Tendonitis Symptoms

Tendonitis Symptoms and Treatment

Tendons are the tough fibrous tissue that attaches your muscle to the bone and if you have ever suffered from tendonitis you know, the pain can be mildly irritating or even severe. Many things can contribute to the severity of tendonitis symptoms. The amount of strain the tendon receives, unconscious actions on the part of the suffer and even your hydration levels can all affect the amount of pain you will experience. For those who are unsure of whether or not the pain you are feeling is indeed tendonitis symptoms below are a few of the tell tale signs.

Restricted Movement

You may find that a particular area of the body is difficult to move, for instance if you have tendonitis in your bicep you may not be able to bend you arm fully. Alternatively, in the case of shoulder tendonitis you may not be able to extend your arm over your head.

Pain during Movement

In the initial stages of tendonitis symptoms pain may only occur when the tendon is under pressure, or in use. Any type of repetitive motion can put the tendon under pressure, things such as golf, tennis, lifting weights or any other type of manual activity.

Pain

As tendonitis progresses you may find the affected area is painful more consistently, even when not in use. The area might become slightly swollen and even painful to the touch.

Burning Sensations

Some people have reported a burning sensation around the affected area. Most of the time this type of pain is only felt after strenuous activity or late at night. It is best to rest the area as much as possible to prevent these and other painful tendonitis symptoms.

Other Considerations

It is important to note that tendonitis symptoms closely match symptoms of other disorders. Bursitis, arthritis and even carpal tunnel syndrome. If you notice increased tenderness or pain in a specific area especially after repetitive use, you should see your doctor to determine the cause.

Treatment

The first step in treatment is prevention and to do this you must have a good idea of the things that can cause tendonitis symptoms. For the most part the biggest culprit when it comes to tendonitis is repetitive motion. Tennis elbow, golfers elbow and other sports related tendon problems are all forms of tendonitis. You have to stop the stress if you are going to prevent or treat tendonitis.

Prevention-

* Use ergonomic equipment
* Stay healthy
* Stay within a normal range of motion
* Maintain control of motion, do not just allow things to flop around
* Do not overload a joint with weight

Treatment

* Ice packs for lessening inflammation
* Splints or wraps
* Anti-inflammatory medications
* Ultra sound therapy
* Physical therapy to strengthen the area
* Cortisone injections
* Surgery

Any and all treatment steps should be with the knowledge and cooperation of your family physician. As stated above there are other issues that can cause similar symptoms and you need to be sure it is tendonitis symptoms you are dealing with, before you treat. Read more about cuff tendonitis here.