Physical Therapy for Tendinitis
Tendinitis is the inflammation or irritation of a tendon; the thick fibrous cords which attach your muscles to your bone. If you have pain or tenderness just outside of a joint, you may be dealing with tendinitis.
While this condition can occur in any of your tendons, it’s most common around your knees, heels, shoulders, elbows and wrists. Some common names for tendinitis issues are:
Although tendinitis can be caused by a sudden injury, you are more likely to develop it over time due to repetitive motion, leading to an overuse injury. Without proper treatment, tendinitis could incrase your risk of experiencing a tendon rupture.
- Pain often described as a dull ache, particularly when moving the affected area
- Mild swelling
- General weakness
Most cases of tendinitis can be successfully treated with physical therapy. Eccentric strengthening has been shown to be very effective for chronic tendon issues, and manual therapy such as certain types of massage can help promote healing. Your physical therapist may even suggest using Dry Needling, which can help reduce muscle tightness around the involved tendons. Education is also an important part of tendinitis treatment in order to correct body mechanics, form and posture to help reduce the strain on a tendon is under stress from daily or repetitive activities.