Conquering Your Knee Pain or Tendonitis
While often called jumper’s knee, pain or tendonitis in the knee is not just limited to the 20% of athletes who develop it. In fact, it is common in many occupations. If left unaddressed, it can result in a broad range of other health conditions, including chronic back pain. Read below to learn more about the causes and symptoms of knee pain and tendonitis and how to finally get conquer it with the help of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT), which we provide here at HealthLogicMD.
Call Us: 720.446.5190 Schedule an AppointmentCauses & Symptoms & Treatment
Causes of Knee Pain or Tendonitis
While anyone can experience knee pain, it is more common with athletes who play basketball, volleyball, and other sports that require continual up-and-down knee motions. Nicknamed “jumper’s knee,” this condition is named “Patellar tendonitis,” which means that there is an injury to or inflammation of the tendon that connects your kneecap to your shinbone). While it is often a result of overuse causing repetitive stress on the knee, other factors can contribute to its onset, including chronic conditions (such as diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus); hard, unpadded shoes; obesity; tight leg muscles; uneven strength in the leg muscles; and even extensive movements on hard surfaces. Finally, any surgery to the area could put you at a greater risk for the condition.
Symptoms of Knee Pain or Tendonitis
The first symptoms tend to be pain and tenderness at the base of your kneecap. You might also feel a burning and/or popping sensation and notice some swelling. And you might not be able to straighten your leg. At first, you may only experience the pain while exercising or participating in some other type of athletic activity, but the pain could become progressively worse and more constant. Other signs could include bruising, cramping, or tenderness. Squatting could become particularly painful. You could even experiencing difficulty walking. Seek immediate medical care if the pain or swelling lasts more than a day.
Treatment of Knee Pain or Tendonitis
The first line of treatment for knee pain or tendonitis is immobilization, which may require that wear a brace that prevents your injured knee from moving. Physical therapy to strengthen your knee and other leg muscles. Ibuprofen or other over-the-counter pain medications may be used to reduce the pain and inflammation – or your doctor might prescribe stronger pain and other medications that reduce inflammation. You might even be prescribed corticosteroid injections to treat patellar tendinitis but note that they can increase the likelihood of tendon rupturing. If the pain or tendonitis does not go away (i.e., becomes chronic), you might become a candidate for extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT). Requiring between 6 to 10 treatment, each taking 10-15 minutes long, ESWT has been clinically proven effective in treating knee tendonitis. It does so by promoting collagen synthesis and tissue modeling, among other benefits. With the procedure, you simply relax on a treatment bed and, after an injection of an application of a local anesthetic onto the knee to reduce any pain, high energy shock waves are applied above the skin to the area, which often provides immediate relief upon the first treatment. Complete recovery is typically achieved within 6 to 10 sessions. A final option, particularly if the tendon becomes detached from the kneecap, is surgery. ESWT, however, often eliminates the risk factors associated with needing surgery and allows people to get back to their normal life.
Causes of Knee Pain or Tendonitis
While anyone can experience knee pain, it is more common with athletes who play basketball, volleyball, and other sports that require continual up-and-down knee motions. Nicknamed “jumper’s knee,” this condition is named “Patellar tendonitis,” which means that there is an injury to or inflammation of the tendon that connects your kneecap to your shinbone). While it is often a result of overuse causing repetitive stress on the knee, other factors can contribute to its onset, including chronic conditions (such as diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus); hard, unpadded shoes; obesity; tight leg muscles; uneven strength in the leg muscles; and even extensive movements on hard surfaces. Finally, any surgery to the area could put you at a greater risk for the condition.
Take the first step to regaining your pain-free lifestyle
Learn About Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT)
ESWT was first introduced in 1982 as a way to dissolve urinary stones, so they could pass less painfully. However, as medical studies progressed, ESWT was found to be an effective treatment for tendonitis and other soft-tissue conditions. ESWT treatment promotes collagen synthesis and tissue modeling, among other benefits, which improve the chances for a complete recovery for musculoskeletal pain conditions without the need for surgery.
More about ESWT
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy gets its name, because shock waves, a type of sound wave, are delivered to the injured tissue “extracorporeally,” which means above the skin. The shock wave device delivers impulses to the affected area, which stimulate blood flow, relax muscles in spasm, and stimulate tissue repair. Immediate pain relief is achieved upon the 1st treatment in most cases, while 6-10 treatments are usually required for complete recovery.
ESWT is commonly used in the treatment of a wide variety of musculoskeletal conditions. If you suffer from chronic pain in the Achilles tendon, elbow, knee, plantar fascia, shoulder, or other parts of your body, you might be a candidate for ESWT.
Call Us: 720.446.5190 Schedule an In-Office ConsultationMeet the Team
Dr. Inna Trey MD
Family Medicine & Hormonal Health
Dr. Trey is Family Medicine Board Certified and is certified by BioTE Medical for Hormone Optimization. Dr. Trey’s goal for every patient is to treat the root cause of their ailment, rather than just mask the symptoms with prescription medication. In her spare time, Dr. Trey loves to go on adventures with her husband, 2 kids and the family dog.
Vanessa Flores, MA
Practice Manager and Medical Assistant
Vanessa is a Colorado native and is a Medical Assistant with over 13 years of experience. Vanessa is treats every patient like they are family, and you can always count on a smile when you talk to her. Vanessa is mother to 4 functional kids, so you know she can keep calm during those busy days.
Patient Success Stories
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I was suffering from pain in my heel for over 3 years and thought the pain would never go away. After the first visit to Dr. Trey’s office, I felt a significant reduction in pain level and after the 4th treatment, the pain completely subsided! It’s incredible!
Karen L. Centennial, CO -
I am so thankful for being able to walk pain-free again! I am almost crying just thinking about it.
Lorie J. Greenwood Village, CO -
I had elbow pain for close to a year and was almost at the point of going for surgery. I am so glad I tried ESWT at Dr. Trey’s office instead! I have had 5 treatments so far and the pain is virtually non-existent. Honestly, it’s hard to believe, but it’s real!
Jonathan M. Centennial, CO -
My shoulders were almost always in pain. It was ridiculous. I had to pretty much give up going to the gym and was seriously considering surgery. I googled ‘surgery-free shoulder pain therapy’ and found HealthLogicMD and boy am I glad I did! It’s been 7 weeks since my last ESWT procedure and I am pretty much pain free. Procedures were only 15 minutes! I told all my family and friends about Dr. Trey already.
Chris M. Littleton, CO -
The staff and Dr. Trey herself were all extremely courteous, helpful and competent. I was honestly blown away by how efficient and pleasant every appointment was. The main thing though is I can finally use my knees without pain again. I am going back to jogging as soon as the weather warms up!
Amy S. Denver, CO -
ESWT worked! Plain and simple. I was suffering from CONSTANT foot pain. I did not know what to do anymore and thought surgery was the way to go. I was referred to HealthLogicMD by a friend of the family and Dr. Trey recommended Shock Wave Therapy. After only 4 treatments, the pain is 95% gone. It was eye opening! Thank you guys!
Sergey F. Aurora, CO -
This sounds almost unbelievable but I was almost completely pain free after just one session. It was like magic. Now after the full 4 sessions, my achilles pain is a distant memory. You guys rock!
David N. Centennial, CO