Is there anything more frustrating than dealing with an injury that keeps you sidelined from your favorite activity, especially during spring and summer months when the weather is at its best? One frequent complaint our physical therapist at The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center hears from active adults is a condition known as quadriceps tendonitis.
This common injury occurs when the tendon that connects your quadriceps — a group of large, powerful muscles in the front of the thigh — to your kneecap becomes strained from overuse, a muscle imbalance or both. Repeated movements that put stress on this tendon, including running, jumping, kneeling and squatting, can cause small tears in the tendon that lead to painful swelling. Without proper treatment, quadriceps tendonitis can lead to problems with the knee itself and make even the simplest exercises or even mobility functions painful.
If you’ve tried resting, icing and using over-the-counter anti-inflammatories without success, talk to your doctor about physical therapy. We’ll assess exactly what’s causing this nagging injury and develop a drug-free treatment plan to get you back to the sports or other activities you love.
We’ll start by reducing the inflammation and increasing your body’s healing power through massage, ice and heat therapies, ultrasound and/or electrical stimulation. A regimen of stretching and strengthening exercises will improve your flexibility and invigorate the muscles that surround and support the injured tendons. Your balance, coordination and posture will improve so that you’re far less likely to re-injure the tendon once you start ramping up your activity level.
Our physical therapist at The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center has helped many people recover quickly and effectively from injuries of this nature. We can get you back to the activities you love — whether it’s volleyball, golf or gardening. If you’ve tried fighting through the pain, or have simply given up trying, ask your doctor about putting our physical therapist to work for you! Please contact us today for more information or to schedule a comprehensive evaluation