Understanding Patellar Tendinopathy and How Our Auckland Physio Team Can Help

Basketball, netball, and volleyball all put your knees through repeated jumping and landing, and that repetition is exactly what can lead to patellar tendinopathy, better known as jumper’s knee. If pain at the front of your knee is starting to interrupt training, competition, or even walking down stairs, our Auckland sports physiotherapists can help you understand what’s going on and get you back to full training.

What Is Patellar Tendinopathy?

The patellar tendon connects your kneecap to your shin bone and works every time you jump, land, run or change direction. Patellar tendinopathy, also called patellar tendinitis or jumper’s knee, develops when this tendon is loaded faster than it can adapt, rather than through a single, sudden tear. It’s one of several knee conditions we see regularly in athletes and active people at our Epsom clinic, alongside patellofemoral pain and iliotibial band irritation.

Signs to Look Out For

Jumper’s knee tends to build gradually rather than appear all at once. Watch out for:

• A dull ache at the base of the kneecap after training, which settles with rest
• Pain during warm-up that eases once you’re moving, then returns afterwards
• Pain during activity itself, affecting your jump, landing or sprint mechanics
• Discomfort during everyday movements, such as climbing stairs or standing up from a chair

What Causes Jumper’s Knee?

Patellar tendinopathy is usually linked to:

• A sudden increase in jumping or sprinting load
• Tight or weak quadriceps and hip muscles
• Landing technique that puts extra strain through the front of the knee
• Training surface, footwear or an insufficient warm-up

Because the cause is different for each patient, an accurate assessment matters more than guesswork.

How Our Auckland Physiotherapists Treat Patellar Tendinopathy

We start with a thorough assessment to confirm what’s driving your pain and rule out other knee conditions. From there, treatment usually combines hands-on manual therapy to ease pain and stiffness with a progressive strengthening programme, built and supervised in our onsite rehabilitation gym, to rebuild the tendon’s capacity to handle load. Some patients also find acupuncture a useful addition alongside their exercise programme. Throughout your rehabilitation, we work with you to adjust training load rather than ask you to stop activity altogether.

When to See a Physio About Knee Pain

The earlier patellar tendinopathy is addressed, the more straightforward the recovery tends to be. If knee pain has lasted more than a week or two, keeps returning each time you train, or is starting to affect your technique, book in with our team for an assessment. You don’t need a referral to see us, and if your knee pain relates to a specific accident, we can also help you understand your ACC options.

Contact Us

Ready to get your knee pain properly assessed? Book an appointment with our Auckland physiotherapy team today, or get in touch if you have any questions first.

Patellar Tendinopathy FAQs