Tendonitis

As you age, your tendons naturally lose some flexibility. As a result, they can become injured and inflamed more easily.

Some medications, such as statins and aromatase inhibitors, can increase the risk of tendon damage.

Tendinitis is more common in people, such as gardeners and manual laborers, whose jobs involve repeated motions, awkward positions, frequent overhead reaching, vibration and forced movements.

Sudden increase in training intensity, repetitive motions (such as pitching), insufficient recovery time after an injury or poor athletic form can increase the risk of tendonitis.

To treat tendinitis at home, follow the R.I.C.E. method: rest, ice, compression and elevation. These steps can help reduce pain, speed recovery and prevent further issues.

• Rest: Take a break from activities that make the pain or swelling worse. Don’t push through the pain—your body needs time to heal. You can still do low-impact activities that don’t strain the injured tendon, like swimming or water exercises.
• Ice: Apply ice to the affected area for up to 20 minutes several times a day to reduce pain, swelling and muscle spasms. You can use an ice pack, try ice massage, or make a slush bath with ice and water. For ice massage, freeze a paper cup of water and rub the ice directly on the skin.
• Compression: Wrap the injured area with an elastic bandage or wrap to reduce swelling and prevent stiffness. Be sure to wrap it snugly, but not too tightly.
• Elevation: If the injury is in your lower extremity, raise your leg above the level of your heart to help reduce swelling.

While rest is important for healing, keeping your joint completely still for too long can lead to stiffness. After a few days, gently stretch and move the joint through its full range of motion to keep it flexible.

While you rest the tendon and use heat or ice to treat pain and swelling, you can also manage symptoms with medication.

• Corticosteroid injections: Only available at a medical facility with a medical provider’s prescription, these injections can reduce tendon pain and inflammation.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, can help with pain and swelling related to inflammation.

You may also benefit from physical therapy. Physical therapists can show you stretches and exercises to reduce inflammation, improve range of motion and boost strength. They can also help you understand how to reduce the risk of tendonitis in the future.

Rarely, some cases of tendonitis don’t respond to conservative treatments, leaving surgery as the best option to fix the problem. Your provider can help you decide whether surgery makes sense for you based on how you’ve fared with other treatments and the goals you want to achieve.

Tendonitis surgeries vary according to the affected tendon and the severity of the condition. Common tendonitis surgeries include:

• Debridement: The surgeon removes damaged areas of the tendon and reattaches the healthy portions.
• Tendon repair: If the tendon is torn, the surgeon will sew the damaged parts back together. If you’ve experienced a severe injury, the surgeon may use an artificial tendon or a piece of tendon from elsewhere in your body to repair the damage.