Jumping Injuries: A Physiotherapist’s Guide

Jumping injuries are common in sports that involve frequent take-off and landing, such as basketball, volleyball, athletics and running. They may develop suddenly or build over time due to overuse. Training load spikes, stiff landing technique, hard surfaces and previous injuries all increase your risk.

If you are noticing knee pain, ankle pain or foot and heel pain during jumping sports, a sports physiotherapist can assess the injury, your landing mechanics and your training loads. Early assessment often helps you settle symptoms faster.

For a general medical overview, see the RACGP review on overuse injuries in athletes.

What Are Jumping Injuries?

Jumping injuries occur when tissues that absorb impact fail to tolerate load. Structures commonly affected include:

• Bones – for example, tibial stress reactions and stress fractures.
• Tendons – such as the patellar tendon and Achilles tendon.
• Muscles – especially calves and quadriceps.
• Plantar fascia – overloaded with repeated hard landings.

These injuries may be acute, following a single bad landing, or develop slowly as an overuse condition with repeated jumps and landings.

Common Jumping Injuries

• Achilles Tendinopathy – often linked to training load changes or calf weakness. For broader educational content, see Fit to Play’s Achilles tendinopathy overview.
• Patellar Tendinopathy (Jumper’s Knee) – very common in volleyball and basketball. You can read more background via the Mayo Clinic patellar tendinitis resource.
• Plantar Fasciitis – repeated landing loads may irritate the plantar fascia, leading to heel or arch pain.
• Shin Splints & Stress Fractures – impact-related pain along the tibia. Persistent focal pain may indicate a stress fracture, which needs prompt assessment.
• Chronic Ankle Instability – repeated “giving way” episodes after prior sprains, particularly during landing or change of direction.

Many athletes present with more than one issue at a time, such as an ankle sprain plus Achilles or patellar tendon overload.

Why Do Jumping Injuries Happen?

Several modifiable risk factors are linked to jumping and landing injuries:

• Training load spikes – rapid increases in weekly volume or intensity, especially after a layoff.
• Stiff or poorly aligned landings – minimal hip and knee bend or knees falling in (knee valgus).
• Lower limb weakness – in the quads, calves, glutes and core.
• Surface and footwear changes – sudden shifts between grass, indoor courts or worn-out shoes.
• Previous injuries – past ankle, knee or hip injuries that change how you land and push off.

Lower limb injury prevention research, including neuromuscular warm-up strategies, is summarised in reviews such as Herman et al. on neuromuscular warm-ups and lower limb injury prevention.

How Physiotherapists Assess Jumping Injuries

A physiotherapist will usually:

• Discuss your sport, position, training history and previous injuries.
• Assess landing mechanics with squats, hops and jump–land tasks.
• Test strength, flexibility and control in the hips, knees, ankles and feet.
• Review footwear and playing surfaces.
• Arrange imaging when there is concern for fracture or more serious pathology.

More detailed assessment may include running analysis or broader biomechanical screening.

Treatment Options for Jumping Injuries

1. Early Pain Relief & Load Management

• Adjust training volume and impact rather than stopping all activity where possible.
• Follow principles in our acute soft tissue injury and soft tissue injury healing guides.
• Use temporary taping, bracing or heel-raise inserts if appropriate.

2. Strength & Tendon Conditioning

Progressive strengthening reduces the risk of ongoing tendon and overload injuries. Your physio may prescribe:

• Heavy slow resistance or isometric exercises for the patellar tendon or Achilles tendon.
• Gluteal, hip and core strengthening to improve control and alignment.
• Foot and calf strengthening to support the plantar fascia and ankle.

For a deeper dive into tendon risk factors, see the open-access summary of clinical risk factors for Achilles tendinopathy published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

3. Neuromuscular Training & Technique Coaching

Neuromuscular and plyometric warm-up programs can reduce lower limb injury rates when used regularly. Components typically include:

• Landing technique drills focusing on soft, controlled landings.
• Hip–knee–foot alignment training.
• Progressive hopping and change-of-direction drills.

Warm-up guides such as Power Up To Play’s sports-specific guidance summarise evidence-based warm-ups that improve control and landing mechanics.

4. Return-to-Sport Planning

A structured return-to-sport plan may include:

• Meeting strength and hop-test benchmarks before full return.
• Gradual exposure to jumping and match demands.
• Ongoing home or gym-based maintenance programs.

For more complex cases, your physio may recommend our return-to-sport testing and sports physiotherapy services.

Can You Prevent Jumping Injuries?

You cannot remove all risk, but you can lower it. Helpful strategies include:

• Increase training load gradually, particularly after time off.
• Include 2–3 strength sessions per week for hips, quads, calves and core.
• Use a neuromuscular warm-up with running, strength, balance and landing drills.
• Rotate footwear before it becomes worn out and be cautious with surface changes.
• Address early niggles instead of training through ongoing pain.

When Should You See a Physiotherapist?

Seek help promptly if you experience:

• Severe pain or swelling after landing.
• Pain with jumping, running or stairs that persists for more than one to two weeks.
• Recurrent “giving way” of your ankle or knee.
• Night pain, locking, catching or visible deformity.

FAQs About Jumping Injuries

Is it safe to train through a jumping injury?
In many cases, you can keep training with modified load and exercise selection. A physiotherapist can guide what is safe for your specific injury.

How long do jumping injuries take to heal?
Minor strains may improve within weeks. Tendinopathies and stress injuries may take months, depending on load management, strength progress and your sport demands.

Who should I see first for a jumping injury?
A physiotherapist is an appropriate first contact for most jumping-related injuries. If you suspect a fracture or cannot weight-bear, seek urgent medical or emergency care first.

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References

1. Fallon K. Overuse injuries in the athlete. Aust J Gen Pract. 2020.
2. Herman K et al. Neuromuscular warm-up strategies for injury prevention. Sports Med. 2012.
3. Bathe C
   et al. Training interventions to reduce lower extremity joint injury risk during landing. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2023.
4. van der Vlist AC et al. Clinical risk factors for Achilles tendinopathy. Br J Sports Med. 2019.
5. Fit to Play – Achilles tendinopathy information.
6. Mayo Clinic – Patellar tendinitis overview.
7. Power Up To Play – Sports-specific warm-up guidance.