Tendonitis

What is Tendonitis?

Tendonitis happens when your tendons, the connective tissues between your muscles and bones get inflammed. This can result in pain and tenderness just outside a joint during movement. It can occur in any tendon but happens most commonly around the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and heels. 

Most tendonitis can be treated with rest, medications and physical therapy. 

What are the symptoms of Tendonitis?

Common symptoms of tendonitis include:

• Pain in a tendon and the surrounding area that worsens when you move
• Difficulty moving the joint 
• Stiff joints
• A grating or crackling sensation when you move the tendon 
• Swelling at the joint, often with skin discolouration

If you are experiencing sudden or severe pain, and it happened during an accident or activity, you may have torn a tendon. Do seek medical attention if your symptoms do not get better after a few days or if they get in the way of your daily activities. 

What causes Tendonitis?

Tendonitis could be caused by repeating the same movement time after time, such as through activities like running or throwing as it puts stress on the tendons and over time, could result in tendonitis. It could also be caused by sudden injuries. 

Certain chronic conditions may also cause tendonitis, such as:

• Diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Gout
• Osteoarthritis

What are the risk factors of Tendonitis?

Anyone could get tendonitis, however it is more common in those who perform repetitive actions. Such as:

• Sports such a tennis, golf or running
• Shoveling
• Painting
• Scrubbing

Other risk factors include:

• Poor posture 
• Medical conditions that may weaken your muscles
• Age. Your tendons become more prone to wear and tear as you get older. 

How do you prevent Tendonitis?

You can take the following steps to lower your chances of getting tendonitis:

• Avoid staying in the same position for too long, take breaks every 30 minutes.
• Practice proper posture and body positions for all activities, including lifting heavy objects.
• Avoid using one hand to carry heavy objects.
• Properly stretch and warm up before starting an activity.
• Wear properly sized equipments and shoes.
• Stop any activities if you feel pain.

How is Tendonitis diagnosed?

Imaging Test
Imaging tests such an X-ray or an MRI may be conducted to diagnose for tendonitis.