Tendonitis traditionally has been classified as “inflammation of the tendon structure.” Tendinitis can develop on any tendon in the body but occurs more frequently in places like the elbow, knee, shoulder, and ankle.
There are two types of tendonitis:
Acute: Traced to a specific event, usually follows a strain event
Chronic: Insidious onset, usually from overuse and develops overtime
Tendonitis that has developed into a chronic condition can be renamed to tendinopathy since the inflammatory process only lasts a few days. This condition occurs when the volume of work exceeds the tendon's ability to recover. Our muscles receive much more blood flow than tendons which means the nutrient delivery lags, causing a slower repair time.
Treating Tendinopathy
The key to rehabbing these types of injuries is with appropriately modified stress through progressive loading of the structure. When tendinopathy is not addressed it can lead to tendon disrepair and degenerative tendinopathy in which resting will not help to heal the structure.
Some common signs and symptoms of Tendinopathy:
Achy
Point tenderness
Pain with initial movement and after
Stiffness
Final note on dealing with tendinopathy:
It's important to address tendinopathy early on to determine how it developed, remove aggravating factors, and properly load the structure to promote repair and healing. Resting does not work at this stage due to the replacement of collagen tissue and formation of scar tissue where the tensile loading is affected. This is why after a rest period it may seem better but once activity resumes the injury “flares up” again.
Speak with one of our Physical Therapists today and discuss how we can address your tendinitis.