Medically reviewed by Dr James Bristol, MD, PhD · Updated 2026-11-14
Jumper's knee (patellar tendinopathy) causes pain just below the kneecap with jumping, squatting and stairs. Progressive loading, starting with isometric holds and moving to heavy slow resistance, is the main treatment.
Programme
| Stage | Exercise |
|---|---|
| 1 | Isometric wall sits or leg-press holds, 5 x 45 seconds |
| 2 | Heavy slow leg press and squats |
| 3 | Faster loading: split squats, step-downs |
| 4 | Jumping and sport-specific work |
Persistent cases: shockwave, PRP or stem cells.