Pathophysiology
The continuum model describes reactive, dysrepair and degenerative presentations, but real tendons do not always sit neatly in one box.
Student toolkit · Tendinopathy
Think beyond the label. Build capacity around the person.
A practical guide to continuum thinking, load response, common myths and progressive rehabilitation.
Start with the response to load
Use the evidence to sharpen the conversation.
Assessment
History, morning stiffness, local loading, function and the 24-hour response often tell you more than a single provocative test.
Management
Match loading to irritability and current capacity, monitor response, then progress toward the person’s real work or sport demands.
Clinical pearl: the next-morning response can be a useful marker of whether yesterday’s load was tolerable.
Starting points: Cook and Purdam’s tendon continuum model, contemporary loading literature and condition-specific clinical practice guidance. Check original papers before teaching or publishing a claim.
Educational information only. It is not individual health advice and does not replace clinical assessment, local referral pathways or medical review when indicated.
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