What is Tendinitis?

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Tendons are strong yet flexible fibrous bands that connect muscle to bone. When any muscle in the body contracts to move a bone, a tendon is responsible for transmitting to the bone the force of that contraction. If it helps to understand the mechanism, technically a tendon is a part of the muscle; the part that attaches to the bone.

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How does Tendinitis Happen?

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Overuse and repetitive motion can create excess friction in a tendon and cause pressure to build up, which leads to inflammation and irritation – otherwise known as tendonitis. This causes joint pain and difficulty moving that joint. The pain, obviously, is worsened during any activity that uses the affected joint. It also tends to be worse in the mornings and at night than during the day.

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Where does Tendinitis Happen?

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As with arthritis, there are many different types of tendinitis, in part relating to the particular tendon involved. Many of the tendinitis cases we see in this office are from achilles tendinitis, jumper’s knee, tennis elbow, rotator cuff tendinitis, supraspinatus tendinitis, iliotibial band tendinitis, and golfer’s elbow. The most common joints to develop tendinitis are the ankle, bicep, elbow, heel (achilles tendon), hip, leg, knee, shoulder, thumb, and wrist. But tendinitis can affect any joint.

Regardless of type, however, symptoms of tendinitis are fairly standard.

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Symptoms of Tendinitis Include:

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• swelling of the tendon

• tenderness over the area of the tendon

• pain when moving (or trying to move) the affected tendon and surrounding muscles

 

What does Tendinitis Feel Like?

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The pain associated with tendinitis can either appear suddenly and severely or come on slowly and gradually over time. Lastly sometimes tendinitis can cause a sensation of warmth or even burning in the affected joint area.

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What factors contribute to Tendinitis?

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Besides overuse and repetitive motion, other possible causes of tendinitis are degenerative causes and those classified as “age-related”, though these are still not fully understood. Nevertheless, it is known that tendons lose their elasticity and ease of movement as a person ages, resulting in people being more prone to tendinitis as they grow older. Other conditions, like arthritis, gout, and thyroid-related disorders, can also cause tendinitis.

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Risk Factors for Tendinitis Include:

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• Injury

• Stress

• Poor posture

• Any occupation or vocation involving repetitive motion (i.e. athletes, carpenters, gardeners, and musicians)

• Any abnormality in the bone or joint

 

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How is Tendinitis Diagnosed?

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As for diagnosing tendinitis, although x-rays are not able to show tendons, they can at least reveal the degree of swelling around the tendon. They are also helpful in ruling out fractures as the cause of the joint pain. MRI studies, on the other hand, are able to reveal tendonitis, but they are generally not needed unless the doctor suspects another problem is involved.

 

Tendinitis Complications

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If left untreated, tendinitis could become chronic and lead to a rupture (or tear) of the tendon, which would then require surgery. Even after surgery, permanent damage may not be avoided. So it’s best to get any symptoms you may have of tendinitis checked out as soon as they arise.

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Contact Synergy Chiropractic Winfield, today, to schedule an appointment!