Silbernagel et al. 2007, continued sports activity using a pain-monitoring model in Achilles tendinopathy

Randomised controlled study (Silbernagel KG, Thomeé R, Eriksson BI, Karlsson J), American Journal of Sports Medicine. Patients with Achilles tendinopathy who continued tendon-loading activity (running, jumping) guided by a pain-monitoring model did as well as those who rested for the first six weeks. The model allows pain during and after loading up to about 5 on a 0-10 scale, provided it settles to baseline by the next morning and does not climb week to week. This pain-monitoring threshold has become the standard clinical rule for loading symptomatic tendons. Strong (RCT, widely adopted into practice).