Therapy for inflammation of the quadriceps tendon

Contents

Therapy for inflammation of the quadriceps tendon

Bandages
As with many other inflammations,quadriceps tendon tendinitis may benefit from the use of a bandage or splint.

Wearing a bandage can be important, especially when the number and intensity of the exercises increase.

Transverse friction massage for quadriceps tendonitis

The transverse friction or Cyriax massage loosens the adherences in the muscle or connective tissue of the tendon.

This treatment could also be done alone at home, but it is necessary to have anatomical and biomechanical knowledge, because in order to practice these techniques, it is necessary to know how the muscle fibers work.
That is why it is always better to put yourself in the hands of a trained physiotherapist.
Transverse friction means moving against the direction of the muscles.
The four-headed hamstring muscle runs from the hip to the knee .

If the orientation of the fibers is known, the transverse friction massage can be done accordingly

(the fibers are in the vertical direction, so the massage is horizontal).
Soft tissue techniques such as kneecap mobilization and myofascial treatment in the form of longitudinal stretching can also be used to release tension and induce proper alignment of the tendon fibers.

Assess Posture/Biomechanics

Posture and biomechanics are the two most important aspects of movement.
Their correct interplay is sometimes difficult to maintain. Accurate postural analysis can reveal important problems such as ankle twisting and incorrect training techniques (wrong technique can overload certain areas while penalizing others).

Cycling is one of the risk factors for quadriceps tendon inflammation; it is important to set the saddle at the correct height, as too low a saddle position can cause this disorder.

Medicines for quadriceps tendinitis

The use of NSAIDs may be helpful in the early stages of tendonitis to control inflammation . Injecting a local anesthetic might be useful in the acute phase; however, steroid use should be avoided because they deplete the collagen in the quadriceps tendon, weakening it and increasing the possibility of rupture. If all these factors are taken into account, normality will soon return and sporting activities can be practiced again.

Natural Remedies for Quadriceps Tendonitis

Many patients hope to be able to heal the inflammation with an ointment made from medicinal plants (eg arnica).
Unfortunately, the natural anti-inflammatory drugs are not very helpful because they do not fight the cause of the pain (micro-lesions in the connective tissue).
Clay can do little because the knee isn’t usually swollen.
Treating quadriceps tendon inflammation includes strengthening weak muscles.
Tendonitis of the quadriceps tendon is often associated with weakness in the hamstrings, which in turn weakens the quadriceps in their initial extension motion, thereby overstressing the tendon. In this case, it is important to strengthen the hamstrings as well.

Physiotherapy and rehabilitation for quadriceps tendinitis

With injuries of this type, special attention must be paid to the muscles surrounding the knee joint.

These are:

the four-headed thigh muscle (quadriceps),
the hamstrings,
the calf muscles,
the lumbar iliac muscle.
When the hip flexors (lumbar and iliac muscles) are short, they “pull” the hip into flexion, putting the rectus femoris into a shortened and hyperactive state.
There are physical therapies that promote healing and reduce pain, most notably laser therapy and shock waves .

SMR and stretching for quadriceps tendinitis

Myofascial self-treatment with the Foam Roller combined with static stretching is highly recommended for healing tendinitis in the knee. The Foam Roller is a cylindrical roller made of firm foam that is rolled over the painful areas.
This relieves muscle tension that has built up in the muscles around the knee.
Particular attention needs to be paid to the hip flexors and quadriceps. The foam roller massage of the quadriceps might be painful, but still, this painful area needs to be rollered as carefully as possible.
Knowing the patient’s condition after this treatment would be important to determine if it is appropriate or if another strategy should be pursued.

Muscle strengthening in quadriceps tendinitis

Before a muscle strengthening program can begin, the inflammation must first subside. Additional stress on the muscle-tendon assembly would only increase pain and lesions.
It would be very helpful to maintain flexibility as much as possible and to put as little stress as possible on the affected area. Some exercises that can be done in the pool are very effective, especially in warm water. The warm water has an analgesic effect and makes the body appear almost weightless.

How long does recovery take? The healing prognosis

In the majority of cases, the acute tendinitis of the quadriceps tendon heals with immobilization in 2-3 weeks; however, physiotherapeutic treatment is necessary to speed up the healing process. When the tendinitis is chronic, it takes a long time to fully recover; with immobilization, physical therapy, and an appropriate rehabilitation exercise program, it takes 4-8 months.
A chronic problem can be cured in a few weeks with physical therapies (laser therapy and shock waves).

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Therapy for inflammation of the quadriceps tendon