The human body has around 4000 tendons. Tendons are thick bands of connective tissue that attach your bones to your muscles. When you contract a muscle, the tendon moves the bone. Tendons, by design, do not stretch much in order to protect the muscle.
Tendonitis occurs when you have tiny tears in the tendons. This may happen with overuse of the muscle or through an injury. Torn tendons will become inflamed and irritated resulting in pain that can last for weeks, or even months. Tendonitis is described as a dull achy pain at the site that intensifies when moving. There may be associated tenderness and mild swelling.
Where does Tendonitis Occur Most Often?
Tendonitis can develop anywhere a tendon attaches to the bone but the most common
places are:
elbow
shoulder/neck
Achilles heel/calf
thumb
hip
What are the Causes of Tendonitis?
Tendonitis is caused by overuse or stress on the tendons. Since many sports require repetition of the same muscles, tendonitis is common in athletes but you do not have to be an athlete to suffer from tendonitis. It can occur from gardening, painting, shovelling, cleaning the house, raking and many more common routines.
We know that sports and work that have repetitive motions are causes of tendonitis but there are other factors that may make a person more susceptible. Some other risk factors include:
poor posture
rheumatoid arthritis/gout
blood or kidney disease
age - those 40 years and older are at risk because tendons have less elasticity, tolerate less stress and tear more easily
Treatment
With severe and chronic tendonitis, Cortisone injections, a steroid to reduce inflammation may be necessary but it is important to investigate other less invasive options.
When pain begins rest and stop doing the activity that is causing the pain. You can use ice for 10 minutes or less once a day. You can also add some heat in the form of a heating pad following the ice to get the blood circulating. An over the counter pain reliever will decrease the inflammation and lessen the intensity of the pain. It's important to note that pain medication is meant to be used for a short duration to handle acute pain and should not be taken for longer periods. It will lose its effectiveness and may cause stomach irritation and other side effects.
Why Muscular Therapy is a Good Treatment Option
Tendonitis is caused by tight and damaged connective tissue. Using myofascial release, tension on the tendon is relieved and will break up scar tissue that may have formed. Any bound muscles can also be manually separated. With stimulation, blood flow and circulation will increase to aid in healing. This will result in decreased inflammation and increased range of motion in the joint.
The Takeaway
It is important to identify and understand which repetitive activity is causing the tendonitis. You may be able to learn better mechanics to lessen the tension put on the joint.
For competitive athletes bodywork and Muscular Therapy should be part of the overall conditioning regimen. Smooth moving muscles and tendons create better mechanics. Athletes with bound muscles and tissues tend to compensate by using adjacent muscles that do not function with proper mechanics. This imbalance can lead to injury. With regular bodywork, muscles can remain free of adhesions and tendons loose to prevent possible injury.
Proper diet, regular exercise and healthy tissue keep us in our best form. The better condition your connective tissue is in, the healthier and stronger you are and the more resistant you are to injury.