Load Is the Treatment: Rethinking Rest in Tendon Rehabilitation

Tendon pain rarely responds to complete rest. Symptoms settle, capacity falls, and the return to activity reproduces the original problem at a lower threshold.

Heavy slow resistance and isometric loading both reduce pain and build tolerance. The variable that matters most is consistency across months, not the specific protocol chosen.

Practically: find a load that reproduces no more than a 3/10 symptom response, that settles within 24 hours, and progress it weekly. Measure function, not just pain.