What is Tendonitis?

Tendonitis is a painful condition that can make moving even more difficult than it normally is with fibromyalgia. And it’s fairly common, especially among older people. So there’s a good chance that you’ll suffer from it at some point in your life. And for someone who has fibromyalgia, it can make life even more difficult than it normally is.

Fibromyalgia makes moving hard. There are the constant pain and the fatigue that make exercising difficult. And being unable to move around often leaves fibromyalgia patients gaining weight. Not to mention that many of the drugs that are used to treat fibromyalgia lead to weight gain.  And that extra weight puts you at a higher risk of developing tendonitis.

So, it’s easy to see why people with fibromyalgia might also suffer from this painful condition. But what exactly is tendonitis? What causes it? And what can you do to manage it?

What Is Tendonitis?

Tendonitis is a condition caused by inflammation of the tendons. You see, the tendons are the thick cords of tissue that attach your muscles to your bones. Your tendons play a vital role in moving your body. So the painful inflammation caused by this condition can seriously hinder your ability to live a normal life.

Tendonitis is usually a result of over exertion. The more you use the tendons, the more stress you put them under. And putting too much stress on your tendons for too long a period of time leads to them becoming inflamed and damage. The most common source of tendonitis is exercise. Too much time in the gym can leave you exposed to the risk of developing the condition. But anything that puts repetitive stress on your tendons can lead to tendonitis. And things like gardening or even basic housework can be enough to cause tendonitis. But there are a few things that can make you more likely to develop it.

As stated earlier, being overweight is a serious risk factor for developing tendonitis, which ironically makes it even harder to lose weight. And there are a number of medical conditions that increase your risk. Autoimmune conditions typically lead to inflammation. This inflammation usually affects your heart, kidneys or skin. But it can also lead to tendonitis when it attacks the tendons instead.

The most obvious symptom of tendonitis is the pain. It typically affects you in the joints, especially those used for regular movements like the elbows and knees. And the area around the joints might be swollen and tender to the touch. And while everyone gets sore after a long day of activity, the difference between tendonitis and common exercise-related soreness of the muscles is that the pain of tendonitis doesn’t go away in a within a few days. Usually, people who suffer from tendonitis end up seeing a doctor after a few weeks of this pain.

How To Manage Tendonitis

The first step to managing tendonitis is to take it easy. Giving your muscles and tendons a chance to rest will help reduce the amount of pain you experience and will give you a chance to heal. Icing the area can also help with the swelling and pain. Icing the area is most useful if done withing a few hours of the activity that stresses the tendons. For pain that comes on the next day, heat and compression are often more effective.

Beyond that, anti-inflammatory drugs are often useful for treating the condition. The most commonly used kind is basic over the counter NSAIDs. NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, work by reducing inflammation in the tendons. In addition, common NSAIDs like aspirin and ibuprofen help block the pain receptors in the brain.

If the pain hasn’t subsided within a week or two, you might have to turn to corticosteroids. Corticosteroids are hormones your body naturally releases to deal with inflammation. But if your body can’t produce enough, your doctor can give you a prescription for a corticosteroid medication that should help treat your pain.

Most cases can be handled with these simple treatments. And they typically go away within a few weeks. The only serious risk is if your tendonitis is caused by an activity that you can’t just stop doing, like your work. And in cases of the condition caused by autoimmune conditions, it may take longer to heal.

In severe cases, when normal methods of treatment aren’t enough, surgery may be necessary. But for the vast majority of people with this condition, normal methods are effective.

But let us know, do you have tendonitis? How do you manage it? What did you find to be effective? Let us know in the comments.