healing rate of the tendon.

If the strain was minor, their body may be able to heal the tendon fibers normally. Unfortunately, this is not the usual result because the injured tendon is being used instead of rested. Because of the stress on the tendon, their body heals the injured quadricep tendon fibers by binding them together with fibrotic adhesions or scar tissue. This is done in an attempt to prevent further damage to the injured area. It is a normal protective response of their body.

To prevent this the patient should apply ultrasound treatment on the area up to three times daily. Ultrasonic energy will naturally "work" the tendon, increasing its flexibly while softening and breaking down scar tissue - which is not something you want in your tendon. Scar tissue is inflexible (non-elastic), and can quickly lead to re-injury of the tendon later down the road.

The trick to any tendon injury is getting it to heal with minimal scar tissue formation and with as much realignment of tendon fibers as possible - something radiant energy and ultrasound are great at! Even with optimum healing there is always less elasticity in a previously injured tendon. The trick is to make sure you heal this the best you can, that way your chance of re-injury down the road is much lower than average - which is well over 50%. Otherwise, persistent symptoms will occur, eventually leading to corrective surgery.

An Infrared Personal Therapy system is one of the most helpful tools for a pulled hamstring. Through the absorption of infrared thermal energy, tissues are safely and gently heated - increasing blood flow within the treated area. Your body's natural response to this increased temperature is to try to maintain a condition of homeostasis - a balanced environment or state of equilibrium throughout the body. To do this, your body responds with a rapid increase in blood flow to the area (this is known as vasodilation), increasing the supply of nutrients to injured cells and flushing out toxins (including lactic acid, commonly found in trigger points) to promote healing. Our Thermotex Platinum Pain Relief Device provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects.

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Ultrasound Therapy is also a helpful tool for pain prevention of tendonitis, and having a portable ultrasound device at home can be a powerful and convenient treatment tool. If you have symptoms or are recovering from a tendon injury, using ultrasound on a regular basis before your activity or throughout the day will help relax your tendons and muscles, diminish pain and inflammation, soften scar tissue and contribute greatly to the healing of your injury.

If you suffer from mild inflammation or pain after certain activities or movements use ultrasound therapy when you complete the activity and then rest and elevate your leg. Limit the application of ultrasound to a couple of treatments per day (the manual will recommend treatment frequency depending upon the injury). In between ultrasound treatments, maximize your pain relief and injury recovery by using the Thermotex Personal Therapy System. When you're on the go, and not near an electrical outlet, take advantage of the "wear anywhere" concept of our hot/cold wraps - the highest rated wraps in the industry. Proven Performance, Proven Relief - only found at MendMeShop.com. If you have been given a treatment plan by your health professional, make sure you adhere to it to ensure pain free living. In general, people who are committed to their therapies and exercises will have the best medical outcomes.