# The Hidden Psychological Factors Behind Persistent Tendon Pain with Jack Mest Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-run-smarter-podcast-530646/the-hidden-psychological-factors-behind-persistent-tendon-pain-with-jack-mest Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-run-smarter-podcast-530646/the-hidden-psychological-factors-behind-persistent-tendon-pain-with-jack-mest.md Podcast: [The Run Smarter Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-run-smarter-podcast-530646) Published: 2026-03-08T20:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/641a8af2 Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/641a8af2/017a8e1d.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-run-smarter-podcast-530646/episodes/the-hidden-psychological-factors-behind-persistent-tendon-pain-with-jack-mest Duration seconds: 2107 ## Resource Learn more about Brodie's Research Database & AI Assistant πŸ“„πŸ” For MORE Run Smarter Resources πŸƒβ€β™‚οΈπŸ“š - Including Free Injury Prevention Courses πŸ©ΉπŸŽ“ - The Run Smarter Book πŸ“– - Access to Research Papers πŸ“„πŸ” - & Ways to Work with Brodie πŸ€πŸ‘Ÿ πŸ‘‰ CLICK HERE! πŸŽ‰βœ¨ Tendon pain is often treated as a purely physical problem. Strengthen the tendon, adjust the load, and eventually things should improve. But what happens when the pain persists for months… or even years? In this episode, Brodie speaks with physiotherapist and PhD researcher Jack Mest about a recent systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the psychological profile of people with persistent tendinopathy . The research compared people with chronic tendon pain to healthy controls and uncovered something surprising: fear of movement wasn’t the main psychological factor . Instead, the research found that pain catastrophizing β€” a negative outlook toward pain and recovery β€” appeared more common in people with persistent tendinopathy . This episode explores how psychological factors may influence tendon pain, why lower limb injuries may carry a greater psychological burden, and why clinicians need to treat the person behind the injury β€” not just the tendon itself . If you’re a runner struggling with Achilles pain, plantar fasciopathy, proximal hamstring tendinopathy, or another persistent tendon injury, this conversation will help you understand why recovery can feel so frustrating β€” and what might help. In This Episode Brodie and Jack discuss: Why tendinopathy often becomes a chronic condition What the biopsychosocial model means for tendon rehab The difference between kinesiophobia (fear of movement) and pain catastrophizing Why catastrophizing appears more common in persistent tendon pain Why lower limb tendinopathi… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-run-smarter-podcast-530646/episodes/the-hidden-psychological-factors-behind-persistent-tendon-pain-with-jack-mest/transcription-requests` β€” Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-run-smarter-podcast-530646/the-hidden-psychological-factors-behind-persistent-tendon-pain-with-jack-mest.md` β€” Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.