Inflammation or irritation of the patella tendon usually results from repetitive exercises like jumping, running and weightlifting. Sport-specific exercises for your patella tendon should be done only when the pain and swelling around the knee have subsided. Such exercises mimic the stance and body positions routinely used in sports and should be done under the guidance of your doctor or physical therapist.
Considerations
Sport-specific therapy exercises for your patella tendon should start with no more than your body weight for resistance. Additionally, move half of the range of motion of the exercise, increasing the depth of your movement as your patella heals. You may support some of your body weight on your uninjured leg as needed. Rehab exercises consist of three sets of 10 repetitions. Incorporating one body-weight exercise at a time into your current rehab routine decreases the likelihood you will aggravate your patella tendon.
Squats
Consider the body position of a volleyball player waiting for a ball; a wrestler trying to maintain his footing against an opponent; a basketball player blocking his opponent; and a baseball player attempting to steal a base. This athletic stance, a position common in many sports, mimics that of squatting a barbell only halfway down. The squat is an exercise that bears weight on your knee and your patella tendon. Therefore, it should only be done after a few weeks of strengthening your patella using ankle weights, a leg-extension machine and cable pulley machines.
Do semi-squats by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms in front of you. Stick your buttocks out, then bend your hips and knees, lowering your body halfway down; the angle at your knee joints should be about 135 degrees. Contract your quad muscles to stand back up.
Lunges
The lunge is another sport-specific exercise mimicking an athlete in motion once he has moved from the athletic stance. It is the transfer of weight from both legs to one leg and purposefully pushing off in a particular direction. The lunge should be performed in a forward direction until the patella develops more strength and flexibility, before lunging at a diagonal or toward the side.
Perform this exercise near an immovable object you can hold for support as needed. First, stand with your feet together then step one leg out in front of you. Balance on the toes of your back leg then bend both hips and both knees to lower your body until the angle at your front knee is about 135 degrees. Contract the quadriceps of your front leg to stand back up, strengthening your patella tendon.
Stepdowns
Landing from a jump or a run puts a tremendous amount of strain on your knee joints, including your patella tendon. Performing stepdowns in a controlled environment with an immovable object nearby helps to strengthen your patella until it can bear the full weight of your body as you land with both feet on the ground. Use a step-aerobic bench or a jumping box that is 6 inches high, and progressively increase the height of the platform as your patella heals. Place the bench or box near a bar or stationary object. Stand up on the bench, leading with your uninjured leg. Hold the bar or object to support your body weight as you slowly step down from the box with your injured leg.
References
- "Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Sandra Shultz, Ph.D., Peggy Houglum, Ph.D., and David Perrin, Ph.D.; 2005
- "Therapeutic Exercise for Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Peggy Houglum, Ph.D.; 2005
