Knee Tendonitis

[a softball life for me]

We have a catcher on our team, 12 years old, that was just diagnosed with tendonitis in her knee. She has just completed her first junior high season of volleyball which lasted about 10 weeks. In this time, she was catching at practice 3x/week for about 45 minutes, going to a weekly catching clinic and caught 3 games in a recent weekend dome tournament.

I read Dave's comments saying the knee savers must be on the lower straps. He mentioned something about a problem with the knee joint if they are worn up high. This girl wears them up high. What I'd like to know is if the knee savers can be connected to the tendonitis. The orthopedist said it's rare to find tendonitis in a girl so young. Does anyone else have any experience with this type of injury in a young catcher?

Thanks.

 

[softball_chic_12]

i don't have any expierence but i'm a catcher too. i was told that in order to save my knees a little bit so i could play longer, it was best that after every clinic, game, or practice (especially if you caught) that you shuld put a bag of ice on your knees for about half an hour to an hour. then put heat on them for the same ammount of time. i'm not sure how this helps but i do it, and it does feel better. you should also do the same if you have weak ankles.

 

[Catching Coach]

We have a catcher on our team, 12 years old, that was just diagnosed with tendonitis in her knee. She has just completed her first junior high season of volleyball which lasted about 10 weeks. In this time, she was catching at practice 3x/week for about 45 minutes, going to a weekly catching clinic and caught 3 games in a recent weekend dome tournament.

I read Dave's comments saying the knee savers must be on the lower straps. He mentioned something about a problem with the knee joint if they are worn up high. This girl wears them up high. What I'd like to know is if the knee savers can be connected to the tendonitis. The orthopedist said it's rare to find tendonitis in a girl so young. Does anyone else have any experience with this type of injury in a young catcher?

Thanks.

The knee saver on the top slot wold be like duct taping a tennis ball behind the back of the knee. It would push the joint open from the back side. Could this contribute to wear and strain in a young new.....I think so but have no way of knowing if it is the culprit in this young ladies case.

 

[chazbz1]

Knee pain for catcher’s… aka “Jumpers Knee’ is the common term for Patellar Tendonitis. Jumpers Knee occurs gradually if jumping and landing type activities are practiced too much, because the strain on the Patella Tendon becomes too great and microscopic damage develops in the tissue that makes up the tendon. We know the stress catcher's place on their knees. There are ways to minimize joint stress with some stance adjustment. Many people find that a Patella Tendon strap can be helpful to relieve the symptoms of Jumpers Knee.
Signs & symptoms of patellar tendonitis :
• Knee pain that comes on gradually below the knee cap.
• Knee pain is worsened by activity.
• Patella tendon is painful to touch.
• Patella Tendon feels very stiff first thing in the morning.

The DD has had some issues and her doctor (we are finding most doctors) note constant activity with little rest as the main cause for this condition. IE going from softball to basketball to soccer and fall league, winter league…. Ect… No down time for the knees to rest.
The first step for those with knee pain is to consult a physician or “sports injury specialist”
Ice is good for inflammation (20 minutes on/20 minutes off)
To help prevent knee pain from reoccurring, a few things are highly recommended:
 Stretching your muscles. Inflexible muscles, especially inflexible thigh muscles (quadriceps), contribute to the strain on your patellar tendon.
 Strengthening your tendon. A physical therapist may recommend specific exercises to strengthen your patellar tendon and the muscles around it. Exercises can also help strengthen your quadriceps. A specific type of exercise for strengthening the quadriceps called eccentric strengthening has been shown in some studies to help treat and prevent patellar tendonitis. This strengthening exercise involves lowering weight slowly after raising it, such as a seated knee extension exercise.
 Use a patellar tendon strap. A strap that applies pressure to your patellar tendon can help to distribute force away from the tendon itself and direct it through the strap instead. This may help relieve pain. Use during exercise and activities to aide the patella in tracking properly.

A web search for “Patellar Tendonitis” and “eccentric muscle strengthening” should offer several exercise ideas for the quads and patellar tendon.