Tendons are strong and 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.
What cause Tendonitis?
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.
Besides overuse and repetitive motion, other possible causes of tendonitis 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 tendonitis as they grow older. Other conditions, like arthritis, gout, and thyroid-related disorders, can also cause tendonitis.
Where does Tendonitis Happen?
As with arthritis, there are many different types of tendonitis, in part relating to the particular tendon involved. Many of the tendonitis cases we see in this office are from achilles tendonitis, jumper’s knee, tennis elbow, rotator cuff tendonitis, supraspinatus tendonitis, iliotibial band tendonitis, and golfer’s elbow. The most common joints to develop tendonitis are the ankle, bicep, elbow, heel (achilles tendon), hip, leg, knee, shoulder, thumb, and wrist.
Symptoms of Tendonitis
Swelling of the tendon, tenderness over the area of the tendon, pain when moving the affected tendon and surrounding muscles 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.
CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENT
Manipulation allows joints to restore normal motion, which will leads to reduce pain and swelling on tendon.
SOFT TISSUE THERAPY
Soft tissue therapy is another common technique used when treating tendonitis. Treatment includes ultrasound, laser therapy, cold compress, stretching and massage therapy. These types of treatments help to reduce fluid, decrease scar tissue and provide relief for tendonitis.
ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES
The chiropractor also use cold treatments, electrical stimulation and ultrasound applied to the affected tendon. These therapies help greatly to increase circulation to the tendon and also prevent swelling and scarring of the tendon. The goal is to reduce pain and prevent further injury recurrences.