A 5 Minute Fix for Patellar Tendinopathy aka Jumper's Knee

Patellar tendinopathy is an overuse injury common in sports involving running and jumping, hence the more layman's term of jumper's knee. It's a frustrating injury that often comes and goes.

A recent study looked to determine if an eccentric-only, one-legged squat on the injured knee would aid in pain relief. An eccentric-only squat, in this scenario, is when you bend down using the injured leg, and then use your "good" leg to help you stand back up straight.

30 participants were split into two groups, one which did these squats on a decline board with the control group doing their normal training. It was a 12-week program utilizing progressive overload.

The most substantial finding from the study was that the exercising group experienced a 69% decrease in pain, which is a significant amount. The control group remained roughly the same.

As a bonus, the exercising group also had greater improvements in strength and balance. On the surface this may seem irrelevant for injury recovery, but improving strength and balance can prevent the injury from reccurring. Athletes with patellar tendinopathy are nearly 4x more likely to suffer other leg injuries, so improving balance matters.

There are some limitations with the research. The study was relatively small in nature, with only 30 participants overall. You could also argue that the eccentric exercise group should have been compared with a group utilizing a different rehab program, rather than a control. But overall it's still encouraging to see such a large difference in pain relief.

If you're dealing with patellar tendinopathy, a simple decline squat program performed on the injured leg is worth considering. It requires minimal equipment, can be guided by a physiotherapist, and the results are hard to ignore. That said, as with any injury, it's important to work with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise program, as individual circumstances vary. Tendon injuries are notoriously slow to heal, and the temptation to push through pain or return to sport too soon is always present.

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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 8:20 PM.