Mini wall sit
Back against a wall, slide down a little way, hold, then stand.
- Hold 30 seconds
- 5 times
Should feel: The thighs working Should not feel: Knee pain at the front
Home / Patient library / Exercise sheets / Sheet 49
Jumper's knee: tendon loading exercises
Hip & knee · Patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee)
How to use this sheet. Do the exercises in order. Step 1, while the knee is painful: only the two holding exercises (1 and 2), every day. Step 2, when the holds are comfortable, usually after a week or two: add the slow squat (3), on 3 days a week. Step 3, when the slow squat is easy, usually after several weeks: add the decline squat (4). The stretch (5) and the cycling (6) can be done from the start if they do not increase the pain. Some pain during the exercises is fine if it stays mild and has settled by the next morning; if the knee is worse the next morning, do less. Tendon pain usually takes about 3 months or more to settle. Wear the knee strap below the kneecap during sport or heavy activity. Avoid for now: jumping, running down stairs or slopes, and heavy loading of the knee. Squatting right down or using an Indian toilet — until we have told you it is safe.
A4 PDF, 0.4 MB. Free to download — no sign-up, no email address needed.
Sitting knee-straightening hold
Sit on a firm chair. Press the front of the ankle forward against something heavy that will not move, such as the leg of a bed or table, as if straightening the knee, but do not let the leg move. Hold, and keep breathing.
- Hold 30 seconds
- 5 times
Should feel: The front of the thigh working hard Should not feel: Sharp pain below the kneecap
Slow squat
Hold a support. Counting 3, bend the knees slowly as far as is comfortable, no lower than chair height, then straighten slowly, counting 3. When this is easy, hold a bag with some weight in it.
- 8–12 times
- 2–3 sets, 3 days a week
Should feel: The thighs working Should not feel: Pain that is worse the next morning — do less
Decline squat
Hold a support and stand on the painful leg on a sloping board, heel higher than the toes, such as a plank propped on a brick. Counting 3, bend the knee slowly, keeping it over the toes, to about a quarter to half squat. Then put the other foot down and use both legs to come back up.
- 15 times
- Twice a day
Should feel: A working ache below the kneecap that settles within a day Should not feel: Sharp pain, or pain that is worse the next morning
Standing quadriceps stretch
Hold a chair for balance. Bend one knee and hold the ankle behind you, keeping the knees together.
- Hold 20 seconds
- 3 each side
Should feel: A stretch at the front of the thigh Should not feel: Sharp pain just below the kneecap
Static cycling
Set the seat high, so the knee is almost straight at the bottom. Pedal gently with little resistance.
- 10 minutes
- Most days
Should feel: The knee moving freely Should not feel: Pain in the knee or hip
Stop and telephone us if
- You get a fever, or the knee becomes very warm
- You have a major injury, or you cannot use the leg
- A sudden snap below the kneecap, and then you cannot straighten the knee — come the same day
- The pain keeps getting worse, even after you have cut down the exercises
Ready when you are.
Call either clinic during consulting hours, or send a WhatsApp message any time.