43% of patients treated with progressive 4-stage tendon loading exercise return to sport compared to 27% of patients treated with standard care (eccentric exercise).
Progressive Tendon Loading Exercise Includes:
- Stage 1: Pain management
- Stage 2: Strength exercise
- Stage 3: Energy storage loads
- Stage 4: Energy storage and release loads
A pain monitoring model is used to guide the 4-stage loading program where pain during stages 1-4 is monitored and the intensity, volume, or rate of tendon load is only increased if patients are in the safe zone.
Athletes with pain around their patellar tendon should seek guidance from a Physiotherapist or Sports and Exercise Medicine Doctor experienced in returning athletes to sport from patellar tendinopathy.
Brent Sahota (Physiotherapist, Ph.D. student) at Restore Function Physiotherapy is leading an international consensus statement on criteria to clear patients to return to sport from lower extremity tendinopathies (e.g., Achilles, patellar, hamstring, and adductor tendinopathy) and is experienced in returning athletes to sport from patellar tendinopathy.
4-Stage Tendon Loading Exercise
Reference
Breda, S. J., Oei, E. H. G., Zwerver, J., Visser, E., Waarsing, E., Krestin, G. P., & de Vos, R. J. (2021). Effectiveness of progressive tendon-loading exercise therapy in patients with patellar tendinopathy: a randomised clinical trial.