Tendonitis

Tendonitis – Inflamed & Painful Tendon

Tendonitis is referred to inflamed and painful tendons. Tendons are flexible, tough, fibrous bands of tissue which connect muscles to the bones and when they get inflamed, irritated or suffer microscopic tear it is called tendonitis.

These tendons can be small like tiny, delicate bands in the hands or large heavy rope like cords in the calf or thigh muscles. They are helpful in moving the bones and joints when the muscles contract. Some of the tendons are covered by a protective sheath which is lined with a kind of membrane containing synovial fluid that helps the tendon in easy movements and reduces friction.

The pain in the tendons could be due to small tears in the surrounding tissue or it could be the gradual deterioration of tendon where it is connected to the bone and this form of tendon pain is called tendinopathy which could affect tendons in the elbow, shoulder, wrist, thigh, knee or the back of the heel and is rarely caused by infection like gonorrhoea though it could also affect other areas of the body.

Tendon Injury

It is caused due to a tendon injury while taking part in sports which could involve throwing or the use of racquet in the case of tennis, or the overuse or straining of a tendon such as using a computer mouse causing tendonitis in the wrist due to repetitive strain injury – RSI.

Inflammation of the sheath which surrounds the tendon – Tenosynovitis, can at times be associated with rheumatoid arthritis. A tendon which tends to be painful may get better after some days if the affected area is given rest from all activities which could cause the symptoms. Application of ice pack wrapped in a towel to the affected area together with painkiller could give some relief to the tendonitis.

In persistent cases of tendonitis, physiotherapy, injections or shock wave therapy may also be suggested while in other cases, a surgery may be recommended in order to treat the tendon pain which has not shown any signs of relief after treatment.

Restricted Movement/Swelling/Redness/Tenderness

Tendonitis that causes pain in the tissues surrounding a joint when the joint has been put to a lot of strain, may feel weak and the area could be red, warm to the touch and swollen while tendonitis caused by an infection like gonorrhoea, could have other symptoms like rash and fever.

A consultation with the physician will help to diagnose and treat the ailment wherein at the time of physical examination; the physician could look for swelling, redness, tenderness, muscle weakness or limited motion in the affected tendon and may ask the person to move in some specific ways to figure out which tendon could be affected.

In some cases, a blood test may be needed to check for causes of inflammation around the joins like gout or rheumatoid arthritis while x-rays may also be taken to confirm if there is a dislocation, fracture of any bone disease. In other cases like Achilles tendonitis, or the back of the heel, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging – MRI scans could also be used to identify the extent of tendon damage.