Knee & Leg
Patellar Tendinopathy
Also called: Jumper's knee
Overload of the tendon connecting kneecap to shin — the jumper's signature (volleyball, basketball) and a load-management condition through and through. Pain sits at the bottom point of the kneecap and follows a telltale pattern: warms up during activity, punishes you after.
Common signs
- Pinpoint pain at the lower pole of the kneecap
- Pain with jumping, landing, deceleration, squatting
- Stiff and sore the morning after loading days
- Often 'warms up' during play, worse later
Seek help now if
- Sudden pop with inability to extend the knee (tendon rupture — emergency)
- Swelling with fever
- Adolescent with pain at the shin bump instead (see Osgood-Schlatter)
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
What to do first
- Manage load, don't rest completely — tendons weaken with rest and strengthen with the right dose
- Start isometric holds (wall sits, Spanish squats): they reduce pain and begin adaptation
- Audit the training week: jump volume, surfaces, and spikes in load usually explain it
If it's become chronic
- The proven path: isometrics → heavy slow resistance (slow squats/leg press) → energy-storage work (jumping progression) over ~3 months
- In-season athletes manage with isometrics and load control; true rebuild happens off-season
- This condition rewards patience and punishes shortcuts — repeatedly
Natural healing options we use
- Progressive tendon-loading program (the treatment)
- Manual therapy for quads and hips
- Chiropractic care for chain mechanics
- Collagen + vitamin C timed before loading sessions; adequate protein
About imaging
Clinical; ultrasound/MRI for refractory cases or rupture concern.
Daily self-care
- Daily isometric holds during painful phases
- Never spike jump volume >20–30% week to week
- Track morning pain score — it's your tendon's report card
How we can help
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Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.