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When to Start Physical Therapy With Tendonitis

Tendons connect the muscles in the human body to bone and cartilage. Without them, people would not be able to move; they are like the ropes in the intricate lever and pulley operations of the musculoskelatal system. Sometimes tendons become inflamed, a condition known as tendonitis. When this happens, knowing when to start physical therapy is a key component of a successful recovery.

  1. Severity

    • Consider how severe the tendonitis is. If the tendonitis is not very bad, then you may be able to start a physical therapy regimen as soon as 2 weeks after experiencing the activity that caused the aggravation. If the tendonitis is bad, then you may need to wait as long as a month and a half. The more that you rest the tendon during this waiting period, the faster the tendon will heal and the sooner you can begin therapy.

    Pain Level

    • Wait to start physical therapy if you still have pain in the tendon that is severe, even if more than 2 weeks since the activity that aggravated the tendon have passed. This generally indicates that the tendon is still inflamed and that the tendon needs more rest in order to heal. As a general rule of thumb, give yourself at least a week after pain subsides before making the tendon work. If your tendon pain worsens as you exercise but you do not have pain otherwise, then this indicates that you are ready for therapy but that you need to not push the tendon quite so hard yet.

    Surgery

    • If your case of tendonitis is bad enough to warrant surgical treatment, then you will need to wait at least 6 weeks before even thinking about therapy, although minor use of the tendon may be permitted. Most tendon surgeries require at least 10 days of absolute rest of the tendon. If you try to do major activities with the tendon prior to this, the sutures may rupture and you will undo the effects of the surgery.

    Other Treatments

    • You may increase your odds of getting your tendon back in shape faster by using the RICE method of treatment and herbal remedies or medicines. The RICE method involves rest, ice, compression, and elevation, all of which reduce swelling and inflammation. Herbal remedies such as Arnica montana frequently are prescribed for tendon problems; over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications also may work. If you use these methods to reduce the amount of tendon healing time, still start out slow with your therapy. Don't take medications just to get through the pain and power into recovery. If pain returns, return to rest.

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