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What is Tendonitis ?
Before knowing what tendonitis is it
is important to know the meaning of tendon. Tendon is a band of
fibrous tissue which is flexible but tough. It is a structure
that connects the muscles to the bones. In other words it is the
structure that transmits the force of the muscle contraction to
the bones. They function very smoothly in our body. When the
normal smooth gliding action of the tendon is impaired, it gets
inflamed and the movement is painful. This condition is called
as tendonitis or tenonitis. In simple words it is the
inflammation of the tendon. The inflammation can be due to
various reasons. The most common areas of tendon inflammation
are the biceps, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, leg and
Achilles. The area of inflammation depends on each individual
and his activities. For example: A person who is an athlete or a
runner tends to get his knee inflammated, similarly a swimmer is
prone of shoulder tendonitis.
Causes
Tendonitis is caused due to various reasons. The main reason is
because of overuse and mostly due to age related changes of
tendon. As people get aged the tendon looses its gliding
smoothness and the movement becomes irritating and inflamed.
With excessive repetitive movements also the tendon gets harder
or tighter until the fibre begins to tear. The various factors
involved in the inflammation of the tendon are as follows:
Continuously working.
Repeated and sustained exertion.
High work load.
Insufficient recovery time between the activities.
Cold temperatures.
Time pressure.
Vibration.
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Types
Tendons can get inflammated in various parts of our body. Based
on the area of inflammation it is categorized as follows:
Patellar or Kneecap tendonitis.
Wrist tendonitis
Rotator cuff tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis
Patellar or Kneecap tendonitis:
This is the condition wherein the kneecap is infammated. It is
also called as Jumpers Knee. The treatment generally given to
this is anti-inflammatory medicines.
Wrist tendonitis: It is the
inflammation caused around the wrist and often characterized
with pain and swelling. It is mainly caused due to the
inflammation of the tendon sheath. |
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Rotator
cuff tendonitis: It is also known as shoulder
bursitis. It is the inflammation caused to the tendons present
in the shoulders.
Achilles
tendonitis: It is the inflammation caused to the
tendons in the heels and mainly caused due to lack of
flexibility and overpronation. Even changes in footwear and
exercise training schedules can be the reason for Achilles
tendonitis.
Symptoms
The symptoms vary from pain in the local area of tendon to the
burning sensation that surrounds the joint around the inflamed
tendon. It can range from severe to mild condition. The severity
of the symptom depends upon the following:
Size of the muscles associated with tendon.
Amount of strain that passes through the injured tendon.
Presence of adhesions that affects the normal functions of
muscle and tendon.
Inadequate hydration of the fascia.
Improper alignment of the joints.
Poor posture.
The symptoms that are seen include:
Pain during night times.
Aching and discomfort during movements.
Severe pain while lifting or carrying anything heavy.
Tenderness along a tendon, especially close to the joints.
Strong pulling sensation when moving a joint.
Diagnosis
It is very easy to diagnose tendonitis. Tendonitis is diagnosed
based on the following:
Swelling of the tendon.
Pain involved during the movement of muscles and tendon.
Tenderness associated with the tendon.
Local area of tendonitis.
The best way the tendonitis id diagnosed is through physical
examination. Other tests such MRIs and x-rays are not needed to
know whether a person is suffering from tendonitis. However,
such tests usually give a clear picture of the swelling involved
in tendons, but usually performed to find additional information
such as whether the swelling is due to any fracture.
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Treatment
The treatment involved is mainly to reduce the pain and
inflammation. Resting is the easy way to help in recovery. The
general treatments given to a person suffering with tendonitis
involves the following:
Anti-inflammatory medications.
Cortisone injections.
Resting or immobilization.
Applying an ice pack.
Anti-inflammatory medications:
The main goal of these is to reduce pain and inflammation.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as
Motrin, Ibuprofen, Celebrex, Naprosyn etc are used to decrease
pain and swelling. Medicines with topical formula that contains
natural methanol will dilate the blood vessels along with
relieving the pain. This will reduce tendonitis but without
stiffening the tissues. Methyl Sulfonyl Methane, MSM is a
natural supplement which is popular in market these days is
found naturally in the human body and comes from rainfall. It
has got anti-inflammatory effects on the tissues. |
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Cortisone
injections: If the symptoms of the disease do not reduce
for longer periods then cortisone injections are the next option.
All The injection is also an anti-inflammatory medication but the
only difference is that it is not given through mouth but instead it
is injected directly to the place of inflammation. All kinds of
tendonitis cannot be treated with cortisone injections since they
are very caustic and can weaken the tendon structure creating more
scar tissue. It is important to loosen up the tissues to reduce
tendonitis but instead the scar tissue acts as glue that bonds the
tissue back together. It can be for six weeks to about a year. After
six months the condition becomes critical and difficult to treat.
Resting or immobilization:
Continuous movements or regular activities such as running etc must
be stopped when having tendonitis. It is important to give rest to
the tendons. This will help in healing tendonitis faster and
quicker.
Applying an ice pack: Applying
an ice pack is a common treatment used to reduce swelling in any
kind of an injury. It is an important feature in tendonitis
treatment. It helps in controlling the swelling and inflammation,
where in the tendon can perform its usual function. However, this
also has a disadvantage in the sense it will constrict the blood
vessels and further stiffens the tendon. The treatments should be
taken properly seeking a doctors advice and the course of the
treatment must be completed to get good result and relief.
Prevention
As every one of us know that prevention is better than cure, one
should take certain precautions in avoiding diseases like
tendonitis. To prevent tendonitis from returning back following are
few prevention methods given:
Protection of the tendons Protecting the tendons means people
suffering from certain tendonitis can protect the affected area
which gives them good relief. For example: Patients with patellar
tendonitis can wear wrist splints during certain activities such as
gardening etc.
Physical therapy Proper exercises can help in preventing
tendonitis by keeping the muscles and tendon in safe and efficient
manner. For example: Patients with rotator cuff tendonitis can
exercise their shoulder that will not cause any future
inflammations.
Taking breaks Taking breaks in between during any activities will
help in preventing inflammation of tendon. Any activity for that
matter should not be carried out for longer periods.
Avoiding repetitive motion and over use of extremity.
Keeping all muscles strong and flexible.
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Article Contributed By: Shilpa V
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