I suffer from a mild case of jumper's knee. If you aren't familiar with that, it's basically an inflammatory condition of the patellar tendon which connects your kneecap to your shin. Anyway, the front of my knee gets sore after I play basketball (which I play weekly) and is usually sore for a day or two. It makes doing squats difficult. I can't do a lot of weight in the first place, and this is limiting even that. Has anyone else had this experience? I'm trying to decide if I should eliminate squats for a couple weeks. I know I need to strengthen my legs to help eliminate this problem though. But I'm not sure what exercises to do in the meantime. Any suggestions? How can I best implement the advice below?
(Here are some excerpts I've found about this
"Also, hamstring stretching is extremely important to take pressure off the anterior structures of the knee. Once the inflammation is controlled, the patient with mild to moderate jumper's knee can begin an exercise program focusing on eccentric strengthening exercises. Neoprene sleeves or braces similar to the ones worn by tennis players with tennis elbow can help decrease or disperse the forces on the patella."
"Maximizing quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength and flexibility is the best way to prevent knee injury. Preseason conditioning should concentrate on a gradual increase in repetitive eccentric quadriceps contraction so the tendon can begin to withstand repetitive loading. These measures will help to prevent this inflammatory process."
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