Tendinitis – Symptoms and Causes
What Is Tendinitis?
Tendinitis happens when the tough, rope-like tissues connecting muscles to bones become inflamed. These tissues are called tendons. When you have tendinitis, you’ll feel pain and tenderness near a joint.
Any tendon can develop tendinitis, but it most commonly affects areas around the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and heels.
Most cases improve with simple treatments like rest, physical therapy, and pain-reducing medications. However, if inflammation persists for a long time, the tendon might tear. In severe cases where a tendon tears, surgery may be necessary.
Types
Tendinitis can affect different parts of the body. Common types include:
- Achilles Rendinitis: Affects the tendon connecting the calf muscles to the heel.
- Tennis Elbow: Causes pain on the outside of the elbow.
- Golfer’s Elbow: Creates pain on the inside of the elbow.
- Patellar Tendinitis: Affects the tendon connecting the kneecap to the shinbone.
These conditions often develop from overuse or repetitive motions during sports or everyday activities.
Signs and Symptoms
The main signs of tendon inflammation usually appear where the tendon connects to bone. Common symptoms include:
- A dull pain, particularly when moving the affected area
- Soreness when touched
- Light swelling around the injured area
When Medical Help Is Needed
While most tendon problems improve with home care, you should contact your healthcare provider if symptoms persist for several days or interfere with your normal activities.
Getting proper treatment early can prevent the condition from worsening.
Causes
Tendinitis often results from repeating the same motion many times. While a sudden injury can cause tendinitis, repetitive movements are more common culprits.
When people perform the same actions over and over for work or hobbies, their tendons experience ongoing stress.
Key causes include:
- Repetitive motions at work or during recreational activities
- Improper movement techniques
- Continuous strain on the same tendon
Using correct movement techniques is vital, especially for activities requiring repetition. Incorrect form places extra burden on tendons, increasing the risk of developing tendinitis.
What Causes Tendinitis?
Getting Older
As we age, our tendons become less flexible. This stiffness makes them more likely to get injured. Older adults should take extra care to warm up before physical activities.
Job-Related Risks
People with certain jobs face higher risks of tendinitis. These include:
- Gardeners
- Manual laborers
- Workers who do the same movements repeatedly
- People who reach overhead often
Jobs involving awkward positions, vibration, or forced movements can also strain tendons.
Activity Factors
How you exercise matters. These factors can lead to tendinitis:
- Suddenly increasing workout intensity
- Using worn-out equipment (like old shoes)
- Exercising on hard surfaces
- Returning to activities too quickly after injury
- Using poor form or posture
Health Issues and Medications
Some health conditions make tendinitis more likely. Diabetes, for example, increases your risk.
Certain medications can also raise tendinitis risk:
| Medication Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Some antibiotics | Fluoroquinolones |
| Steroid medications | Cortisone |
| Breast cancer prevention drugs | Aromatase inhibitors |
Talk to your doctor about these risks if you take these medications.
Complications
If tendinitis goes untreated, the tendon may weaken over time. This increases the chance of the tendon tearing or breaking down completely. In severe cases where the tendon tears completely, surgery might be necessary to repair the damage.
Preventing Tendinitis
There are several ways to protect your tendons from injury and inflammation. Taking preventive steps can help you avoid the pain and limitations of tendinitis.
- Reduce strain on tendons. Stop activities that cause pain. When you feel discomfort during exercise or physical work, take a break to let your tendons recover.
- Vary your activities. Don’t rely on just one type of exercise. Try combining high-impact activities like running with gentler options such as swimming or cycling to distribute stress across different tendon groups.
- Learn proper technique. Incorrect form during sports or exercise can damage tendons over time. Consider getting professional instruction when starting new activities or using unfamiliar equipment.
- Stretch regularly. After physical activity, when muscles are warm, perform gentle stretches that move your joints through their full range of motion.
- Create an ergonomic workspace. Position your chair, keyboard and desk at proper heights for your body to reduce tendon stress during daily tasks.
- Build supporting muscles. Strengthening the muscles around vulnerable tendons helps distribute loads more effectively and provides better support during activity.
