You’re experiencing pain just below your kneecap and above your shin, likely due to patellar tendinitis (jumper’s knee). This condition affects about 14% of recreational athletes and up to 50% of elite athletes in jumping sports like basketball or volleyball.
The pain is usually caused by repetitive stress on your patellar tendon, which connects your kneecap to your shinbone. Overuse, sudden activity increases, or poor biomechanics lead to tiny tears in the tendon, causing inflammation and discomfort.
You might notice stiffness in the morning, pain when squatting or climbing stairs, and tenderness when pressing the area. Left untreated, the condition worsens, making daily movements more painful. Strengthening your quadriceps and hamstrings, improving flexibility, and using proper footwear help reduce strain.
For this reason, we will look into what causes pain below knee cap above shin, symptoms and the best solutions to help you recover.
Pain Below the Knee Cap
Pain below the knee cap is known as patellar tendinopathy and is caused by overuse or excessive stress on the patellar tendon. This condition has localized pain at the front of the knee from mild to severe pain that prevents movement.
Symptoms can develop gradually or suddenly after a direct impact. Common signs are tenderness and stiffness.
Pain below the knee cap can affect daily activities like walking, running or bending the knees. This pain gets worse with physical activity and better with rest.
Causes of Patellar Tendonitis
Patellar tendinitis, also known as jumper’s knee, develops when the patellar tendon connecting your kneecap to your shinbone becomes irritated or inflamed.
This is common among athletes who engage in high impact sports like basketball, volleyball and track and field. The repeated stress on the knee joint during activities that involves frequent jumping and landing puts too much stress on the patellar tendon making it prone to injury.
Several factors contribute to this condition:
1. Overuse and Repetitive Stress
Activities that involve frequent jumping, running, or sudden stops place excessive strain on the patellar tendon. Sports like basketball, volleyball, and soccer increase your risk.
2. Sudden Increase in Activity
Increasing training intensity too quickly without proper conditioning overwhelms the tendon, leading to microtears and inflammation.
3. Muscle Imbalances and Weakness
Weak quadriceps, hamstrings, or calf muscles force the patellar tendon to absorb more stress than it should, making it more prone to injury.
4. Tight Leg Muscles
Stiff quadriceps, hamstrings, or calves limit flexibility, increasing tension on the patellar tendon and making it more susceptible to irritation.
5. Poor Biomechanics and Posture
Misalignment in your knees, hips, or feet, improper running or jumping form, and overpronation put extra strain on the tendon.
6. Hard or Uneven Surfaces
Training on concrete, asphalt, or uneven ground increases impact forces on your knees, accelerating tendon wear and tear.
7. Inadequate Footwear
Worn-out or unsupportive shoes fail to absorb shock properly, increasing stress on the patellar tendon.
8. Lack of Recovery Time
Training without allowing enough rest and recovery prevents proper healing, leading to chronic inflammation and pain.
9. Excess Body Weight
Carrying extra weight puts additional pressure on your knee bones joint and patellar tendon, increasing strain during movement.
Diagnosing Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)
Diagnosing patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) or runner’s knee involves a thorough evaluation by a healthcare provider. The diagnosis process starts with a detailed history of your knee and a physical examination where the healthcare provider will manipulate the leg to find the source of pain.
Pain associated with PFPS is usually felt around the knee cap especially near the tendon that connects it to the shin bone.
To confirm the diagnosis, imaging tests like X-rays or MRIs may be used. X-rays will rule out other causes of knee pain and MRIs will provide detailed images of the soft tissues to see the damage to the patellar tendon.
Patellar Tendon Tear
A patellar tendon tear is a severe injury that results to a sudden popping sensation and immediate swelling. This injury makes it hard to straighten the knee and in severe cases can’t walk without assistance. Symptoms of patellar tendon tear includes:
- Popping sensation: Sudden sharp pain and popping sound.
- Swelling and bruising: Immediate swelling and bruising around the knee.
- Difficulty walking: The knee may buckle because the tendon is detached from the shin bone.
Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to prevent tendon scarring. If you experience these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately to get proper care and recovery.
Risk Factors for Knee Pain
Several risk factors can increase the chances of developing knee pain especially in the patellar tendon area. Young athletes who engage in high impact sports like basketball and volleyball are at higher risk. Sudden increase in physical activity can also add more stress to the patellar tendon making it more prone to injury.
Risk factors for knee pain:
- Muscle tightness: Tight quadriceps and hamstrings can pull the patellar tendon.
- Sudden weight changes: Sudden weight gain adds more stress to the knees.
- Improper footwear: Wearing shoes that don’t provide enough support can cause knee pain.
Symptoms to Watch Out For
Patellar tendinitis starts with mild discomfort but can worsen if ignored. Here are the symptoms you should watch out for:
1. Pain Below the Kneecap
Aching or sharp pain just below your kneecap, especially during activities like jumping, running, or squatting.
2. Stiffness and Discomfort
Knee stiffness, particularly in the morning or after long periods of sitting, making movement feel restricted.
3. Tenderness and Swelling
Pressing on the patellar tendon may cause tenderness, and mild swelling could develop over time.
4. Worsening Pain with Activity
Pain intensifies with exercise and improves with rest, but prolonged irritation can lead to discomfort even during daily activities.
5. Weakness in the Knee
Difficulty extending your leg fully or a feeling of instability, making it hard to perform explosive movements.
6. Crackling or Clicking Sensation
You may notice a crackling or clicking sound when moving your knee, indicating tendon irritation.
Ignoring these symptoms can lead to chronic pain and a higher risk of tendon tears. Strengthening exercises, stretching, and proper recovery help manage symptoms before they worsen.
If you experience these symptoms, see a professional to determine the underlying cause and start treatment. Want a step-by-step recovery plan?
Treatments to Relieve Pain
There are several treatments to relieve pain below the knee cap. Physical therapy is key, with exercises designed to improve flexibility and strengthen the muscles around the knee. Flexibility exercises like heel cord stretches and standing quadriceps stretches can increase range of motion and reduce stiffness.
Treatments:
- Strength training: Strengthen knee supporting muscles to reduce stress on the joint.
- Knee braces: Use during rehabilitation and to stabilize the knee.
- Mobility exercises: Light exercises to function without exacerbating pain.
Try these out and see if it helps alleviate pain and recovery.
Physical Therapy for Patellar Tendinopathy
Physical therapy is the foundation in treating patellar tendinopathy. Being in a structured exercise conditioning program can get you back to daily activities and overall health after injury or surgery. Physical therapists are the ones who will design and supervise these programs to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Physical therapy practices:
- Flexibility exercises: Increase range of motion and reduce stiffness.
- Strengthening exercises: Quadriceps and hamstrings to support knee stability.
- Isometric quad contractions: Maintain muscle strength during the healing phase.
Home Remedies to Reduce Swelling
Home remedies can be effective in reducing swelling and pain. The RICE method—Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation has been a standard treatment for soft tissue injuries. While compression and elevation are proven to reduce swelling, the role of rest and ice in the recovery process is sometimes debated.
Steps of the RICE method:
- Rest: Avoid activities that worsen pain.
- Ice: Apply ice to the affected area to relieve pain and reduce swelling.
- Compression: Use an elastic bandage to compress the area and reduce swelling.
- Elevation: Elevate the affected area above heart level to drain fluids.
Try these home remedies and see if it helps manage symptoms and recovery.
When to See a Doctor
If knee pain lasts more than a few days, see an orthopedic specialist. Persistent pain, swelling or any of the symptoms above may be a sign of a more serious underlying condition that needs professional evaluation especially if pain worsens.
An orthopedic surgeon is trained to diagnose and treat knee injuries and conditions, take care of you.
How to Prevent Future Knee Injuries
Having a consistent exercise routine that includes non-weight bearing activities like walking and biking can help long term knee health. Avoiding sudden increase in physical activity can also help prevent strain on the patellar tendon.
Preventing knee injuries is muscle group development, mobility improvement and using protective gear. Try to incorporate these into your routine and reduce knee pain risk and healthy joints.
Muscle Group Development
Developing the muscles around the knee, especially the quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles is key to knee health. Balanced muscle development distributes stress evenly across the knee joint and reduces injury risk.
Exercises for these muscle groups stabilizes and supports the knee during physical activities.
Mobility Enhancement
Mobility through flexibility exercises and dynamic stretching can benefit knee health. These exercises increase joint range of motion and reduce stiffness and pain free daily activities.
Regular mobility check up can help track progress and identify areas that needs improvement.
Movement Mechanics
Good movement mechanics is key to preventing knee injuries. Learning proper squatting technique, weight distribution and landing mechanics can reduce stress on the knee joint.
Physical therapy can assess and improve your movement patterns so you can exercise safely and effectively.
Protective Gear
Using protective gear like knee brace and orthotic inserts can add support and reduce knee injury risk. Wearing the right footwear that has shock absorption and stability is also important.
These will protect the knee joint during physical activities and daily tasks.
Physical Conditioning
Physical conditioning is weight management, core strength development and balance training. These will enhance overall body stability and proprioception and reduce knee injury risk during physical activities.
Progressive
Progressive approach to physical activity will prevent overtraining and reduce injury risk. Gradually increase intensity and duration of your workout and your body will adapt and get stronger over time.
Take recovery periods and cross training into account.
Proactive
Proactive strategies like comprehensive warm up and cool down stretching is key to injury prevention. Regular mobility check up and professional screening can identify potential issues early and intervene and treat on time.
Joint Health Nutrition
Nutrition is important for joint health. Anti-inflammatory diet, adequate hydration and collagen supplementation can support joint health and reduce inflammation.
Enough protein intake is important for muscle recovery and tissue repair.
Regeneration Techniques
Try regeneration techniques like active recovery, sleep optimization and stress management to aid muscle and tissue recovery. These will help your body heal and regenerate and reduce future injury risk.
Expert Consultation
Consult experts like physiotherapist and orthopedic surgeon to get personalized prevention plan and biomechanical analysis. They can give you tailored advice and treatment options to address your specific needs and prevent future knee injuries.
Bottom Line
Patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee) is pain below the knee cap especially after high impact activities and is often due to overuse.
Treatments include physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the knee, rest and home remedies like the RICE method to reduce swelling.
Preventing knee injuries is a combination of proper technique, muscle group development, protective gear and progressive exercise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does patellar tendonitis pain feel like?
Patellar tendonitis pain often feels like a dull ache around your knee that lingers after activity, or it can hit you with a sharp pain during sudden movements. You’ll notice it tends to worsen with physical activity.
Will patellar tendonitis heal itself?
Yes, patellar tendonitis can heal on its own with proper rest, activity modification, and physical therapy. Just be sure to give your tendon enough time to recover before jumping back into intense activities to prevent recurrence.
How can I tell if I have a patellar tendon tear?
If you’ve felt a popping sensation, noticed swelling, and find it hard to straighten your knee, you might have a patellar tendon tear. It’s best to consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis.
