Tendinopathy Treatment in Westminster Denver Colorado
Overview
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Tendinopathy
is the broad term for any tendon condition that causes pain and swelling.
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Your
tendons are rope-like tissues in your body that attach muscle to bone.
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When
your muscles tighten and relax, your tendons and bones move.
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One
example of a tendon is your Achilles tendon, which attaches your calf muscle to
your heel bone and causes ankle movement. If you have pain and/or swelling in
that area, you might have Achilles tendinopathy.
●
The
pain from tendinopathy can interfere with your daily life. For example, it can
keep you from playing sports and from doing housework. So, if you have pain or
swelling, make sure to contact your healthcare provider for help.
Tendinopathy includes both tendinitis (tendonitis) and
tendinosis.
Tendinitis
●
Tendinitis
means inflammation of your tendon. It’s a painful injury that can either be
short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). You may develop tendinitis after a
sudden injury from lifting a heavy weight or from repetitive activities that
cause micro-tears in your tendon over time.
Tendinosis
●
Tendinosis
is the breakdown (degeneration) of the collagen fibers in your tendon. It
happens slowly and is often the result of tendon overuse.
What
are the different tendon conditions?
Tendinopathies
are tendon conditions that cause pain and swelling. Some of the most common
tendinopathies that healthcare providers see include:
●
Achilles
tendinitis. Your Achilles is the strongest, largest tendon in your body.
●
Patellar
tendinitis. Your kneecap tendon (patellar tendon) connects the bottom of your
kneecap (a bone) to the top of your shinbone (tibia). The patellar tendon is actually
a ligament — it connects bone to bone instead of muscle to bone.
● Rotator cuff tendinitis. Your rotator cuff is a group of
tendons and muscles that keep your shoulder joint stable.
Other
tendinopathies include:
●
De
Quervain’s tendinosis (tenosynovitis), which affects your wrist and thumb.
●
Golfer’s
elbow (medial epicondylitis).
● Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).
Who
is at risk for tendinopathy?
Tendinopathy
affects people of all ages, but some people are more likely than others to
develop tendinopathy. Higher risk groups include:
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Athletes.
●
People
over 40 years old.
●
People
who do repetitive tasks.
●
People
who take certain medications.
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People
with particular medical conditions.
●
People
with poor muscle strength.
● Women.
Just
having increased risk doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get tendinitis or tendinosis.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you’re concerned.
How
common is tendinopathy?
In
the general population, tendinopathy affects about 2% to 5% of people. It’s
more common in athletes, though. For example, multiple studies have shown that
each year around 10% of runners develop Achilles tendinopathy. Furthermore,
roughly 50% of all sports injuries are tendon injuries.
What
are the symptoms of tendinopathy?
You
may have tendinopathy if you’re experiencing pain or tenderness with some or
all of the following symptoms:
●
Burning.
●
Difficulty
moving your joint.
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Feeling
a crackling or grating sensation when you move your joint.
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Muscle
weakness and loss of strength.
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Red,
warm skin in the painful area. Please also note that red, warm skin sometimes
indicates an infection. If you see this, please contact your healthcare
provider.
●
Stiffness.
● Swelling.
It
might be helpful for you to make a list of your symptoms and keep a journal to
track them. Your healthcare provider will want to know how long you’ve had the
symptoms and their severity so they can make an accurate diagnosis.
What
causes tendinopathy?
The
exact cause of tendinopathy isn’t always clear. It’s often related to multiple
factors. In addition to being in a higher risk group, other risk factors
include:
●
High-intensity
training.
●
Muscle
imbalances.
●
Incorrect
training equipment or poor training surfaces.
●
Lack
of flexibility.
●
Lack
of strength.
● Too much weight on your tendon (from lifting something).
Tendon
problems aren’t limited to athletes. As many as 30% of people with Achilles
tendon injuries lead a sedentary (inactive) lifestyle. Experts theorize that a
sedentary lifestyle contributes to poor blood circulation in the tendon. When
someone has poor blood circulation and suddenly increases their activity, that
can cause hypoxia (not enough oxygen in their tissues), impaired nutrition and
weakened energy metabolism (metabolism is the process of changing food into energy).
Those issues might contribute to events that lead to tendon degeneration.
Tendinopathy
can turn chronic if minor injuries occur regularly and don’t heal completely.
Repeated activities may cause collagen fibers to break down over time, leading
to tendinosis.
Examples
of repetitive tasks that can cause tendinosis include:
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Gardening.
●
Lifting.
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Landscaping.
●
Painting.
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Scrubbing.
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Shoveling.
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Sports.
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Typing.
● Woodworking.
Some
medical conditions put you at a higher risk for tendinopathy, including:
●
Dyslipidemia.
Dyslipidemia is when your total cholesterol or triglycerides or both are too
high.
●
Gout.
●
Obesity.
●
Rheumatoid
arthritis.
● Type 2 diabetes.
Medications
that increase your risk of tendinopathy include:
●
Fluoroquinolones
(a class of antibiotics).
● Glucocorticoids (medicines that fight inflammation).
Glucocorticoids are a type of medicine, as well as a hormone in your body. If
you have too much of the hormone, that can cause insulin resistance,
dyslipidemia and Type 2 diabetes. All three metabolic states put you at a
higher risk for tendinopathy.
Common
sports associated with tendinopathy include:
●
Baseball.
●
Basketball.
●
Golf.
●
Skiing.
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Soccer.
●
Swimming.
● Tennis.
How
is tendinopathy diagnosed?
Your
healthcare provider should go through two steps when you see them about your
symptoms: they’ll discuss your history and perform a physical examination.When
you talk about your history, your healthcare provider should address:
●
The
location of your pain.
●
The
severity of your pain. They’ll ask you to rate your pain on a scale.
●
The
type of pain (burning, dull, sharp).
● How long you’ve had the symptoms.
During
the physical exam, your healthcare provider might:
●
Look
for redness.
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Look
for swelling.
●
Test
your range of motion (how far you can stretch or move part of your body).
● Touch certain areas to see if you feel tenderness.
Your
healthcare provider might diagnose you with tendinopathy based on reported
symptoms and the physical exam or, if they need more information, they might
order an imaging test such as:
●
Ultrasound.
An ultrasound reveals changes in your tendon such as thickness, length,
stiffness, disorganized and misaligned tendon fibers and tears.
● MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows the general
health or injuries in your tendon.
How
is tendinopathy treated?
The
treatment for your tendinopathy depends on the type you have. The treatments
for tendinosis aren’t the same as the treatments for tendinitis. Treatment also
depends on which tendon is bothering you. The common treatments for tendinosis
include:
●
Rest.
If you do repetitive tasks at work, try taking a short break every 15 minutes.
And try resting for five minutes every 30 minutes.
●
Ice.
Apply an ice pack or cold compress for 20 minutes every two hours. Don’t put
the ice directly on your skin.
●
Eccentric
strengthening. Eccentric strengthening involves tightening your muscle while
you hold something heavy. For example, when you stretch out a muscle like your
bicep (a large muscle in your upper arm) while holding a dumbbell (weight) in
your hand. Such movement helps with tendon strength and helps stimulate the
production of collagen. Experts recommend that people with tendinosis practice
eccentric strengthening every day. Talk to your healthcare provider or physical
therapist to find out exactly what you should do.
●
Stretching.
Stretching can help your tendinopathy in several ways. It keeps you flexible,
increases circulation (helps you heal) and reduces tendon tension (tightness).
●
Massage.
Deep-friction massage applied to your tendon can generate new collagen fibers,
reduce your pain and increase your strength.
●
Hyperthermia.
Hyperthermia is when your body overheats. It’s also a type of treatment for
tendinopathy. A heating system increases your temperature to increase blood
flow. Blood flow can stimulate healing for your tendinopathy.
● Supplements. Vitamin C, manganese, zinc, vitamin B6 and
vitamin E are all connected to tendon health. Talk with your healthcare
provider about dosages so you don’t take too much. You should always check with
your healthcare provider before using any supplements.
Researchers
tried other treatments, including low-level laser therapy, iontophoresis,
phonophoresis and therapeutic ultrasound. Unfortunately, researchers found very
little proof that these treatments help with tendinosis.
Our
expert providers are experienced and skilled at treating tendinopathy and are
your source for expert treatment of tendinopathy in Westminster and Denver
Colorado. Not only are we the premier treatment for spine injuries and
chiropractic in Westminster and Denver Colorado, but we also specialize in many
other advanced treatment techniques such as shockwave, cold laser, graston
technique, KT Taping, activator, instrument aided spinal alignments, drop
table, toggle, in house rehab services, and on site digital xrays. We are your
Premier destination for tendinopathy treatment in Westminster Colorado and
Denver Colorado Chiropractor.