Quadraceps Tendonitis? Tendonosis?

[HondaV65]

Got a problem with my knees ...

Tendonitis or Tendonosis ... whatever. There's no inflammation but I cannot go beyond parallel on squats. Also - can't get up off the toilet without upper body assisting my knees. I cannot full squat my bodyweight even.

The problem is the tendon where it attaches to the top of the kneecap - on each knee too. It's fine if my leg is extended - but if I bend the knees for any amount of time - such as sitting on an airplane - it's freaking painful.

I have had this all my life - but I've squatted with the pain. I could squat 750 lbs to parallel with the problem about 15 years ago - now my squats are limited to 400 lbs.

There's really no inflammation - just intense pain at the top of the kneecap whenever the knee is loaded beyond parallel.

Will it go away ... why yes, it does and I found this out after 9-11 because I was in the Pearl Harbor Navy gym when those planes hit the towers ... immediately ran to my ship and was deployed for the rest of my tour there fighting the War on Terror. Couldn't really work out on the ship - and the knees got better. No pain at all - I could bend and squat my bodyweight like a spider monkey.

But after I got off the ship and went back to the gym - problem returned first week!

Well ... it's so painful now - I have had to quit the squats (which were my first girlfriend - and this is depressing). I hope to return to them. Deadlift don't bother me ... especially if I use the Olympic Hex Bar. I'm trying to strengthen my quads and tendons now with quad extensions and some "step up" moves I found on the internet.

There's got to be a way to cure this ... whatever it is. Any ideas?

[ZiR RED]

It sounds like tendonosis. Strengthening the quads/tendon is not the real issue, nor is inflammation if it is tendonosis. Its poor healing, or insufficient healing.

There are two things you can do: Rest and eccentric stretching to improve recovery.

Here is a really good thread about the pathogenesis (development of it), and talking about ways to improve recovery.

http://www.mindandmuscle.net/forum/t...-tendinopathy/

Br