Jumper's knee (patellar tendinopathy): pain below the kneecap
Why the tendon just below the kneecap becomes painful with jumping, running and sport, how loading exercise helps, and what recovery typically involves.
Patellar tendinopathy, or jumper's knee, is an overuse problem of the tendon that runs from the bottom of the kneecap to the shin. It builds up when the tendon is loaded more than it has adapted to. It is most common in people who jump, run and change direction a lot, from teenage athletes to active older adults.
When to get urgent help
Go to A&E or call 999 if you have any of these. They can be signs of a fracture, infection, blood clot or other emergency.
- A limb that looks deformed, or a joint that you cannot move or put weight on after an injury
- A cold, pale or numb foot or hand after injury
- A hot, red, swollen joint with a high temperature
- A painful, swollen, warm calf, with or without breathlessness or chest pain
What it can feel like
- Pain at the front of the knee, just below the kneecap, from mild to severe
- Tenderness over the tendon, sometimes with slight thickening
- Pain with jumping, running, squatting or stairs
- Stiffness, often worse in the morning, and tightness or weakness in the thigh muscles
Common contributors
- Repeated overloading of the tendon, for example from jumping or running
- Rapid increases in training or a new sport
- Tight leg muscles or weak thigh muscles
- Hard surfaces and unsuitable footwear
- Excess weight or a sudden weight gain
General self-care
These are general comfort measures many people find reasonable. They are not a treatment plan, and what suits one person may not suit another.
- Adjust activity rather than stopping. Reduce jumping and other high-impact work while staying active, with low-impact options such as cycling and swimming
- A common aim is pain under about 3 out of 10 during activity that settles within 24 hours
- Follow a graded strengthening programme, only progressing to the next stage once the previous one feels easy
- Warm up well, and build up training gradually
- Pain relief as advised by a pharmacist or GP
When to see your GP
See your GP promptly, or call NHS 111, if you have any of the following:
- Pain after a significant injury, fall or twist
- Pain that is constant, severe or getting worse, or wakes you at night
- Unexplained weight loss, fever or feeling generally unwell with limb pain
Consider seeing your GP if:
- A knee injury with a sudden pop or snap, severe pain or swelling, or an inability to straighten the knee. The NHS trust advises 111
- A swollen, red, warm knee
- No improvement after 6 to 12 weeks, when you may need a physiotherapy referral
Where an osteopath fits in
There is limited good-quality research showing that hands-on treatment changes the course of patellar tendinopathy, so I do not claim that osteopathy treats it.
What an osteopath can usefully do is confirm that the pain behaves like a tendon problem, check the hip, ankle and foot, review your training load, and guide a graded loading programme. An NHS trust page says a full exercise programme can take more than three months, and it often takes 6 to 12 weeks before a difference in pain is noticed. If the assessment suggests you need your GP, a physiotherapist or a specialist instead, I will tell you.
If you would like your symptoms assessed, you are welcome to book an appointment. Osteopathic care is not right for everyone, and if something needs medical attention first, I will tell you.
Common questions
How long does jumper's knee take to heal?
An NHS trust page says it often takes 6 to 12 weeks before a difference in knee pain is noticed, a full exercise programme can take more than 3 months, and flare-ups usually settle within about 6 weeks.
Can I keep playing sport with jumper's knee?
Often with modification. The trust suggests reducing jumping and high-impact work, keeping pain under about 3 out of 10 during activity that settles within 24 hours, and building back in stages.
Free 5-minute exercise sheet
A simple, printable sheet of gentle exercises and stretches, about five minutes a day, based on NHS physiotherapy leaflets. It is general information, not a personal treatment plan, and it is not suitable if you have any of the urgent signs listed above.
Sources and further reading
Links open in a new tab. Sources were checked in October 2026.
Related guides
This page is general information to help you understand common aches and pains. It is not medical advice and cannot diagnose your problem. If you are worried about your symptoms, please speak to your GP or call NHS 111.