Pain in the quadriceps tendon – These can be the causes!
The causes of pain in the quadriceps tendon range from traumatic causes to inflammatory and degenerative causes. Some degenerative diseases can result in a reduced blood supply to the tendon. This leads to a continuous deterioration of the condition over years, which eventually causes pain.
These resulting microtraumas can cause inflammation of the quadriceps tendon. However, an inflammation can also result from acute inflammatory processes or be caused by continuous overloading or continuous incorrect loading. Traumatic events include a direct application of force.
A blow to the knee, for example, can lead to smaller but also larger injuries to the quadriceps tendon. All causes of pain individually increase the risk of quadriceps tendon rupture. Nevertheless, the probability of this is not very high.
How do you stretch the quadriceps tendon?
The quadriceps tendon is stretched by bringing the unit into extension, as with all muscles and tendons.Since the movement that occurs through contraction of the quadriceps femoris muscle is a stretching of the knee, the knee must be flexed when stretching. It is also important to warm up briefly before stretching in order to prevent possible damage. The simplest stretching exercise is to bend the knee while the foot is held against the buttocks.
If this is too difficult in standing position, you can either hold on tight or do the exercise in a sitting position. In addition, care should be taken to keep the upper body straight. If this exercise is modified, the groin is also stretched. To do this, the exercise is not performed with the other leg in extension, but bent forward as in a lunge and the leg to be stretched is placed on the floor with the knee while the foot is held on the buttocks with the hand.
Calcifications in the quadriceps tendon
Calcifications of the quadriceps tendon occur relatively frequently and can even occur in young people. The causes are varied and can be degenerative or even inflammatory in nature. At the beginning, pain rarely occurs.
In later stages, pain, reduced movement, redness and swelling may occur. Calcifications also increase the risk of quadriceps tendon rupture. However, calcification often occurs even after a rupture.
The diagnosis is made by means of ultrasound or X-ray image. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as steroids or NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen) are used for therapy. Furthermore, the calcifications can be shattered from outside by means of sound.
