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Off-Topic Experience with quadriceps tendinitis

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Chrisdavisjr

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Does anyone here have experience with quadriceps tendinitis (AKA 'Jumper's Knee')? What caused it? How long did it take to heal? What did/do you do to make it better/worse?

I've been struggling with an undiagnosed knee problem for a few weeks now, which I suspect is quadriceps tendinitis, and after several days of near complete rest it seems to have improved up to a point but I feel like it's not getting any better and I'm still unable to sit into or come out of a squat without discomfort. I'm currently waiting for an x-ray to see if there's anything structural that needs adressing . I hope I'm just being impatient and that it's sorting itself out.

I'm certainly not asking for a diagnosis but I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's experienced similar and how it went for them.

Thanks to all and happy holidays.
 
I had patellar tendinopathy on both legs, one leg for 10 years and the other for 2 years.

The first one started when I played rugby, not sure what caused it. The other leg it was after training pistols.

For the leg I had 10 years you can imagine I did everything at my reach to heal it. For the second leg, I came across the below link and healed it doing exactly that. It's the best resource I have found on tendinopathy by far.


If I was in your position (and you reach the conclusion you have tendinitis) this is what I would do:

Do what's prescribed in the article.
Strengthen the posterior chain.
Strengthen the glutes in particular.
Improve ankle mobility.
 
I had patellar tendinopathy on both legs, one leg for 10 years and the other for 2 years.

The first one started when I played rugby, not sure what caused it. The other leg it was after training pistols.

For the leg I had 10 years you can imagine I did everything at my reach to heal it. For the second leg, I came across the below link and healed it doing exactly that. It's the best resource I have found on tendinopathy by far.


If I was in your position (and you reach the conclusion you have tendinitis) this is what I would do:

Do what's prescribed in the article.
Strengthen the posterior chain.
Strengthen the glutes in particular.
Improve ankle mobility.
Amazing article! I’ll have to give that my full attention when I get the chance. Thank you ever so much!
 
Don’t know if this fits your symptoms, but this guy produces quality content as well:

 
I found that doing partial squats (box squats, box pistols, getting up from a chair etc) always aggravated my patello-femoral syndrome. It seems to me that it's the angle that puts the most shear forces on the knee. Either it pushes my kneecap into the cartilage or it just puts too much strain on the tendon. Anyway, going a#@ to grass on anything squat-like helped to some extent and was easier on the knees.

I still have occasional pain so I can't say I healed it completely, but I know what to avoid to not aggravate it.

And I second @Oscar on Steven's material, I have his book on tendinopathy, very good read.
 
Don’t know if this fits your symptoms, but this guy produces quality content as well:

That's another comprehensive article. I don't think it applies in my case as my pain is on the inside towards the top of my kneecap and not below, or at least I hope it doesn't; it doesn't paint a particularly promising picture for my return to Olympic lifting any time soon.

I really hope I can get a definitive diagnosis on this soon as I really don't know what to do with it (rest it or work on it).

I think like anyone who asks for advice on these things, I'm looking for reassurance rather than facts. It's irrational but there you go; that's what humans are like. I really appreciate the responses and I hope you've all been having some much-needed down time after what feels like an absolute wash-out of a year. I hope things get better for all of us.
 
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@Chrisdavisjr you are not alone, I was depressed for 3 years when I couldnt excercise due to the tendinosis. I gained 20 kg and felt like crap. And yes, 80 kg squats can hurt your tendon in certain circumstances. In my case, I had pain going up stairs. To be fair with my poor tendon, it was carrying 20 kg of extra load :). It feels really unfair not to be able to go up a bloody stair, not to mention practice sports.

In my case, defeating the tendinopathy became a cause and it kept me going. When my second tendinopathy appeared I was certain I was gonna defeat it.

If its tendinopathy, dont worry, you'll get better and back to training. You may even improve the weak link that caused the problem and come back stronger. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
If you feel like investing some time, you may find the podcast "Jacked Athlete" worth listening to. He is a knowledgeable college S&C coach and self professed meathead who loves to dunk and has a particular interest in jumpers knee. In particular, consider episodes 22 to 27. They review a number of times throughout that podcast, I believe in the episodes with Jill Cook and Ebonie Rio in particular, common causes of anterior knee pain and ways to tease out the diagnosis which may be helpful.

Of course, finding a good sports medicine team/PT is always the best option if available to make sure you know what you are dealing with. Best of luck!
 
@Chrisdavisjr, my experience and that of others has led me to believe that many knee problems are due to improper tracking of the knee, and some combination of stretching and strengthening is often the cure.

IOW, this:

Strengthen the posterior chain.
Strengthen the glutes in particular.
Improve ankle mobility.

and I would add: improve hip mobility, improve hamstring flexibility, improve groin flexibility. Basically all those things mobility/flexibility things like in the joints that are next on the body - ankles and hips. And the hamstrings cross the knee joint and can do a lot to provide stability there.

-S-
 
@Chrisdavisjr, my experience and that of others has led me to believe that many knee problems are due to improper tracking of the knee, and some combination of stretching and strengthening is often the cure.

IOW, this:



and I would add: improve hip mobility, improve hamstring flexibility, improve groin flexibility. Basically all those things mobility/flexibility things like in the joints that are next on the body - ankles and hips. And the hamstrings cross the knee joint and can do a lot to provide stability there.

-S-
Thanks, Steve! I've got results from an x-ray coming soon so I'll know if the joint is sound on a skeletal level soon enough. I'll be getting referred to a physiotherapist as soon as I can.

Until recently, I was convinced that my lower body mobility was more or less excellent, and that my squat form was likewise, however given what's happened I think it would certainly be prudent to get this professionally assessed and see where improvements can be made because I certainly don't want this to happen again!
 
@Chrisdavisjr
Please keep us posted about your results.
I have had my share of knee tweaks over the years and at best they can be frustrating.
(One thing I have found that helps my knees stay relatively healthy is KB SLDL)

Above all though, listen to your sports doc and physiotherapist and let them decide the best course of action....
 
Above all though, listen to your sports doc and physiotherapist and let them decide the best course of action....
Absolutely! I was wondering where I could find a suitable physiotherapist and I've discovered one via Instagram who is not only an accomplished weightlifter herself but has also worked with some of the lifters who have coached me. Very promising! I'll probably be reaching out to them once I know the x-ray is clear. I've also ordered some SBD weightlifting knee sleeves for good measure. 2021 will be a year of training smarter, not harder.
 
Well, it turns out after all that that it is arthritis after all, specifically: Minor spurring at the patellofemoral joint with small effusion at the suprapatellar bursa. The knee joint is 'well preserved', whatever that means.

The doctor provided me with a number for a physiotherapist to call so it looks like surgery isn't required, for now at least. I will see what the physio says.

Upsettingly, the advice from mainstream medical sources advocates avoiding exercises that place 'excessive strain' upon the joint such as running or weight training and recommend cycling or swimming instead. This doesn't bode well at all for my return to training.

Edit: It's probably not all that bad; I just got upset. People have been through far worse and returned to training (Óscar Figueroa springs to mind). I'll refrain from selling my barbell and weightlifting shoes and taking up stamp collecting for now.

 
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Thanks for posting those two articles. Very helpful and the “rehabilitation” is much simpler than I thought it would be. Pretty much work the affected tendon with increasing stress and range of motion until it’s healed.

I’ve been running a very productive program the last 6 months of only double KB presses and double KB front squats. About three weeks ago I developed a sharp pain in the area immediately above my right knee cap which I suspect is quad tendinitis. I rested two weeks and the pain was gone but halfway through my first squat workout post injury, the pain returned. Based on those articles, I’ll substitute my normal squat days with light goblet squats and hopefully be able to progress slowly back to my normal DFSQ weight pre injury.
 
Had an undiagnosed case of patellar tendonitis crop up last year shortly after the other knee experienced a torn meniscus. This plagued me for at least 9 months, sharp pain coming out of any squat depth, worse the deeper I went.

It disappeared shortly after I started my isometric block, iso extensions are commonly used to treat this condition.
 
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