What is tendonitis?

Tendonitis is very often used interchangeably with tendinitis. Both terms have the same meaning. Tendonitis is an inflammation of a tendon which usually results in swelling, redness, and increase in temperature of the affected area. The affected tendon is usually painful during physical activity, very sensitive to touch and might feel stiff and achy in the morning. You might also experience reduced range of movement of a joint closest to the affected tendon.

What causes tendonitis?

There are few aspects which can contribute to the development of a tendonitis. It can be caused acutely if you make a sudden sharp movement or it may be a result of an overuse injury during repetitive physical activities such as throwing, running, cycling and swimming. Tendonitis can also be a by product of poor biomechanics and poorly fitted training gear.

How tendinopathy differs from tendonitis/tendinitis?

Tendinopathy is an umbrella term to describe everything that affects tendons, including tendonitis, tendon strains, degeneration of a tendon, inflammation of tendon sheath and more.

What treatment options are available for tendonitis?

The range of treatment varies from changing the sports gear to having some invasive alternatives such as corticosteroid injections. This usually is determined by the degree of tendonitis including factors such as symptom duration, intensity of pain, activity level and desirable outcome. Some of the most common approaches to treat tendonitis are below:

Non-invasive treatments

Exercise Therapy – eccentric loading appears to be one of the most effective exercises when it comes to treating tendonitis. Eccentric loading means muscle being contracted while lengthening, in other words, stretching under tension. This type of exercise can also be combined with static stretches, strengthening and foam rolling.

Massage – massage, particularly the friction, is another alternative therapy technique to treat tendonitis. Friction is a strong, deep pressure technique applied on the painful spot and held for several minutes with very minimal movement. It is usually quite uncomfortable and is used to break down adhesions and tender areas in the muscles and tendons.

Appliance treatments

Ultrasound – ultrasound therapy is one of the electrotherapy modalities which sends continuous sound waves into the affected area to enhance the healing of the tissue. It is most effective when works in conjunction with other types of treatments such as exercise therapy and massage.

Shock wave therapy – shock wave therapy is another electrotherapy modality to treat tendonitis. It is much stronger than the ultrasound, although, just like ultrasound, it sends sound vibrations into the tissue to promote the circulation and enhance proliferation, which refers to rapid reproduction of cells. There is a reasonable amount of evidence suggesting that shockwave therapy is an effective modality on its own.

Invasive treatment

Corticosteroid injection – is an invasive method when it comes to treating tendonitis. During the treatment, the therapist injects the affected area with the corticosteroid which helps to manage inflammation and pain. However,  experts recommend to employ exercise therapy as soon as you possible after the injection to help strengthen the tendon as number of injections are limited and having too many may weaken the area.

How long is the recovery process?

Unfortunately, we are unable to give you a straight forward answer because there are many variables. It depends on the duration of the tendonitis, severity of symptoms, frequency of irritation, treatment undertaken, activity levels and more. Generally, it may take anywhere between few weeks to several months.

Can I exercise if I have tendonitis?

In short, yes you can. However, physical activity that you want to undertake must be adjusted so that the tendonitis is not being irritated, otherwise it can make your symptoms worst and prolong the healing period.

Is tendonitis permanent?

You have a very high chance to treat your tendonitis successfully if you start looking after it as soon as you can. If you will allow it to linger, it might become chronic which can alter your biomechanics placing excessive strain on other structures such as muscles and joints.

We hope this information is useful for you. If you have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. If you like this blog, please share!

We are always happy to help.

References:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.621.506&rep=rep1&type=pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070010/pdf/12178_2010_Article_9067.pdf

The post Tendonitis/tendinitis/tendinopathy appeared first on Perea Clinic.

The Achilles tendon is a thick bundle of collagen that runs from the strong muscles of the calves down to the ankle bone. The Achilles tendon is long and thick and is made to work incredibly hard. Unfortunately, it has relatively poor blood supply and is therefore hard to keep supple. It can take a long time to repair if damaged.

If you start to feel pain or discomfort in this area, it is a signal that you simply mustn’t ignore. Achilles tendonitis, and other damage to the Achilles can signal the start a long lay off from training, and could significantly hamper performance in the future if not managed properly.

Here we give a quick overview of how to look after the Achilles, and suggest how to treat.

Managing the Achilles tendon

The best way to manage Achilles tendon pain is to do everything you can to minimise injury risk in the first place.

The Achilles takes a hefty load and needs time to adapt and recover when workloads are increased. The general rule of thumb for increasing workload (especially with runners) is no more than a 10% increase a week. As with so many injuries, Achilles problems are often down to overuse. Look to err on the side of caution when increasing mileage, speed or intensity in training.

Cross-training is an often over-looked part of a training regime. Runners in particular have a tendency to pound the pavement without recourse to different modes of training. If you are involved with a high impact sport, experiment with exercises that involve less impact on the Achilles such as cycling or swimming. Think of it as a period of active recovery!

The Achilles is vulnerable to impact on hard or slippery surfaces. Look to vary the types of surfaces you train on to take some of the shock out of the Achilles. Also ensure you wear clothing that allows the Achilles to stay warm. The restricted blood flow that was mentioned earlier means that the Achilles is in danger of rupturing or tearing if it gets to cool.

Investigate the full range of stretches for the Achilles. These should include passive and active stretches as well as dynamic stretching if necessary. Always remember to include a bent knee calf stretch as well as a traditional calf stretch.

Treatment for Achilles injuries

There are some elements of treating an Achilles injury that fit in to the normal recommendations. Rest is an absolute must and icing can be used in the early stages if there is excess swelling in the area.

However, due to the fact that the Achilles is such a thick mass of collagen, stretching (even gentle stretching) can actually hamper your recovery. This is because a damaged Achilles tendon does not return to its smooth state once the healing process takes place. Excessive stretching in the early stages can be like tugging on a knotted rope and may be counter-productive.

For this reason, I’d strongly recommend regular massage to loosen tightness in the calves and to help regain proper range of motion in the ankle.

And as an advance mode of recovery look into incorporating eccentric heel drops into your rehabilitation. These can be complicated to perform properly, so invest in some expert supervision to make sure you execute them properly.

We hope this information is useful for you. If you have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. If you like this blog, please share!

We are always happy to help.

The post Achilles Tendon Pain appeared first on Perea Clinic.