I Have Pain Below My Kneecaps, What Could Be Wrong?
Question: I have pain below my kneecaps. What could be wrong?
Answer: This could be a condition known as jumper’s knee. Pain below the kneecap is often attributed to an abnormal patella tendon. Also known as patellar tendonitis, this is a condition in which the fibers of the patellar tendon receive repetitive stress and accumulate enough damage that additional force across the patellar tendon, such as when running and jumping, becomes painful. The initial course of treatment for this problem, which is common in young athletes, is an appropriate amount of rest, symptomatic control with ice and simple over-the-counter pain medications. Physical Therapy treatments may focus on stretching regimens and the addition of appropriate resistive exercise.
