Tendinopathy refers to a condition where a tendon — the strong band of tissue that connects muscle to bone — becomes painful, thickened, and less effective at handling load. It’s a common cause of pain around the joints and can affect anyone from elite athletes to active older adults.

Tendinopathies typically develop due to repeated mechanical overload — activities that strain the tendon beyond its current capacity. This might result from:

• Sudden increase in loading

• Poor biomechanics

• Age-related tendon changes

• Reduced muscle support

• Inadequate recovery

They can develop slowly over time or follow a minor injury that never fully settles.

Without intervention, tendinopathies can last many months or even years. With correct diagnosis and a structured rehabilitation plan, most people improve within 12–16 weeks, although chronic cases may take longer. Some cases fail to progress despite good therapy — this is where additional treatments such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) may help.

Dr Jenkins regularly treats tendinopathy at the following sites:

• Shoulder: rotator cuff tendons (especially supraspinatus)

• Elbow: tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)

• Wrist: De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, flexor/extensor tendon irritation

• Knee: patellar tendon (jumper’s knee), quadriceps tendon

• Hamstring: high proximal hamstring tendinopathy

• Ankle: Achilles tendinopathy, tibialis posterior, peroneal tendons

• Foot: plantar fascia, flexor hallucis longus, tibialis posterior insertion

For many tendinopathies — particularly Achilles, patellar, lateral elbow, and rotator cuff tendinopathies — traditional steroid injections are now discouraged in national guidelines due to concerns over weakening the tendon or offering only short-term benefit. For example, Versus Arthritis  and other guideline bodies increasingly support PRP therapy as a safer and potentially more regenerative option.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an advanced treatment that uses your body’s own healing mechanisms. A small blood sample is taken and processed using a centrifuge to isolate a concentrated layer of platelets and growth factors — the natural repair cells in your blood.

This growth-factor rich plasma is then carefully injected into the affected tendon under sterile technique. The aim is to:

• Stimulate cell signalling and tendon repair

• Improve tissue quality and load tolerance

• Accelerate a structured rehabilitation programme

The entire process — from blood draw to injection — is completed in a single one-hour appointment, carried out by Dr Jenkins .

PRP is not a standalone cure. It works best when added to an existing well-structured physical therapy programme — especially when progress has plateaued or symptoms have persisted despite good rehab.

Research shows that outcomes vary by tendon, and while evidence is strongest in certain areas (like lateral elbow and patellar tendon), PRP remains an active area of clinical research across all tendinopathies. There are no guarantees, but many patients report that PRP was the turning point in a stubborn or slow-to-heal tendon problem.

If you are dealing with persistent tendon pain that hasn’t responded to rehab alone, a consultation with Dr Tom Jenkins can help determine whether PRP — alongside tailored therapy — could support your recovery.