Patellar Tendinosis Knee Taping

This is a simple taping technique for the treatment of patellar tendinosis (aka jumper’s knee) which is a common cause of pain in the area below the knee cap.  Read on for step-by-step instructions…

As the name suggests, jumper’s knee is a condition particularly associated with jumping but in fact it is very common in many sports.  For instance, it can be brought on by repeated explosive movements, rapid decelerations and kicking.   Over time, the cumulative overloading and damage to the patella tendon (which attaches the knee cap to the shinbone) results in pain and may begin to impair activity.

At the onset of any knee pain your immediate step should be to treat it with the standard sports first aid PRICE protocol and then seek a diagnosis.  Following that, this taping technique can be used to manage the pain by reducing the load on the injured tendon.

Equipment Required

• 3.8cm Strapping Tape
• Scissors (optional)

Step 1

With the knee fully extended, tape straight across the front of the leg immediately above the kneecap.  This is an ‘anchor’ strap.

Step 2

Starting on the anchor on the inside (medial side) of the leg, bring a strap of tape down alongside the kneecap.  As it comes down, angle the strapping tape to run across the front of the leg, passing immediately below the kneecap and finishing on the outside of the leg.

Step 3

Repeat step 2, but starting from the other side of the anchor so that step 3 is a mirror image of step 2.  Angle the tape so the two straps cross immediately below the lowest point of the kneecap.

Step 4

Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create 2 or 3 overlapping layers of tape on each side.

Step 5

Finish off by applying a second anchor strap directly over the first anchor from step one.

 

Advanced Tip: Our pictures show the tape applied directly to the skin, but if you find the tape peels off or that the adhesive irritates your skin, apply a base layer of fixing tape such as Mefix and then apply the strapping tape on top of that.  A sports taping kit containing strapping tape and fixing tape is also available in our online shop.  Alternatively, you can treat the skin with a pre-taping spray such as Tensospray before taping.

Alternative Treatments: If you don’t want to use tape, there are many knee straps available that are specifically designed to treat patellar tendinosis.  We recommend the Teyder InfraGel Strap for this purpose.