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Additional Information
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What is a tendon?
A Tendon is a thick fibrous cord that attaches muscle to
bone.
TENDINITIS: inflammation or
irritation of a tendon or the tendon sheath (covering for
the tendon)
Causes:
- Overuse
- Aging (tendon loses elasticity)
- Poor technique in sports
- Repetitive movement (repeated trauma)
- Falling, lifting, or carrying heavy objects
Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis or 'tennis
elbow') - Aching pain over the lateral side (outside) of
the elbow after activity ceases. Later stages will produce
sharp pain during activity and during simple activities such
as lifting a coffee mug or carrying a heavy book. Point tenderness
over the lateral side of the
elbow (lateral epicondyle). Pain increases with active wrist
extension, supination, and radial deviation of the wrist.
Prevention
- If there is pain with one exercise, rest.
- If one exercise or activity causes you particular pain,
persistent pain, try a different exercise.
- Stretching before exercise is important.
- Proper ergonomics (fitting work space to body).
- Warm-up before exercise and cool down after exercise.
- Strengthening exercises.
Complications
- 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 a tendon.
- Although rest is a key part to treating tendinitis, prolonged
inactivity can cause stiffness or even cause joints to
freeze up (frozen shoulder).
At Home Treatment = PRICE
- Protection: immobilize the affected area to encourage
healing and to protect it from further injury. You may
need to use elastic wraps, slings, splints, crutches or
canes
- Rest: avoid activities that increase the pain or swelling.
Rest is essential to tissue healing but it doesn't mean
complete bed rest
- Ice: to decrease pain, muscle spasm and swelling, apply
ice to the injured area. Ice packs, ice massage or slush
baths can help
- Compression: because swelling can result in loss of motion
in an injured joint, compress the area until swelling has
ceased. Wraps or compressive (Ace) bandages are best
Treatment
- The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and reduce inflammation
- Pain relievers (anti-inflammatory medications) or steroid
injections
- Massage
- Strengthening exercises to improve tendon use
- Ultrasound and/or electrical stimulation for pain control
- Cryotherapy (using cold treatments such as ice)
- Surgery- this is used only for severe tendinitis
that is not healing from other treatment
To read more about tendinitis from NASA, please click here: http://rehabworks.ksc.nasa.gov/education/pamphlets/tendinitis.pdf
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