Tendinitis

Tendinitis impacts people in all types of jobs, activities and hobbies that put excessive strain on their tendons. This painful condition can affect any tendon in the body, but it shows up most often in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and heels. Untreated tendinitis makes tendons more likely to break down or tear completely.

Regular activities and sports cause most tendinitis cases, which have led to familiar names like tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, pitcher's shoulder, swimmer's shoulder and runner's knee. Repetitive motion stands out as the biggest problem behind this condition. The good news is that most cases respond well to proper rest, physical therapy and pain-reducing medicine.

This article helps readers understand tendinitis's meaning, symptoms, treatment choices and prevention strategies. Anyone dealing with Achilles tendinitis, shoulder pain, or elbow discomfort will find everything they need to know about this common condition that affects many tendons in the body.

What is Tendinitis?

Tendons are thick fibrous cords that connect muscles to bones and help our bodies move smoothly. 

Tendinitis happens when tendons get swollen or inflamed due to injury or overuse. Our tendons lose elasticity as we age, which makes them more likely to get inflamed. The pain can develop anywhere tendons exist, but it mostly affects the elbow, heel, knee, shoulder, thumb, and wrist. Many patients also experience tendon degeneration (tendinosis) along with this inflammation.

Types of Tendinitis

People often name different types of tendinitis after sports or body parts where they occur:

• Tennis elbow: Pain on the outside of the elbow
• Golfer's elbow: Pain inside the elbow extending to the forearm
• Achilles tendinitis: Heel pain from inflammation of the thick tendon connecting the heel to the calf
• Rotator cuff tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendons in the shoulder joint - affecting movement
• Tendonitis hand: It includes:
  • Wrist tendonitis: Strained tendon in the wrist
  • De Quervain's tenosynovitis: Inflammation of the thumb tendons

Symptoms of Tendinitis

The main signs include: 

• Pain that gets worse with movement
• Tenderness along the affected tendon
• Stiffness in the morning. 
• Many people notice swelling around the joint, sometimes with heat or redness. 
• Some patients hear a grating or crackling sound when they move.

Causes of Tendinitis

• Repetitive movements or sudden, sharp motions usually cause tendinitis. 
• Activities like running, jumping, typing, or gardening can trigger this condition. 
• Bad posture, wrong technique during sports, or repeated strain at work might also lead to it.

Risk of Tendinitis

Many factors can increase your chance of getting tendinitis. These include:

• People over 40 have a higher risk because their tendons become less flexible. 
• Jobs that need repetitive motions, awkward positions, or reaching overhead raise the risk levels. 
• Medical conditions like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout make tendons more vulnerable.

Complications of tendinitis

Untreated tendinitis can cause chronic pain and long-term inflammation. The worst cases might lead to tendon rupture that needs surgery. Patients could also develop muscle weakness, limited motion range and adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder). Early treatment is vital to prevent serious problems. 

Diagnosis of Tendinitis

Doctors get into specific signs of tendinitis before suggesting the right treatments. 

• Your doctor identifies tendinitis in your joint through physical checks and medical history. They look at the area that hurts to check tenderness, swelling and how well you can move. 
• Imaging - Doctors might suggest the following imaging tests:
  • X-rays rule out arthritis 
  • MRIs show detailed views of swollen tendons.

Treatment of Tendinitis

Simple steps help most people with tendinitis:

• Rest & activity modification to avoid movements that hurt
• Ice packs on the affected area for 15-20 minutes multiple times daily
• Compression bandages to cut down swelling
• Over-the-counter pain relievers help with inflammation and pain
• Physical therapy: Light exercises and stretches can make you more flexible, build strength in the tendons, and ease pain. Therapists might also use ultrasound or other techniques to help the tendon heal faster.
• Corticosteroid shots: If the pain and swelling become severe, doctors might use steroid injections near the tendon to lower inflammation. They provide these to offer short-term relief.
• Surgical intervention: In rare cases, doctors recommend surgery if these basic treatments don't work. Doctors surgically remove and repair the injured tissue.

When to See a Doctor

Schedule an appointment if:

• Your symptoms last more than a few weeks despite home care. 
• You experience sudden, severe pain.
• You can't move your joint.
• You have a fever or notice significant redness and warmth around the joint.

Prevention

Your tendons need proper care. 

• Warm up before exercise and mix high-impact workouts with gentler ones. 
• Use correct form and slowly increase how hard you work out. 
• Regular breaks during repetitive tasks help reduce strain on your tendons.

Conclusion

Tendinitis troubles many people who do repetitive tasks or stay active. It often reduces strength and movement, though addressing it and adjusting habits leads to better outcomes. Rest, ice packs, therapy, and anti-inflammatory drugs help in most cases. Doctors consider injections or surgery when the condition gets worse. Simple habits like warming up, correct posture, and resting enough can protect tendons from harm. Quick treatment is a vital part of recovering from tendinitis. Conservative treatments work well for most patients, and they rarely need surgery.

FAQs

1. What is the difference between tendinitis and tendinosis?

Sudden heavy loads cause micro-tears in tendons that lead to inflammation, known as tendinitis. Tendinosis develops differently - tendons degenerate due to chronic overuse. Doctors now recognise that all but one of these conditions diagnosed as tendinitis are actually tendinosis. A patient's tendinitis usually heals within weeks, but tendinosis takes months of treatment.

2. How long does tendonitis last?

Most mild cases show improvement in 2-3 weeks. Acute tendinitis can resolve quickly in 2-3 days, while tendinosis needs 2-3 months to heal. The recovery extends to 4-6 weeks for chronic tendinitis and 3-6 months for tendinosis. The Achilles tendon's poor blood supply means it needs additional recovery time.

3. How does tendonitis feel?

Movement intensifies the pain. Patients notice tenderness and occasional swelling in the affected area. A grating sensation might occur during movement. The condition typically causes joint stiffness and limits mobility.

4. What to avoid with tendonitis?

Stay away from:

• Movements that cause pain repeatedly
• Activities involving heavy lifting and twisting
• Exercises that put stress on the affected tendons
• Extended stretching sessions for most tendon problems

5. Can dehydration cause tendonitis?

The answer is yes. A tendon's composition includes more than 75% water. The tendon's elasticity decreases with dehydration, which leads to irritation. Good hydration helps maintain the synovial fluid's viscosity and reduces friction between tendons and surrounding structures.

Dr. Praveen Agrawal

MBBS, D.Ortho
CARE CHL Hospitals, Indore

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