Lifestyle and home remedies

It might help your child to:

• Rest the joint. Limit time spent doing activities that aggravate the condition, such as kneeling, jumping and running.
• Ice the affected area. This can help with pain and swelling.
• Stretch leg muscles. Stretching the muscles on the front of the thigh (quadriceps), is especially important.
• Protect the knee. When your child is participating in sports, have him or her wear a pad over the affected knee where the knee can become irritated.
• Try a strap. A patellar tendon strap fits around the leg just below the kneecap. It can help to "tack down" the kneecap's tendon during activities and distribute some of the force away from the shinbone.
• Cross-train. Suggest that your child switch to activities that don't involve jumping or running, such as cycling or swimming, until symptoms subside.