How effective is physiotherapy for patellar tendinitis?

Patellar tendinitis, also called patellar tendinopathy, causes pain at the tendon below the kneecap and may worsen with jumping, running, squatting or stairs. Assessment looks at pain, strength, flexibility, training load and movement technique. The goal is not complete rest, but a tolerable level of loading that can be increased over time.

Exercises may begin with controlled isometric or slow strengthening and progress toward heavier resistance, hopping and sport-specific work when appropriate. Improvement is often judged by better tolerance of stairs, squats or training, alongside less next-day irritation.

Follow the loading plan rather than alternating between complete rest and sudden hard sessions. Space demanding activities, warm up as advised and use the technique demonstrated. Tell your physiotherapist how the tendon feels during exercise and the following morning; that response helps set the next level of load.

Temporarily replace painful jumping or sprinting with lower-impact conditioning if recommended. Do not add multiple new exercises at once, because it becomes difficult to identify what the tendon tolerates. Gradual return to sport should include the movements and speed your activity requires.

Seek urgent assessment after a sudden snap with immediate weakness, a visible change in the kneecap position, or inability to actively straighten the knee. These features can indicate a more serious tendon injury.

Arrange review if pain is steadily increasing, swelling develops, the knee gives way, or the tendon remains very sensitive despite a carefully followed programme. A new assessment may be needed before increasing load.

Which activities can I continue at my current pain level? What exercise load should I use this week? How should I respond to next-day soreness? When can I resume jumping, sprinting or sport, and what would suggest another diagnosis?