Patellar Tendinopathy: Causes, Risks, and What You Can Do
When you feel pain just below your kneecap—especially when jumping, running, or climbing stairs—you’re likely dealing with patellar tendinopathy, a degenerative condition of the patellar tendon that connects your kneecap to your shinbone. Also known as "jumper’s knee," it’s not just inflammation; it’s a breakdown of tendon tissue from repeated stress. This isn’t something that goes away with rest alone, and ignoring it can lead to a full tendon rupture, a complete tear requiring surgery and months of recovery.
Many people don’t realize that some medications can make this worse. For example, bempedoic acid, a cholesterol-lowering drug prescribed to statin-intolerant patients, carries a known risk of tendon damage. If you’re taking it and have knee pain, that’s not just coincidence. The same goes for fluoroquinolone antibiotics and corticosteroids. These drugs interfere with collagen repair, which is exactly what your tendon needs to heal. Even over-the-counter painkillers like NSAIDs might mask the pain long enough for the damage to get worse.
Patellar tendinopathy isn’t just an athlete’s problem. Office workers who sit all day and suddenly start walking or hiking can get it. So can people over 40, as tendons naturally lose elasticity with age. The real issue? Most treatments focus on pain relief, not tendon rebuilding. Physical therapy with eccentric loading exercises works better than rest or ice. Shockwave therapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are gaining real-world support. But none of these help if you keep doing the same movements that caused the problem in the first place.
What you’ll find here aren’t generic tips or miracle cures. These are real, evidence-based posts from people who’ve dealt with this—whether they’re athletes, doctors, or patients managing side effects from medications that harm tendons. You’ll see how bempedoic acid affects tendon health, what alternatives exist for pain relief without risking further damage, and how to rebuild strength without making things worse. This isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about understanding your body, knowing what to avoid, and finding what actually works.
