What Are the Treatments for Tendonitus?

Tendinitis, which is an inflammation of a tendon, is a common problem that can be caused and/or aggravated by a number of factors. A frequent cause of pain, swelling, and restricted joint movement, tendinitis can be treated in a number of different ways.

Rest

• Rest is the most obvious treatment for tendinitis. Tendinitis usually results when a tendon is either hyper-extended or irritated by excessive or abnormal strain or exercise. Refraining from physical activities and movements that irritate or overly-tax the inflamed tendon is the preferred course of treatment for tendinitis, especially acute tendinitis that comes on suddenly as the result of some obvious insult to the affected tendon.

Cold/Heat

• Tendinitis normally produces significant swelling and irritation of the affected tendon(s). Therefore, an acceptable and recommended form of tendinitis treatment is the application of either cold or heat to the affected area in an effort to reduce both pain and swelling. Oftentimes a combination of both cold and heat treatment is used to treat tendinitis. Heat treatment helps to reduce soft tissue and tendon stiffness and promotes increased blood flow to the area, which speeds up the healing process. Cold treatment reduces swelling and pain levels. Combination therapy is a very effective tendinitis treatment.

Activity Restrictions

• Tendinitis generally responds well to a period of activity restriction, whereby a tendinitis sufferer avoids or lessens participation in activities that tend to aggravate and inflame the tendinitis. Many cases of tendinitis are caused by over-training or overusing a particular part of the body, especially the shoulder and the knee, and simply reducing or modifying normal training and activity patterns can go a long way towards healing or managing a case of tendinitis.

Injections

• Injection therapy is often times used for persistent and severe cases of tendinitis where the affected tendon is quite painful and/or inflamed. Injection therapy for tendinitis normally involves injecting a small amount of corticosteroid, normally cortisone, directly into the affected tendon. Cortisone is a powerful steroid that reduces both inflammation and pain and helps to speed up the body's natural healing process. In very difficult and persistent cases of tendinitis, repeat injections, which are normally done a few weeks apart, can be performed.

Weight Training

• Weight training can be useful for treating tendinitis in that it helps to strengthen the muscle and soft tissue attachments that function with and help to stabilize the affected tendon(s). A diligent weight training program also helps to strengthen tendon fibers and increase overall tendon flexibility, both of which create a healthier, more functional tendon that is less likely to become injured or irritated by various repetitive movements or stressors that oftentimes cause tendinitis. Weight training based on the use of lighter weights to gradually build tendon and muscle strength is the preferred course of weight training-based treatment for tendinitis.