What is Tendonitis?

Tendonitis is a condition that occurs when the motion of a tendon is impaired, thus becoming inflamed and causing pain. The term ‘tendonitis’ literally translates to ‘inflammation of the tendon’ (‘itis’ refers to inflammation).

It’s important to understand the purpose of the tendon in a discussion of the disorder. A tendon is a structure in the body that connects the muscles to the bones. Skeletal muscles are responsible for moving bones and enabling a number of actions such as walking, jumping, or moving in any way. In this process, the muscle contracts and pulls on a bone, thereby causing movement. The structure that transmits the force necessary for this process to occur is the tendon.

For a variety of reasons, tendons may become inflamed. In this case, the action of pulling the muscle becomes painful or irritating and the normal smooth gliding motion of the tendon is impaired. This is tendonitis.

There are various types of tendonitis, all of which are referred to by the part of the body that has been affected; for example, Achilles tendonitis affects the Achilles tendon, while patellar tendonitis (also called jumper’s knee) concerns the patellar tendon.

Causes and Symptoms of Tendonitis

For the most part, tendonitis is an injury of overuse. For example, athletes are more likely to develop this condition than the average person because of the repetitive use of certain extremities. Tendonitis in the wrist may occur in office workers due to repetitive keyboard movements. Occasionally, tendonitis happens when a person begins a new activity or exercise that irritates the tendon.

The likelihood of tendonitis increases with age—tendon issues are more likely to occur in people over forty, since tendons are not as elastic or forgiving as they once were.

Tendonitis can be experienced as restricted movement, wherein affected individuals find it difficult to move the part of the body afflicted with this disorder. Other symptoms include:

• Pain when the tendon is under pressure (for example, when lifting weights);

• Tendon sheaths may become visibly swollen from an accumulation of fluid and inflammation;

• Pain when the affected area is moved or touched; and

• A burning sensation.

Tendonitis and Chiropractic

If tendonitis is mainly a disorder of inflammation, it makes sense to find treatments designed to reduce inflammation. Chiropractic is a drug free, hands-on approach to lessening inflammation. This treatment involves spinal adjustments, which are meant to accomplish two major goals:

• Realigning the spine reduces long term, low grade inflammation, which can cause not only tendonitis but stress and disorder in every part of the body.

• Spinal adjustments can increase the motion in the joints (not only those in the spine, but any other affected joint). The purpose of adjustment in this case is to restore mobility by applying a controlled force to joints that have become hypomobile (restricted in movement). When mobility is restored, pain and inflammation can be reduced.

Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation uses several techniques in spinal adjustment, including both traditional chiropractic as well as a revolutionary practice known as Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP). This higher level of chiropractic incorporates a comprehensive, systematic, and scientific approach to achieving total health, including a release from inflammation and pain associated with tendonitis.

Our Red Bank, NJ chiropractic office also incorporates a number of methods during the treatment process, including massage, electrotherapy, laser therapy, and more. To learn about how the team at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation can help you, please contact our offices for a complimentary consultation.