Jumper's knee (and retirement?)

[stylee]

I’ve been to physical therapy 3 times in the past two years for jumper’s knee. After the first one, my knee felt great for about 6 months, until I was deadlifting with a lot of weight one day.

Pow. From that point on, it’s been off-and-on painful (over a year and a half) and the follow up therapies have yielded nothing. After the last one (which ended in October), I slowly eased back into tempo running. I was feeling decent, though not great, until I did two consecutive days of tempo this week and it got incredibly stiff.
Tried to do a speed session the next day and it just didn’t go.

Therapy obviously hasn’t worked. Thinking about hanging up the spikes. Is any other treatment possible?

[Matt_Gardner]

What did the therapy programs consist of? What did subsequent programs consist of… track work, weights, plyos? What other sports and activities are/were you involved in? What activities produce pain and where is the pain located?

[stylee]

I first noticed the injury in October of 2006, when I was playing football at the semi-professional level. All the programs focused on strengthening the area around the knee.

The first program was in January-February of 2007. It was mostly bodyweights exercises supplemented with ice massage and electric stimulation (I think - they rubbed a wand thing on me for a few minutes; ultrasound?)

The results were good and I was playing football again by March. Shoulder injuries forced me to cut that season short, however, and I was doing track full time for a while.

My workouts were CF style, mostly, with sprints, tempo, and deadlifts/squats (twice a week, usually). I reinjured the knee in June 2007 during a heavy deadlifting session.

The pain lessened somewhat on its own after a rest period and I played football again in September-October of 2008.

I quit football because of the shoulders and began running full-time again (no weights) in early 2008 but the knee became problematic again.

My second therapy program was in March-April of 2008. It was a mix between bodyweights exercises, stretching, and weights. The weights were not very well supervised and there was no ice massage or electric stim this time. Bad experience.

Very little or no improvement but I decided to try to keep running anyway. A series of hamstring injuries ensued, which forced me out for a while.

The third program was in the fall of 2008. It was mostly bodyweight exercises, with no massage or stim. I felt like it strengthened the area but obviously not enough.

The pain is right on the patellar tendon in the middle of the knee. There is a “stiffness” or “tightness” in the areas around it as well - lower quad, inside and outside of the knee, and even down the sides of my calf.

It is most painful when jumping or sprinting. Painful during tempo as well, but not as acute. Sometimes it hurts when I’m sitting or walking at work now and gives me a limp.

This is probably too much information, but maybe someone else in a similar situation will find whatever answers yall give helpful for them too. Thanks!

[mortac8]

was this stuff all with the same PT clinic?

[UKcheetah]

My friend is a International T. Jumper and was out of jumping all of last year… anyway it’s cleared up now (touch wood!). It seems with jumpers knee does just seem to clear up out of the blue.

He does a lot of rehab work though but I’m not sure exactly what… I know he currently does sets of 200k squats after EVERY session :eek:…

I’ll see if I can get him on here to give you a full explanation of his experience.

[Stefanie]

@stylee

I’ve been to physical therapy 3 times in the past two years for jumper’s knee. After the first one, my knee felt great for about 6 months, until I was deadlifting with a lot of weight one day.

Pow. From that point on, it’s been off-and-on painful (over a year and a half) and the follow up therapies have yielded nothing. After the last one (which ended in October), I slowly eased back into tempo running. I was feeling decent, though not great, until I did two consecutive days of tempo this week and it got incredibly stiff.
Tried to do a speed session the next day and it just didn’t go.

Therapy obviously hasn’t worked. Thinking about hanging up the spikes. Is any other treatment possible?

Does jumper’s knee = chondromalacia?

In that case, Charlie has recommended underwater ultrasound therapy.

[stylee]

Mortac - No. I should have gone back to the first clinic for the second time. Big Mistake. The third place was also different, but it was a necessity because of travel issues.

Stef - hmm, not sure. The doctors told me I have patellar tendenosis. After Googling chondromalacia it seems to be very similar. Wish I were smarter and could tell if there were significant differences.

UKcheetah - thanks, man. I appreciate it.

[Matt_Gardner]

@stylee

I first noticed the injury in October of 2006, when I was playing football at the semi-professional level. All the programs focused on strengthening the area around the knee.

The first program was in January-February of 2007. It was mostly bodyweights exercises supplemented with ice massage and electric stimulation (I think - they rubbed a wand thing on me for a few minutes; ultrasound?)

The results were good and I was playing football again by March. Shoulder injuries forced me to cut that season short, however, and I was doing track full time for a while.

My workouts were CF style, mostly, with sprints, tempo, and deadlifts/squats (twice a week, usually). I reinjured the knee in June 2007 during a heavy deadlifting session.

The pain lessened somewhat on its own after a rest period and I played football again in September-October of 2008.

I quit football because of the shoulders and began running full-time again (no weights) in early 2008 but the knee became problematic again.

My second therapy program was in March-April of 2008. It was a mix between bodyweights exercises, stretching, and weights. The weights were not very well supervised and there was no ice massage or electric stim this time. Bad experience.

Very little or no improvement but I decided to try to keep running anyway. A series of hamstring injuries ensued, which forced me out for a while.

The third program was in the fall of 2008. It was mostly bodyweight exercises, with no massage or stim. I felt like it strengthened the area but obviously not enough.

The pain is right on the patellar tendon in the middle of the knee. There is a “stiffness” or “tightness” in the areas around it as well - lower quad, inside and outside of the knee, and even down the sides of my calf.

It is most painful when jumping or sprinting. Painful during tempo as well, but not as acute. Sometimes it hurts when I’m sitting or walking at work now and gives me a limp.

This is probably too much information, but maybe someone else in a similar situation will find whatever answers yall give helpful for them too. Thanks!

I’ve seen plenty of patellar tendinosis resolved with some sound programming and therapy. Where do you live?

[stylee]

Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

[Matt_Gardner]

patellar tendinosis tends to respond real well to cleaning up any soft tissue issues in the direct area (quad/rectus, retinaculum, etc…), addressing any dysfunctions above and below (hip, ankle/foot), all the while hammering on posterior chain work. Playing therapist over the internet is a dangerous game.

You’re in Baton Rouge… send Todd Lane (jumps coach at LSU an email) I’m sure he can hook you up with someone local who can get you pointed in the right direction.

[stylee]

Thanks so much.