Knee Bursitis and Tendon Injury: Preventing Pain

Topic Overview

Patellar tendinopathy, also known as jumper's knee, affects the tendons that attach the kneecap to the shinbone and the quadriceps tendon to the kneecap. Prolonged kneeling can cause prepatellar bursitis, which can develop into an egg-shaped bump on the front of the kneecap. To prevent and ease knee pain during work, play, and daily activities:

• Reach and stay at a healthy weight.
• Wear kneepads when kneeling on hard surfaces. Avoid prolonged kneeling.
• Strengthen and stretch your leg muscles. Pay special attention to your front and back thigh muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings).
• Avoid deep knee bends.
• Avoid running downhill unless you are fully conditioned.
• Wear shoes with good arch supports.
• Remember these tips about specific sports activities:
  • Experts recommend getting new athletic shoes every 3 months or after 500 miles of wear.
  • Whenever possible, avoid wearing shoes with cleats when playing contact sports. Cleats help your performance in some sports by keeping your feet from slipping during acceleration, turns, or contact. But wearing shoes with cleats increases your risk of injury.