Diagnosis. To diagnose tendinitis, a doctor will perform a physical examination and discuss the symptoms since tendons are soft tissues X-rays aren't usually helpful. A doctor may order an X-ray, however, if there might be a chance that another condition is causing the symptoms.
Doctors examine the affected area to look for swelling, redness, or warmth. They also feel for bumps beneath the skin, which may indicate swollen bursae. Doctors use their hands to gently move the affected part of the body to see if bursitis or tendinitis are limiting range of motion or causing pain.
Because bursitis and tendonitis pain may be felt near the joints, it is sometimes mistaken for arthritis. Knowing the differences between these conditions can help you identify and address the root cause of your joint pain to get you back to an active life.
Swelling or inflammation
Swelling and inflammation are also common tendonitis symptoms. Regardless of whether you suffer from tendonitis such as tennis or golfer's elbow, pitcher's or swimmer's shoulder, or jumper's knee, you may notice some swelling in and around the affected joint.
The tissue will fix itself quickly if the damage is slight or happens only sometimes. But pain can become constant if the damage happens often. Weekend athletes know that tendonitis is a common result of overdoing it, especially when the body is out of shape.
Rest: try to avoid moving the tendon for 2 to 3 days. Ice: put an ice pack (or try a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a tea towel on the tendon for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours. Support: wrap an elastic bandage around the area, use a tube bandage, or use a soft brace. You can buy these from pharmacies.
When you leave your tendonitis untreated, the affected tendon can weaken and become more prone to tears and possible rupture. A ruptured tendon requires surgical repair and can cause permanent disability in severe cases. Repeated bouts of tendonitis can result in a buildup of scar tissue in the affected area.
The pain is mild at first and then gradually worsens as the inflammation continues. In most cases, the pain occurs when you're active and feels better when you rest. But as tendonitis goes untreated and worsens, you may also experience pain when resting.
Understanding Bursitis
It usually occurs in the shoulder, elbow or hip, but it can also affect your knees and heels. While tendonitis causes pain during movement, bursitis can be painful even during rest. Bursitis is typically caused by repetitive joint movement.
Massage therapy not only eases the physical discomfort associated with tendonitis but also helps reduce emotional pain, helping to relax and calm the nervous system. This then stimulates the release of the so-called feel-good hormone.
Tendinitis may go away over time. If not, the doctor will recommend treatments to reduce pain and inflammation and preserve mobility. Severe symptoms may require specialized treatment from a rheumatologist, an orthopaedic surgeon or a physical therapist.
If you're experiencing any of the following symptoms, especially following trauma to the area during work, sports, or other physical activities, you may consider seeing a doctor for a potential tendonitis diagnosis: You find it painful to move or flex the area of the affected tendon.
Stage I of Tendinitis
There is pain only after participating in an activity. An example of this would be lateral elbow pain (tennis elbow) after a tennis match. At this stage there are no limitations in activities, but the person should make sure that they are stretching and icing the area after activity.
Heat may be more helpful for chronic tendon pain, often called tendinopathy or tendinosis. Heat can increase blood flow, which may help promote healing of the tendon. Heat also relaxes muscles, which can relieve pain.
The more severe the tendinopathy, the less likely stretching would help. In fact, stretching results in further compression of the tendon at the irritation point, which actually worsens the pain. For more information on exercises that help improve an insertional tendinopathy see our blog on Achilles Tendinopathy.
What causes tendonitis and tenosynovitis? The cause of tendonitis and tenosynovitis is often not known. They may be caused by strain, overuse, injury, or too much exercise. Tendonitis may also be related to a disease such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or infection.
A mild case of tendonitis takes about 2-3 weeks to heal on average while chronic tendonitis takes about 6 weeks to heal completely.
Voltaren Emulgel can be used for the relief of body pain, inflammation and swelling in: Soft-tissue injuries: trauma of the tendons, ligaments, muscles and joints, due to sprains, strains, bruises and backache (e.g. in sports injuries); Localised forms of soft tissue rheumatism including tendonitis and bursitis.
Water is needed in our body to help transfer oxygen throughout our body, especially to healing areas. Hydration is essential to healing any structure (bone, tendon, ligament, or skin) as it delivers the necessary nutrients to the injured area. Water is needed to help carry away waste from the injured structure as well.
Yes, walking can be an important part of your rehab and recovery from gluteal tendinopathy, but there are some factors to consider. If you overdo it, it can actually make things worse. In this article we'll look at how you should adapt your walking to aid your recovery.
Cortisone injections can be a quick and effective way to treat tendonitis or plantar fasciitis but it is not without its drawbacks. Steroid injections alleviate pain and inflammation in the short term but can soften cartilage in joints and rupture tendons with repeat injections.
Early exercise for an individual with tendonitis can make the condition worse.
Ice the area for 15 to 20 minutes every 4 to 6 hours — and put a towel or cloth between the ice pack and your skin. Heat may be more helpful for chronic tendon pain, often called tendinopathy or tendinosis. Heat can increase blood flow, which may help promote healing of the tendon.