What is Tendonitis?
Tendonitis is where a tendon becomes irritated and inflamed. Signs of tendonitis include pain, swelling and reduced mobility. Tendonitis can become chronic if whatever is causing the inflammation is not treated.
There are many different types of tendonitis. Commonly sporting activities can causes tendonitis. Sports injuries that are the result of tendonitis may include:
- Achilles tendonitis
- Knee tendonitis (patella)
- Shoulder tendonitis (rotator cuff)
- Elbow tendonitis (golfers / tennis elbow)
- Hamstring
Often we may also hear the term 'Tendinosis' - this may develop as a result of chronic tendonitis or an acute injury like tendon rupture. It’s a more serious condition whereby the structure or composition of the tendon has changed and degenerative changes have taken place. Tendinosis can be used to describe a tendon that is frayed or torn (ruptured). Tendinosis can also take months to treat and get better, and the damage to the tendon can sometimes be permanent. In the case of tendon ruptures, surgery may be necessary to treat it.
Treatment for Tendonitis
It is important to rest from athletic activity until the symptoms of tendonitis reduce. In addition to this it is important to undergo a course of treatment to able full recovery and repair. Common treatments for tendonitis include:
Manual therapy and Rehabilitative Exercise. structured physical therapy may be recommended alongside bracing to strengthen the injured tendon and reduce the symptoms of tendonitis. This process commonly involves having the individual to engage in a series of strengthening exercises in conjunction with manual therapy, osteopathy.
Bracing may recommended to stabilise the tendon with either a brace or athletic tape to keep it in place during exercise training.
Dry needling. In dry needling, an acupuncture needle is inserted into the affected area and moved, in an effort to break up or destroy degenerative structures within the knee that may be contributing to injury.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. This practice, also known as PRP, involves injecting the site of the injury with the patient's own platelets to promote acceleration of healing.
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