What Is Tendonitis?
Tendonitis is a medical condition that develops as a result of inflammation or irritation of a tendon – a thick cord of collagen tissue that attaches your bone to your muscle. This condition is also commonly referred to as tendinitis. It can occur as a result of a repetitive but minor impact on the affected area or from serious injury. Wondering which areas of your body are more prone to tendonitis? Let’s find out.
Common Areas Affected by Tendonitis
While tendonitis can occur in part of your body where a tendon is connecting your bone to your muscle, it is more likely to occur in the:
Base of your thumb Elbow Knee Hip Shoulder Achilles tendon
Tendonitis is classified into different types depending on the different body parts it affects.
Types Of Tendonitis
Achilles Tendinitis – An injury to the Achilles tendon that may be caused by ill-fitting shoes or sports injuries. Supraspinatus Tendonitis – It occurs when the tendon around your shoulder joint becomes inflamed. Peroneal Tendonitis – Inflammation of the peroneal tendons (located in the legs and ankles). Extensor Tendonitis – Inflammation of the extensor tendons located in your hands and feet. Patellar Tendonitis – Inflammation due to an injury to the tissues connecting the kneecap to your shin bone (patellar tendon). Tennis/Golfer’s Elbow – Irritation of the tissue that connects your forearm muscle to your elbow. De Quervain’s Stenosing Tenosynovitis – This type of tendinitis results from the inflammation of the sheath that surrounds your thumb tendons, between your thumb and wrist. Trigger Finger/Thumb – It is caused by the inflammation of the tendon sheath in your palms. Tendonitis Of The Wrist – It is a degenerative condition that affects the tendons of your wrist.
Inflammation of your tendon results in the signs and symptoms listed below.
Signs And Symptoms
The symptoms associated with tendinitis are:
Pain in the affected and surrounding area: The pain can be gradual or sudden and severe in the presence of calcium deposits. Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis: Loss of shoulder motion Pain that worsens upon movement Crackling or grating of tendons as they move Swelling Redness Development of a lump along the tendon
These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks or even months. Various activities can trigger or even worsen existing cases of tendonitis. They include the following.
Causes And Risk Factors
Carpentry Raking Gardening Painting Shoveling Skiing Scrubbing Tennis Golf
Other factors that can increase your risk of developing tendonitis are:
Sitting or sleeping in an incorrect posture at home or at work Not warming up before a strenuous workout or sports Medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or psoriatic arthritis Overuse of the affected tendon Infections from a cat or dog bite
If you visit a doctor for your condition, they may ask you to undergo any of the following diagnostic tests to confirm tendonitis.
Diagnosis
To diagnose your condition, your doctor may ask you to:
Get a physical examination done to look for an injured tendon. Get an X-ray to look for calcium deposition that will help confirm the diagnosis. Take other imaging tests like an ultrasound or MRI scan to look for swelling.
Once your diagnosis is confirmed, you may start looking for ways to alleviate your symptoms. Treatment will help in combating tendonitis faster and preventing your symptoms from worsening. Before looking at the medical options to treat your condition, why not have a look at some natural treatments for tendonitis that are as effective but with fewer side effects? Keep scrolling! Note: The first line of treatment for acute tendonitis should be RICE. R – Rest, I – Ice, C – Compresion, E – Elevation of the joint.
Natural Treatments For Tendonitis
Home Remedies To Treat Tendonitis
1. Epsom Salt
1 cup of Epsom salt Water
Do this at least once daily. Epsom salt is also known as magnesium sulfate. The presence of magnesium helps reduce the inflammation and swelling of your tendons (1).
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
½ cup of raw apple cider vinegar ½ cup of warm water A clean washcloth
You can apply an apple cider vinegar compress thrice daily. Apple cider vinegar has powerful anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of acetic acid in it. It can help reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation (2).
3. Ice Packs
An ice pack Do this 2 to 3 times daily for best results. An ice pack helps reduce symptoms of inflammation and swelling when applied topically. It also numbs the affected area and relieves pain (3).
4. Bone Broth
A bowl of freshly prepared bone broth Consume a bowl of freshly prepared bone broth. Have bone broth once daily. Bone broth contains nutrients like glucosamine and chondroitin that help in speeding the healing of your tendons (4).
5. Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil
You can apply cayenne pepper topically 2 to 3 times daily. One of the main components of cayenne pepper is capsaicin. This compound exhibits analgesic activities that relieve pain and alleviate inflammation (5), (6).
6. Vitamin C
100-500 mg of vitamin C Consume foods rich in vitamin C like citrus fruits, spinach, and kale or take additional supplements for it after consulting your doctor. You must incorporate vitamin C into your daily diet. Supplementation with vitamin C helps in speeding up the healing of inflamed tendons. This could be due to its anti-inflammatory properties as well as its ability to synthesize collagen (7).
7. Ginger
1-2 inches of ginger 1 cup of hot water
Drink ginger tea twice daily for faster recovery from tendonitis. Ginger possesses powerful analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of gingerol in it. These activities can help manage pain, inflammation, and other symptoms of tendonitis (8).
8. Castor Oil
1 tablespoon of cold-compressed castor oil A warm compress
Do this twice daily. Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid that possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that can help alleviate pain and inflammation (9). [ Read: How To Use Castor Oil To Treat Arthritis? ]
9. Turmeric
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder 1 glass of hot milk
You can do this once daily. Turmeric contains curcumin. Curcumin possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that can help in healing tendonitis and alleviating its symptoms (10), (11). In addition to these natural treatments for tendonitis, there are some medical treatments available to alleviate the symptoms of this condition. They are discussed below.
Other Treatment Methods
Your doctor will first suggest you get enough rest and may even ask you to use ice packs. You may be prescribed painkillers like:
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen Corticosteroid injections Physical therapy that may involve massaging the affected area
If your condition persists and there are also calcium deposits surrounding the tendon, you may have to avail shock wave therapy. However, if your condition deteriorates because of leaving the affected tendon untreated for too long, causing the tendon to rupture, you may need to undergo surgery. If you are recovering from tendonitis, you must pay extra attention to your diet as well.
Best Diet For Tendonitis
Foods To Eat
Foods that help tendonitis are mostly anti-inflammatory. They include:
Vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, bell peppers, broccoli, and papaya Whole grains like brown rice, spelt, oats, and rye Omega-3-rich foods like fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseed, canola oil, and chia seeds
Foods To Avoid
Avoid these foods:
Foods containing saturated fats like high-fat dairy and meat like lamb and steak Refined grains like white bread, white pasta, pretzels, and low-fiber cereals Foods containing free sugar like candies, soft drinks, and pastries Caffeine Alcohol
In addition to these diet tips, following a few prevention tips may help avert the recurrence of the condition.
Prevention Tips
Practice exercises that help in stretching and strengthening the muscles surrounding your tendon. Warming up before and cooling down after a strenuous workout is also important to prevent tendinitis. Avoid repeated use of an injured tendon. Avoid being in one position for too long. Give yourself ample rest so that your body works towards repairing your tendon.
When to see a doctor for tendonitis? See a doctor immediately if you experience recurring pain and/or swelling in the impacted area that does not subside despite rest or medications. This usually happens if you have ruptured your tendon. What are the best essential oils for tendonitis? Essential oils that are anti-inflammatory and analgesic can help a great deal in relieving tendonitis. A few such essential oils are lavender oil, peppermint oil, sweet marjoram oil, frankincense oil, helichrysum oil, lemongrass oil, and chamomile oil. How painful is calcific tendonitis? Calcific tendonitis is not of much concern unless the calcium deposits causing it to become inflamed or bigger. Calcium deposition mostly occurs in the muscles and tendons that surround your shoulder joints. Progression of this condition may have extremely painful results, and it is even capable of impairing your movement. Does vitamin D help tendonitis? Possibly. Vitamin D significantly contributes to the healing of tendon-to-bone injuries by boosting bone mineral density and fortifying the skeletal muscles (12). Does CBD help with tendonitis? Possibly. CBD is packed with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that may help soothe tendonitis (13). Is tendonitis a form of arthritis? No. Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon, whereas arthritis is the inflammation of a joint. While both disorders occasionally coexist, having one does not necessarily predispose you to develop the other.
