WHAT IS TENDINITIS?
Tendinitis (also referred to more recently as tendonopathy) is a common issue among athletes because it develops as a result of overuse. While the average person may engage in standard physical tasks such as walking or typing for a good portion of the day, an athlete takes repetitive movements to a new level. Consider a tennis player, for example. In addition to running and jumping, a skilled tennis player will spend hours every week swinging the racket, working on their serve and forehand and backhand strokes, and this could result in added stress on the elbows and wrists, not to mention the shoulders. Every bone in the body is connected to muscle by way of tendons. Tendons are flexible and allow the body to move more freely by letting bones move towards or away from one another; they also play a substantial role in shock absorption and controlling functional movement. Tendinitis occurs when a tendon becomes inflamed acutely. Swelling around the tendon can make movement painful and difficult. Typically, when pain is caused as a result of tendinitis, the pain is isolated at those specific areas of the body. This means that a tennis player may experience tendinitis in the elbow or shoulder, whereas a runner may be more likely to experience it in the Achilles tendon or the front of the knee. Tendonopathy occurs when there is no acute inflammation or swelling of a tendon, but a chronic pain felt in the tendon that is associated with movement of the
associated joint. There is often still some point tenderness along the length of the tendon, and you may notice increased tightness, spasm or trigger points in the muscle above the tendon that’s involved. It will often be stiff and painful upon waking first thing in the morning, improve some with movement as you get your day started, and then worsen with prolonged movement or repetitive motions later in the day. Treating tendon issues The best treatment for tendon issues is time and progressive loading. Unfortunately, this is something that many people are unable or reluctant to give to an injury. When tendon issues develop, the best thing to do is try to provide relative rest to the area, temporarily reducing the repetitive loads that have triggered the pain in the first place. Taking a few days off of practice or away from your workout may be sufficient, but in other cases, this may require several weeks of reduced weight-bearing to calm the tendon down, followed by a progressive strengthening program to improve tendon function and its ability to attenuate forces during all of your activities. Working with a physical therapist can help you identify the best treatment methods for your individual tendon issue. Your physical therapist can also help you identify the best preventative exercises and activities to reduce your likelihood of developing tendon issues.
THE BEST PART ABOUT 2020 ... It’s Almost Over! Your cost of physical therapy could be minimal or completely covered by your insurance plan from now until the end of the year! If you are a patient with a family plan, have had major surgery or have a chronic illness, you are especially likely to have a $0 balance remaining on your out-of-pocket expenses. This means that the cost of physical therapy could be minimal or completely covered by your insurance plan. Close to having met your insurance deductible for the year? Now is the time to come in for
Physical Therapy! Are you feeling aches & pains? Need to work on your core? Lets get ready to say goodbye to 2020 and get a head start for 2021! Contact us today to schedule your appointment.
Call Today! LAKE CITY (843) 374-0185 FLORENCE (843) 407-0377
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online