Tendinitis

Tendinitis is elbow strain – “inflammation or irritation of a tendon”, in medical parlance. It doesn’t just manifest itself in the elbow. It can arise in the shoulder, in the knee, in the Achilles Tendon, in fact anywhere where there is a tendon.
Exactly where it will arise is largely dependent on the type of exercise carried out in one’s daily life. Tendinitis might flare up with a dancer in the ankles while for a swimmer, the shoulder would be a more likely part of the body to suffer from it.

Symptoms

Different symptoms can warn a person of the onset of Tendinitis. They might feel a general ache, or they might feel a certain stiffness in the joints or might experience a swelling, possibly with a sensation of heat. In some cases, the area around the affected joint may appear visibly knotty. In this situation pain is usually worse during exercise or just after. Stiffness tends to set in the following day.
Tendinitis usually clears up in a few months. However, it can develop into chronic Tendinitis. This is called Tendinosis.
Many people report the onset of Tendinitis at stressful times in their lives and it is quite possible that in many instances the condition is stress-related.

Treatments

Usually tendinitis can be treated by over-the-counter pain relief, rest, and ice but sometimes your doctor may give you stronger pain killer or recommend other procedures to reduce pain caused by tendinitis.

Medication

Over-the-counter medication and topical anti-inflammatory creams can help to relieve pain. Aspirin, naproxen sodium (Aleve) and Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) are examples of some over-the-counter pain reliever that could help with your tendinitis.
Your doctor may recommend a corticosteroid injection in the tendon to relieve tendinitis symptoms. This can reduce the inflammation and reduces pain.
You might be recommended for Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment which is when a sample of your blood is taken and then spun out to separate the platelets and other healing parts. This is then injected into the area of tendinitis.

Physical Therapy

A physical therapist will design several exercises for you to do in order to stretch and strengthen the affected muscles and tendons. One such exercise is eccentric strengthening which is the contraction of a muscle while it’s lengthening.

Surgical and Other Procedures

If physical therapy or medication hasn’t help with your tendinitis then your doctor may suggest another kind of procedure to help.

Surgery — surgical repair may be necessary if you suffer from severe tendinitis. This surgery consists of the surgeon making one or two small incision on the skin over the affected area. They will then sew the torn or damaged tendons back together. You will then have a splint for the affect area to allow the tendon to heal by immobilizing it.
Ultrasonic treatment — this procedure inserts a small device through a small incision that removes the tendon scar tissue with ultrasonic sound waves.
Dry needling — this procedure using fine needles to make small holes in the tendon in order to stimulate the healing process.

Things to do at Home

While are home you can help with your tendinitis pain and symptoms by following the steps of RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevations), along with medication to speed up the healing process.

Rest — rest is essential to healing but doesn’t mean you’re totally inactive. You can sill do activities as long as they don’t stress the injured tendon such as gentle swimming.
Ice — applying ice to the affected area can reduce pain, muscle spasm and swelling. Place an ice pack for twenty minutes several times a day. Ice massages or slush baths can help as well.
Compression — wraps or compressive elastic bandages can help with swelling and loss of motion.
Elevation — raise your legs above the level of your heart to reduce swelling.

Related Forums

Related Videos