What is patellar tendinopathy?
The patellar tendon is the strong cord that links your kneecap to the shin bone. Patellar tendinopathy is an overload problem in that tendon, where it becomes sore and sensitive when the demands on it outrun what it has been trained to handle. Our glossary has a short entry on tendinopathy.
It is not usually a sign of inflammation or a tear. It is a tendon asking for a better-planned load.
What does it feel like in everyday Ipoh life?
The pain is a pinpoint ache just below the kneecap, and you can press on the exact spot. It builds during jumping, sprinting, changing direction and landing, and it can sting on stairs or on hills.
Badminton players feel it with jump smashes and lunges. Futsal players feel it in sprints and stops. Cyclists feel it climbing a hill on a hot afternoon, and runners feel it when they ramp up the mileage.
Tendon pain tends to ease once you are warmed up, then returns when you stop, or shows up as stiffness the next morning. Sitting for a long time with the knee bent can set it off too.
Who is it most likely to affect?
It is most common in active people in jumping and running sports, and in those who suddenly increase training or return after a break. Tight or weak thigh muscles and hard surfaces such as indoor courts can add to the load.
It can affect weekend players as much as athletes, since the tendon notices a sudden jump in activity, whatever your level.
What does a physiotherapist check first?
We ask about your sport, your training and when the pain started. Then we look at the knee and the whole leg.
We check:
- the exact spot of tenderness below the kneecap.
- how the knee hurts with a single-leg squat, a step-down and a small hop.
- thigh, hip and calf strength, and how you land.
- movement of the knee, hip and ankle.
- what you did in training in the weeks before it began.
If the picture suggests pain behind the kneecap, we look at patellofemoral pain instead, and refer you if something else is suspected.
What helps?
Tendons recover through loading. A good plan reduces the load that is hurting the tendon, then rebuilds its capacity step by step. Recovery takes patience, and it varies between people.
A plan can include:
- holding exercises for the thigh (isometric exercise) to settle pain, covered in the glossary under isometric exercise.
- slow, heavy strengthening for the thigh, hip and calf.
- later, jumping, hopping and sport-specific drills.
- advice on training amount, surfaces and footwear.
- a graded return to your sport.
We review how the knee feels the next morning at every visit, and adjust accordingly.
What can I do this week?
Keep the tendon working, but do not feed the pain.
- Cut jumping and sprinting for now. Choose cycling on flat ground or walking if they are comfortable.
- Use the morning-after test: if the knee is no worse the next morning, last week’s load was fine.
- Break up long sitting by straightening the leg and walking for a minute.
- Take stairs one at a time, with the rail.
- Do gentle sit-to-stand from a firm chair, a few times, three times a day.
Stop an exercise if it leaves the pain sharper for more than a few hours.
When should I see a doctor first?
Go to the emergency department if you suddenly cannot straighten the knee or lift the leg after a jump. Go too if you feel a gap or a snap below the kneecap. These can mean the tendon has torn.
See a doctor if the knee is red, hot and swollen, if it locks or gives way, or if the pain wakes you at night. Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Fatimah Hospital and Pantai Hospital Ipoh can see you.
How do home sessions in Ipoh work?
A physiotherapist visits your house, examines the knee and builds the loading plan around your own stairs, floor and chairs. We check your technique and progress the plan each visit.
Visits across Ipoh are available now, and our Canning Garden centre near Fatimah Hospital is opening soon. Prices are quoted on WhatsApp after a short description.
Read how home physiotherapy works, and the blog on returning to badminton if the court is your goal.