I want to get rid of Jumpers Knee

**KingJames23** · 12-26-2005, 10:55 PM

Ok so im 18 will be 19 within the next month. For some reason evrytime i go play bbal and start jumping around my left knee KILLS for a week later. I have a 33 inch vertical one day and the next day i cant jump over a piece of paper. I jump off of my left knee and not both legs, but this pain is really bothering me and it never goes away. Is there anything i can do? I bought a band that says helps with jumpers knee but it hasnt done anything at all... ive read about Glucosmine will that help>>

**BOUNCER** · 12-27-2005, 07:21 AM

I started using Glucosomine about two months ago and its helped alot. But I also had alot of physio done on both knee's (accupunture) and laid of Judo and Kickboxing for six weeks to let things work and settled down. So as well as looking at Glucsine you should be looking at seeking medical advice too.

Btw, I'm back training now with absolutely no pain. Previous to my treatment I wasn't getting more than about 15 minutes sparring/randori before limping off.

**RMBros** · 12-27-2005, 11:53 AM

I've heard great things about the bands you're describing.

Do you have access to a trainer who can show you exactly how to put it on?

A couple of other things to do:

Wear a neoprene sleeve, even if you have to go over the jumper's knee band. This will keep your knee warmer and make it less prone to injury.

Warm up well before you play/jump hard. Don't do a HARD stretch, but do about 10 mins of good cardio warm up before you do anything at all.

Cool down/stretch after you play. This is the time for a hard stretch. Do it! I didn't when I was a kid (your age), and I ended up losing something like 7 in of vert overnight.

Put ice on the knee immediately after your cool down/stretch. This will reducing swelling, which is probably where you're having trouble. You may have to experiment with where it needs to go, but behind the knee actually helped me the most.

Take Advil (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxin or naprocen, I forget which) right after you warm up and every 4 hours for the rest of that day. You may need to continue this kind of dosing for a couple of days, just figure out what your body needs. OTC dose is 400 mg for ibu, but I had to go with the 800 mg dose to get any results at all (that the prescription dose, normally).

Work on strengthening exercises other than Leg Extensions. Cut Extensions out completely. If you need quad work, do hack squats, front squats, or modify your squat form to hit your quads (feet closer together, etc).

If these don't work, you need to look at your jumping form (basically, are you hyper extending your left knee when you jump, that's what I do) to see if it is causing the damage. You'll probably also need to see a Dr. for some strong anti inflammatories and an analysis of your knee to see what's actually going on. Cartilege damage can cause some of what you're describing, but so can a bunch of other things.

Big jumpers (which you're not, by your description - 33" isn't huge) tend to have a ton of knee problems later in their careers, but at 19, with a high, but not huge, vertical means you shouldn't be having this sort of trouble.

Good Luck!

***Doc.Sust*** · 12-27-2005, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by RMBros

Big jumpers (which you're not, by your description - 33" isn't huge) tend to have a ton of knee problems later in their careers, but at 19, with a high, but not huge, vertical means you shouldn't be having this sort of trouble.

Good Luck!

are you out of your mind! a33inch vertical at that age is huge!! keep up the good work kid!!!! if you keep training you can increase that into the 40' to 44' range. but on a side note i agree completely with the advice given

**RMBros** · 12-27-2005, 10:47 PM

Honestly, 33in at 18 is just barely remarkable. I played a ton of doubles volleyball from 18-35 and saw way too many guys with 40in verts out of the sand to even look twice at a kid with a 33in vert.

Hell, mine was above that and I was the next to lowest jumper on our indoor volleyball team.

Not saying that it's not good, it's just enough that it isn't going to hold anyone back in basketball or volleyball.

Normally jumper's knee really hits the guys with 40+ inch verticals, at least in my experience.

Not trying to knock the guy, just letting him know that it's weird to have the problems he's having, in my experience.

And yes, I am insane.

**big daddy k de** · 12-27-2005, 10:52 PM

stop jumping !!!!......as much ..somtimes its due to over trainning

**chest6** · 12-28-2005, 12:33 AM

My right knee really bothers me a lot because of the jumping I used to do all the time, probably didn't help that I was over 240lbs. My vert has been in the 31-34 range for awhile..and my right knee aches whenever I start playing basketball..football anything athletic it seems it pisses me off

**KingJames23** · 12-28-2005, 12:57 PM

Ok thanks guys for the advice. Ya im hoping to increase my very a couple more inches before football season next year...

***Doc.Sust*** · 12-30-2005, 10:15 AM

whats your training routine like?

***Doc.Sust*** · 12-30-2005, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by RMBros

Honestly, 33in at 18 is just barely remarkable. I played a ton of doubles volleyball from 18-35 and saw way too many guys with 40in verts out of the sand to even look twice at a kid with a 33in vert.

Hell, mine was above that and I was the next to lowest jumper on our indoor volleyball team.

Not saying that it's not good, it's just enough that it isn't going to hold anyone back in basketball or volleyball.

Normally jumper's knee really hits the guys with 40+ inch verticals, at least in my experience.

Not trying to knock the guy, just letting him know that it's weird to have the problems he's having, in my experience.

And yes, I am insane.

well wwill have to disagree, i remember being 17 in baketbll camp and a 33 inch verical was pretty damn good at tht age, this kids only 6or so inches from a 40 inch and at 19yold, i am positive if he works on it he can be a 40 inch jumper in less than 2 years.

**123averagejoe** · 06-29-2012, 03:26 AM

I agree, RMBros you kind of sound like an idiot. You first off are not a doctor and have no clue what conditions makes an individual prone to jumpers knee. In your experience people with insane verticals (and yes 40+ inch verticals are very high above an average individuals vertical) experienced jumpers knee. I have about a 34 inch vertical and I can jump higher than most people i play sports with. In response to KingJames23, using a jumpers knee strap does help, but you need to keep pushing yourself to help out your injured tendons by doing things like warming up before playing basketball and icing every time after you do intense workouts (like jumping as hard as you can to dunk!!) Keep up the good work and realize that what your pursuing is having fun by playing sports!! Good luck

**lovbyts** · 07-01-2012, 01:58 AM

I had jumpers knees not from jumping but when I was out of shape after a long hike up a mountain and back. The walk down KILLED my knees and I had never had any knee issue prior. Age 35+ They hurt so bad i had to walk down part way backwards seriously. They hurt for months if not almost a year. Surprisingly what fixed them was one day I jumped/fell off of something only about 2 feet and was dreading the landing because of my knees but they sort of popped and felt great ever since.

First I would just try laying off what you are doing, use ice 3x a day and the bands.

**Far from massive** · 07-05-2012, 02:42 PM

Jumpers Knee is a tendon overuse/overload condition where microtears occur, this is not a condition that will respond to condrotin. Also like many of these types of problems it can become very serious if you continue to reinjure it over time.

See write up below for more information,

Jumper's Knee

Patellar tendinitis, also known as jumper's knee, is a relatively common inflammatory condition that causes pain in the anterior (front) aspect of the knee. The extensor mechanism (Fig.), which includes the quadriceps muscle and patellar tendon, connects the patella (kneecap) to the femur (thighbone) and the tibia (shin). Patellar tendinitis begins as inflammation of the patellar tendon where it attaches to the patella. It can also progress by tearing or degeneration of the tendon.

Jumper's knee is an overuse injury that results from repetitive overloading of the extensor mechanism of the knee. Microtears to the patellar tendon often exceed the body's ability to heal the area unless the aggravating activity is stopped for a period of time. Jumper's knee occurs in many types of athletes but is most common in sports such as basketball, volleyball, or soccer, which require explosive jumping movements. Eccentric loading, which is contraction of the muscle while it is lengthening, occurs when landing from a jump or decelerating. In fact, knee loads up to 7 times body weight occur in a soccer player during kicking and between 9 and 11 times body weight occur in volleyball players during landing. These eccentric loads are thought to be the primary cause of overload in jumper's knee.

Patients with jumper's knee have pain in the area of the patellar tendon, usually near its attachment to the patella. It typically starts as a dull ache but can gradually increase over a period of time. Initially, the soreness is usually felt following a game or workout, but as the condition worsens, one may feel stiffness, grinding, and swelling in the knee. From a diagnostic standpoint, the symptoms can be divided into 4 stages. In stage 1, pain occurs only after activity. The condition does not seem to bother the person before or during the activity. In stage 2, pain is present at the beginning of an activity, seems to dissipate after warming up for a while, and then reappears after the activity. In this stage, the athlete's play is not usually affected. In stage 3, pain occurs during and after activity, affecting performance. In stage 4, the tendon ruptures, causing a chronic weakness of the tendon.

Most patients with jumper's knee, especially those with stage 1 and 2 symptoms, can be treated effectively with nonoperative measures. As with any tendinitis, resting the injured area until the symptoms have subsided is very important. The RICE regimen (rest, ice, compression, elevation) can also help alleviate soreness. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, and ice massage after activity can help control the swelling and inflammation. Strengthening the quadriceps helps to balance the forces across the patella and take pressure off the patellar tendon. Also, hamstring stretching is extremely important to take pressure off the anterior structures of the knee. Once the inflammation is controlled, the patient with mild to moderate jumper's knee can begin an exercise program focusing on eccentric strengthening exercises. Neoprene sleeves or braces similar to the ones worn by tennis players with tennis elbow can help decrease or disperse the forces on the patella.

The outcome of treatment in patients with jumper's knee is usually very good, especially for those patients in stage 1 and 2, Sometimes in stage 3, the nature of the injury and how it will respond to nonoperative treatment are a little more unpredictable. Even so, few of these patients go on to require surgical intervention. Surgery is reserved for patients who experience debilitating pain for 6 to 12 months despite close adherence to their doctor's instructions. Patients with stage 4 disease who have suffered a complete tendon rupture also need surgery. The overall goal of surgery is to remove the damaged tissue from the tendon and stimulate blood flow to promote healing.

Maximizing quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength and flexibility is the best way to prevent knee injury. Preseason conditioning should concentrate on a gradual increase in repetitive eccentric quadriceps contraction so the tendon can begin to withstand repetitive loading. These measures will help to prevent this inflammatory process. As always, the best treatment is prevention.

Kurt E. Jacobson, M.D.
Columbus, Georgia