Often referred to as ‘Jumper’s Knee’, this is pain located at the front of the knee and towards the bottom of the knee cap. It is another one of those pesky overuse injuries and is particularly common in sports people who jump a lot…hence the imaginative name!
You may also see it called patella tendinitis or patella tendinopathy.
All four of the quad muscles attach through the patella tendon so there is considerable force going through it when you run or jump (just think about how much force is required to control deceleration and impact when jumping). With overuse or overtraining, the tendon can get stretched beyond its elastic limit and subsequently, painful.
Like a lot of overuse injuries the symptoms can get progressively worse and include localised knee pain after exercise and possible pain when bending the knee and contracting the quad muscles.
A period of rest is advisable but massage over the tendon, combined with stretching and strengthening exercises can help.