What is Tendinitis?
Tendinitis is an inflammation or irritation of a tendon, the thick cord that attaches bone to muscle. Tendinitis can occur in almost any area of the body where a tendon connects a bone to a muscle. Tendinitis can happen as a result of any repetitive impact or serious injury. Activities that range from high-impact like pitching a ball, to low-impact like gardening, can all result in tendinitis. Due to the wide-range of activities that can cause this pain and inflammation it is important to identify your symptoms. Here are a few signs that indicate you may have tendinitis.
Your Area of Pain
There are several high risk areas of the body where tendinitis occurs. There is a chance that you have tendinitis if your pain is occurring in the:
- Base of the thumb
- Elbow
- Hip
- Knee
- Shoulder
- Heel
You Feel Stiffness
If you are waking up and feeling that an isolated part of your body is especially stiff, there is a chance it could be tendinitis. This symptom is the most noticeable in the morning due to the lack of mobility throughout the night.
Your Joints Feel Weak
Having a hard time moving a specific joint or feeling a weakness in the affected area are a good indication of tendinitis. If a tendon has been worn out or injured it will not function as strongly as it used to.
Your Skin is Swelling
Inflammation can be present if there is heat, redness, or swelling. This kind of irritation is extremely common on the surface of the skin where tendinitis is progressing.
You See a Visible Lump
Along the tendon a lump can begin to develop in some individuals with tendinitis. This could be calcific tendinitis, a condition that causes a small calcium deposit within the tendons. It could also be a ganglion cysts, which occur along the joints and often in the wrists and fingers.
You Fall Under These Risk Factors
Certain individuals are more prone than others when developing tendinitis. A few of these risk factors include:
- You are over the age of 40
- You have an infection on your hand or finger
- You don't warm up before engaging in exercise
- You have a preexisting condition like arthritis, gout, or a thyroid disorder
- You have a bone or joint abnormality
Visit our Bursitis and Tendinitis page to learn more about tendinitis.
Solutions For Your Tendinitis Pain
If you are concerned about developing tendinitis you can take preventative measures such as gradually building up your activity level, warming up joints, using limited repetition, and stopping when pain begins to occur. If you are already dealing with tendinitis you can take measures to alleviate pain. Resting the joint, icing the injury, taking anti-inflammatory drugs, and using joint mobility supplements can all help ease your pain. Check out DR-HO'S Mobility Joint Supplement here or download the FREE e-book Understanding Pain, to better understand your symptoms and treatment options.
Source:
- 2016. Derrer, David, MD. All rights reserved. WebMD Medical Reference. "Tendinitis."
- 2014. MedlinePlus. All rights reserved. "Tendinitis."