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Other Names: Tennis Elbow, Golfer's Elbow, Pitcher's Shoulder, Swimmer's Shoulder, Jumper's Knee Tendinitis
On this page:
Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of a
tendon. A tendon is a thick fibrous cord that attaches muscles to bone.
This condition is characterized by pain and tenderness just outside
a joint. The joints most commonly involved are your
shoulders, elbows and knees and less commonly your hips and wrist joints.
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Depending on the location, tendinitis can be:
- Elbow joint - Tennis elbow.
- Heel - Achilles tendinitis.
- Groin - Adductor tendinitis.
- Area just below your kneecap - Patellar tendinitis.
- Shoulder - Biceps tendinitis.
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- Normal and gradual wear and tear associated with aging
- Direct injury during work or play
- Inflammatory diseases like Rheumatoid arthritis.
- An infection within the tendon sheath
- Excessive repetitive motions of your
arms or legs.
- Improper technique in any sport
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- Pain - Tendinitis in various locations in your body produces these specific
types of pain:
- Tennis elbow - pain on the outer
side of your forearm near your elbow when you rotate your forearm or
grip
an object.
- Achilles tendinitis - just above
your heel.
- Adductor tendinitis - in your
groin.
- Patellar tendinitis - just below your kneecap
- Biceps tendinitis - shoulder pain.
- Trigger finger - scarring and narrowing of the tissue covering that
surrounds the tendon, causing it to lock
in one position.
- Tenderness
- Stiffness
All these symptoms are
aggravated by movement and physical activity.
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Tendinitis may become chronic or long-term and
can lead to the rupture of a tendon. Tendinitis can also cause permanent damage
to the tissue that makes
up your tendons.
Sometimes the discomfort of tendinitis disappears within a matter of weeks,
especially if you rest the involved joint. In elderly people and those who continue
to use the affected area, tendinitis often heals more slowly and is more likely
to progress to a chronic condition termed tendonosis. This condition often involves
a change in the structure of the tendon to a weaker, more fibrous tissue.
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- Medications
- Steroid (cortisone) injections into the tissue around
a tendon. This may
reduce inflammation and help ease the pain. However, repeated injections
may weaken a tendon , increasing the risk of rupture.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) like aspirin, tylenol
or ibuprofen help relieve the discomfort, pain and inflammation.
- General Remedies
- Immobilize the affected area either by a splint, cast, elastic
wraps, slings, crutches or canes to encourage
healing and to protect it from further injury.
- After a few days of completely
resting the injured area, gently move it through its full range of
motion four times a day to maintain
joint flexibility.
- Get adequate rest and avoid activities that increase
the pain or swelling. Continue doing activities and exercises like swimming
and water exercises that do not stress the inflamed tendon.
- Apply ice packs to decrease pain, muscle spasm and
swelling. For an ice massage, freeze a Styrofoam cup full of water
so that you can
hold the cup while applying the ice directly to the skin.
- Compress the area with a wrap or elastic bandage (Ace bandage) until
the swelling disappears.
- Raise the affected limb above the level of your
heart to reduce swelling especially at night.
- Strengthening exercises to strengthen the force-absorbing capability of the muscle-tendon unit.
- Surgery or a reconstructive
operation is performed to clean inflamed tissue from the tendon
covering or to relieve
pressure on the tendon by removing bone. Tears in the
tendon can be repaired to reduce pain, restore function and prevent rupture
of the tendon.
- Prevention
- Avoid activities that stress your tendons excessively,
especially for prolonged periods. If you notice pain during a particular
exercise, stop and rest. Do low impact exercises such as biking or swimming
until the pain and discomfort get relieved completely. Get instructions
from a professional trainer before starting a new sport or using a new
exercise equipment
- Before you exercise, take time
to stretch first; warm up before exercising and to cool down
afterwards .
- Use proper workplace ergonomics. At your workplace,
get a proper ergonomic assessment. Fitting your workspace to your
body
is essential to ensure that no tendons are continually stressed
or overloaded.
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