Tendon Injuries (Tendonitis)

Tendonitis is the irritation and inflammation of one or more of your tendons. Tendons are the thick, fibrous cords that attach muscles to bone. Athletes, especially runners, skiers and cyclists are prone to develop inflammation in the patellar tendon. This connects your quadriceps muscle on the front of your thigh to your lower leg bone (tibia). Tendonitis can occur in one or both of your knees and often causes you pain and swelling at the front of your knee and just below your kneecap.

The discomfort you will feel usually isn't constant but tends to occur when you jump, run, squat or climb stairs. Your quadriceps or patellar tendons may also rupture, either partially or completely. In that case, the pain is likely to be most intense when you try to extend your knee. If your tendon is completely ruptured, you won't be able to extend or straighten your knee.

First rest and protect the area. Then apply an ice pack to reduce the swelling. This allows your tendon to return to its usual state and perform its usual function. Take Anti-Inflammatory medications such as NSAID’s to reduce the swelling and provide pain relief. Do not begin exercises until the inflammation of tendonitis has resolved. Take Breaks to relieve stress on your tendons and don't perform one activity continuously for hours at a time. Protect the Tendons by using a support garment to provide relief. Strengthening with the aid of KNEEHAB® will optimise your rehabilitation restoring your strength and joint movement.

The quadriceps muscle is the most important stabilizer of the knee. After tendon injuries pain and swelling often cause disuse, which leads to muscle weakness. After an initial period of pain relief treatment and keeping the knee still, knee strengthening and stretching exercises should be done. An essential component of your rehabilitation after your tendon injury is strengthening of the quadriceps muscle and KNEEHAB® is ideal for this purpose.

KNEEHAB® is an innovative and clinically proven, garment-based Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) device. It is designed specifically to treat quadriceps atrophy (thigh muscle wastage) that arises from being unable to exercise after your tendon injury. It re-educates the muscle by sending gentle electrical pulses through pads placed on the surface of the skin. This electrical stimulation applied to the motor nerve re-educates and strengthens the quadriceps muscle through cycles of contraction and relaxation.

It is recommended that KNEEHAB® be used in conjunction with voluntary exercise in order to optimize and control your rehabilitation.