WHAT IS TENDINITIS?
I enjoy nothing more than getting to watch a college football game on Saturday morning. We are a football family through and through. Both of my boys played football growing up and so I am accustomed to the natural aches and pains that come with demanding sports. Sometimes though, athletes can think that they are suffering from natural soreness when in reality, it can be something much more serious: tendonitis. Tendonitis is an acute inflammation of a tendon due to overuse or inappropriate mechanical loading. It is perhaps the most common injury we see as therapists from sports or other recreation. Because it is so common, and because it often starts as minor discomfort, it is often a problem that patients can ignore for extended periods. If left untreated however, that acute inflammation can develop into chronic inflammation and degeneration of the tendon that can have permanent effects on your ability to participate in your active lifestyle. I had a patient last week with a story that illustrates both the harms of tendonitis, and the benefit that physical therapy can offer. She was an avid hiker and biker who had ceased both activities because of arthritis in her knees. She came to our clinic for treatment of her arthritis. When we performed an ultrasound on her knees, we found that it wasn’t arthritis, but tendonitis. Through dry needling, strength training, and some mechanical form work, we were able to get her back to her activities within a few months – all without surgery! At Superior Physical Therapy, we combine state of the art diagnostic services through ultrasound with the best trained physical therapists to properly identify, diagnose, and treat tendonitis to get you back to the activities that you love. Call and schedule an appointment with us today so that we can help you get feeling better faster! A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO , BART MCDONALD
Tendinitis 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, an athlete takes that repetitive behavior 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, and this could result in added wear and tear on the elbows and wrists, not to mention the shoulders. Every bone in the body is connected with muscular fibers called tendons. The tendons are flexible, allowing the body to move more freely by letting bones stretch apart or move in one direction or another. Tendinitis occurs when the tendons become inflamed. Swelling in the tendons can make movement painful and difficult. Typically, when pain is caused as a result of tendinitis, the pain is isolated at the noted 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. In fact, this is why tendinitis in the elbow is frequently referred to as tennis elbow, while Achilles tendinitis is sometimes referred to as runner’s ankles or runner’s heels.
TREATING TENDINITIS
The best treatment for tendinitis is time. Unfortunately, this is something that many people are unable to give to an injury. When tendinitis develops, the best thing to do is to use ice and to relax that part of the body. Taking a few days off of practice or away from your workout may be sufficient, but in other cases, this may require a few days in a wheelchair or on crutches, with the bulk of your weight off of the affected area. Working with a physical therapist can help you identify the best treatment methods for tendinitis. Your physical therapist can also help you identify the best range of motion and strength-building activities to reduce your likelihood of developing tendinitis. For more information about preventing or treating pain from tendinitis, contact us.
Sincerely,
Bart McDonald, PT, MPT, ECS, FMSK
ABPTS Board Certified Clinical Electrophysiologist
You can find relief from your tendinitis. Call Today or visit us at www.superiorphysicaltherapy.org We can help you live your life again, pain-free!
CEO Superior PT and Diagnostics
www.superiorphysicaltherapy.org
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