It is still a very widespread idea: when a tendon hurts, you should rest it completely and wait for the pain to pass. It sounds logical, it feels reassuring… and yet it is not what works best. We now know that a painful tendon does not repair itself through stillness; it gets stronger through movement, provided that movement is progressive and correctly dosed.
How does a tendon work?
The tendon is the strong tissue that connects muscle to bone and transmits force with every movement. To stay resilient, it needs to be loaded — much like a muscle that gets stronger with training. When it becomes painful, we speak of tendinopathy, often after an unusual demand: a sport picked up again too quickly, a repeated movement, a sudden increase in workload.
Why complete rest is not enough
With complete rest, the pain does go down, but the tendon weakens and loses its capacity. When you start again, the slightest effort wakes the pain up, and you enter a frustrating cycle — rest, restart, pain, rest — with no real improvement. Rest has its place in the very first days, but not as your only strategy over time.
What does work: progressive loading
We start with exercises adapted to your current level of pain, increase the load in small steps, leave the tendon time to adapt between each progression, and gradually bring back everyday and sporting activities. Done properly, this approach calms the pain and leaves the tendon stronger than before. The key is the dose: too little and the tendon does not strengthen; too much and it becomes irritated.
When should you seek advice?
If tendon pain lasts more than a few weeks, gets in the way of your everyday movements, or returns with every effort, do not wait. An assessment allows us to evaluate your tendon and build a progressive programme at your own pace.
The team at the Dr.E. physiotherapy and exertherapy centre
Dr.E. by Swiss Ortho Clinic, Prieuré 13, 1009 Pully — info@dr-e.ch
