Pain at the front of the knee, typically just below the kneecap, especially with jumping, squatting, or running

What it is

Patellar tendinopathy, often referred to as jumper’s knee, presents as pain at the front of the knee, usually just below the kneecap.

A lot of people think this is just general knee pain—but it’s specifically related to how the patellar tendon is being loaded.

In some cases, this involves irritation or breakdown of the patellar tendon—but more often, the bigger issue is how much stress is being placed on it and how well it’s able to handle that load.

Why you’re experiencing it

This typically develops over time with repeated stress rather than from one single movement.

Common contributing factors include:

• High volumes of jumping, sprinting, or squatting
• Sudden increases in training intensity or frequency
• Weakness in the quads or surrounding muscles
• Poor load management or recovery
• Movement patterns that place excess stress on the knee

When the tendon is repeatedly overloaded without enough capacity, it starts to become irritated.

How it shows up

You might notice:

• Pain just below the kneecap
• Discomfort with squatting, jumping, lunging or running
• Pain that starts during activity and lingers afterward
• Stiffness or soreness after training
• Symptoms that come and go but don’t fully resolve
  

  How we help

  At CSPC, we focus on rebuilding the tendon’s capacity so it can handle high-level activity again.

  Your plan is built around:

  • Reducing irritation and managing symptoms
  • Improving mobility where needed
  • Building strength, especially in the quads
  • Progressively loading the tendon
  • Gradually returning to higher-level movements like jumping and sprinting

  The goal is to get you back to training, lifting, and competing without pain limiting your performance.