If you’re dealing with pain in your limbs or joints after intense physical activity, there’s a very good chance you have tendonitis. Even if you’re not intensely active, basic things you do every day can require repetitive motions that lead to pain. These regular activities range from cleaning the house to having bad posture while you’re sitting at the computer.
If your doctor diagnoses a condition with names like tennis elbow, swimmer’s shoulder, jumper’s knee, or pitcher’s shoulder, they’re describing some type of tendonitis.
Dealing with tendonitis can be frustrating, but it’s very treatable. If you live in the Hagerstown, Maryland area and need treatment, Dr. Chris Clark at Premier Spine and Sports Medicine has years of experience helping patients with rehabilitation from many injuries like tendonitis.
Understanding tendonitis
The tendons in your body are dense fibers that attach muscle to bone, and they’re found in many places including your wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, and heels. Tendonitis is the inflammation that causes pain and tenderness in joints and other areas. It commonly comes from overuse of a body part, and while it can happen to people at any age, it becomes more common as you reach middle age.
Around the age of 40 and older, the tendons in your body start becoming less elastic and more prone to inflammation if overworked. Tendonitis is also a common condition for athletes, people that work out, and employees in jobs that require lots of physical labor.
Methods of prevention
Most forms of prevention boil down to reducing the activities that are causing your tendonitis, doing activities properly, or getting more rest from them when you experience pain. If you’re exercising, switch up exercises to focus on another body part. Low impact activities like swimming and biking can also help reduce tendonitis.
Taking precautions before an activity can make a world of difference. Stretching after exercise or bracing yourself by lifting properly (with your legs, not your back) can help ease the burden on your tendons. If you work at a desk, having an ergonomic setup can help a great deal. This means having your chair, monitor, desk, and keyboard set up to match your height and improve your posture.
Regardless of what causes your discomfort, the moment it happens, take a break from that activity and work on relieving the pain. Most methods of prevention should be used before and after dealing with tendonitis.
Methods of treatment
There are various treatment options to reduce your pain and inflammation. Mild tendonitis can be treated with ice, over-the-counter pain relievers (analgesics), and rest. All of these are ways to start working immediately to reduce symptoms, and you can do them at home.
If these methods aren’t enough, physical therapy can help work and strengthen the muscles where the tendons are located. Techniques like eccentric strengthening (which focuses on muscle contraction as it lengthens) is a common and effective way of treating chronic tendonitis.
Other medical treatments are available, such as corticosteroids, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and surgery if you’re dealing with things like a ruptured tendon or if the tendon has ripped from the bone.
So, if you have tendonitis, there are plenty of options available. If you’re ready to get better and find the solution that works for you, make an appointment with Dr. Clark and the team at Premier Spine and Sports Medicine by calling our office or booking an appointment online today.