Palpation can be useful for the diagnosis and assessment of tendinopathy, but there are limits. This is because non-painful tendons can be tender, and tenderness in painful tendons seems to be very slow to get better. 

Link to Evidence for Improvement in Local but not Diffuse Pressure Pain Thresholds Following Physical Therapist Interventions for Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review

Link to  Reproducibility and clinical utility of tendon palpation to detect patellar tendinopathy in young basketball players

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