Content

• Steps
• Advice

Tendinitis is damage to a tendon, which is an extension of the muscle that attaches to the bone. Tendons move when muscles contract and bone movement, so tendinitis often occurs when too much work, such as repetitive work at work. In theory, tendons anywhere in the body can be inflamed, but the wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips and heels (Achilles tendons) are most common. Tendinitis causes a lot of pain and decreased mobility, but the tendinitis should go away gradually over a few weeks, especially with appropriate home care. In some cases tendinitis becomes chronic and requires medical intervention.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Simple treatment

1. 

   Stop using too much tendons / muscles. The tendon becomes inflamed when there is a sudden injury, but the most common cause of this disease is mainly due to repeated small actions over a long period of time, even weeks or months. The repetitive motion puts pressure on the tendons, which in turn causes minor tears and local inflammation. Identify which movement is causing the problem, then take a break temporarily (at least a few days) or find a way to change it a little. If the tendinitis is caused by work, you must talk to your manager to temporarily switch to another job. If the tendinitis is related to sports training, which indicates overtraining or improper maneuvering, you should seek advice from a personal trainer.
   • Tennis and golf are two sports that easily cause elbow tendinitis, so in English, the terms "tennis elbow" (elbow pain when playing tennis) and "golfer's elbow" (elbow pain when playing hockey).
   • Acute tendinitis usually heals on its own after a period of rest, and if you don't rest the disease will become chronic and difficult to treat.

2. 

   
   
   Apply ice to the affected area. The pain symptom of this disease is mainly caused by inflammation, which is the body's response to healing damaged tissue. However, the inflammatory response is often overreacting and actually contributes to the problem, so controlling inflammation is key to pain relief. Apply an ice pack, gel pack or frozen fruit to the affected tendon to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Apply cold compresses once every few hours until the pain and inflammation is gone.
   • If inflammation occurs in a small, protruding muscle / tendon (such as in the wrist and elbow), apply for 10 minutes. For muscles / tendons that are wide or deep inside (such as the shoulders and hips), the application time is almost 20 minutes.
   • While applying the compress, lift and tighten the area with a bandage - both methods can help treat inflammation very effectively.
   • Be sure to wrap the ice pack with a thin cloth before applying it to avoid getting cold.

3. 

   
   
   Take anti-inflammatory medication. Another way to treat tendinitis is to use a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Mofen-400) and naproxen (Naproxen 275mg) can control inflammation, pain, and swelling. NSAIDs have a negative effect on the stomach (both liver and kidney but to a lesser extent), so it's best not to take it for longer than two weeks for any injuries.
   • Consider using an anti-inflammatory / pain reliever cream or gel, especially if the tendon is close to the surface of the skin to facilitate absorption.
   • Avoid pain relievers (acetaminophen) or muscle relaxants (cyclobenzaprine) because they do not resolve the inflammation.
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Part 2 of 3: Relative treatment

1. 

   
   
   Gently stretch the inflamed tendon. Mild to moderate tendinitis and muscle tension often respond well to stretching because it reduces muscle tension, increases blood circulation, improves flexibility and range of motion. Muscle stretching should be applied to acute tendinitis (if pain and inflammation are not severe) and chronic tendinitis, this is also a preventive measure for this injury. While stretching, work slowly but steadily, hold the position for 20-30 seconds, repeat three to five times a day, especially before and after doing a lot of activity.
   • For chronic tendinitis or to prevent injury, apply a hot, wet washcloth to the inflamed area before stretching, so that the muscles / tendons are warmed up and become more flexible.
   • Remember, tendinitis usually causes more pain at night and after exercise.

2. 

   Wear a support brace. If tendinitis occurs in your knee, elbow or wrist, consider wearing a neoprene rubber wristband or nylon / Velcro brace to protect and limit movement there. Wearing a brace can also help remind you of moderate activity during work and exercise.
   • However, you cannot completely immobilize the injury as the nearby tendons, muscles and joints need a little movement to ensure blood circulation for the healing process.
   • In addition to wearing braces, you should consider how things are designed at work to make sure they match your physique and body size. If necessary, adjust your seat, keyboard and desktop computer to remove the pressure on your joints and tendons.
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Part 3 of 3: Professional treatment

1. 

   Go to doctor. If the tendinitis does not go away or does not respond well to rest and self-care, you need to go to the hospital for a visit. Your doctor will evaluate the severity of tendinitis, sometimes he or she will use diagnostic devices like an ultrasound or MRI, and then give you advice. If the tendon falls off your bone, your doctor may refer you to an orthopedic surgeon for corrective surgery. For less severe cases, rehab and / or steroid injections are often preferable.
   • Surgery to treat severe tendinitis is done with arthroscopy, which means a camera and small instruments are inserted through a short cut near the joint.
   • For chronic tendinitis, the centralized callus aspiration technique (FAST) is a less invasive procedure that removes scar tissue from the tendons without affecting healthy tissue.

2. 

   Rehabilitation. If you have chronic but not very severe tendinitis, your doctor will often ask you to rehabilitate, that is, physical therapy. A physiotherapist will offer several stretches and strength training exercises for the inflamed tendons and surrounding muscle systems. For example, muscle building with stretching is a technique that requires muscle / tendon contraction during the period it stretches - effective in the treatment of chronic tendinitis. For chronic tendinitis to improve you physical therapy must be practiced two to three times per week for four to eight weeks.
   • A physical therapist can also treat tendinitis with either ultrasound therapy or micro current generation technology, both of which are effective in treating inflammation and enhancing injury recovery.
   • Some therapists (and other medical professionals) use low-energy light waves (infrared rays) to reduce inflammation and pain in mild to moderate musculoskeletal injuries.

3. 

   Steroid injections. If the doctor feels it is necessary they will administer the steroid injection either directly or near the inflamed tendon. Steroids like cortisone are very effective at treating temporary inflammation, so they can eliminate pain and restore mobility (at least in the short term), but there are some risks to look out for. In very rare cases, injections of corticosteroids can weaken muscle damage and cause muscle tear. Therefore, corticosteroids are not recommended to be injected repeatedly for the treatment of tendinitis lasting more than three months, as it increases the risk of tendon tearing.
   • Steroid injections can provide temporary pain relief, but long-term success is unlikely.
   • In addition to its tendon weakening effect, other steroid-related side effects include infection, local muscle atrophy, nerve damage, and decreased immune function.
   • If the steroid injection still does not cure the tendinitis, especially while also practicing physical therapy in parallel, you must consider the possibility of surgery.

4. 

   Consult your doctor about PRP (platelet-rich plasma) technology. PRP technology is relatively new and is still under study, under which they will take blood samples and centrifuge vortex to separate platelets and other restorative factors from red blood cells. The plasma mixture is then injected into the chronic inflammatory tendon, which reduces inflammation and enhances cellular tissue recovery.
   • If successful, the PRP technology is a much better alternative to corticosteroid injections because it does not cause side effects.
   • As with any invasive procedure, there is always a risk of infection, heavy bleeding and / or accumulation of scar tissue.
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Advice

• Preventing tendinitis is always easier than treating it, so you should limit your use of any muscle area when you first get used to it.
• Quit smoking because it adversely affects blood circulation, causing a lack of oxygen and nutrients to supply muscles, tendons and many other tissues.
• If one exercise / activity hurts muscles or tendons, try something else instead. Exercise interwoven with different activities to help prevent tendinitis caused by repetition.