What is tendinopathy?
Tendinopathy is pain and stiffness in a tendon, the strong cord that joins muscle to bone. The tendon has been asked to do more than it was ready for, and it hurts when loaded.
It commonly affects the back of the heel (Achilles), the front of the knee, the outside of the elbow and the shoulder.
Why does it matter?
Tendon pain tends to start small and then sit in the way of everything you enjoy. It can be worst in the first steps of the morning and ease as you warm up, then ache again that night.
The old word “tendonitis” led people to treat it with rest and anti-inflammatory tablets. The newer understanding is that the tendon needs the right amount of load, built up gradually, so that it becomes stronger again.
An everyday example in Ipoh
Mr Lee plays badminton twice a week in a hall in Ipoh Garden. After he added a third night and some extra jumping, the front of his knee started to hurt on stairs.
He doesn’t have to give up badminton. We map out a plan: a short pause from jumping, then strength exercises that load the tendon, then a gradual return to the court, checking the knee after each step.
Related terms and next steps
Common tendon problems have their own pages: Achilles tendon pain, patellar tendinopathy and tennis elbow. Shoulder tendon pain is covered in rotator cuff shoulder pain.
Slow loading exercises are explained under eccentric exercise, and the body’s reaction to injury under inflammation.