Tendinitis is a common problem encountered in rehabilitation clinics. The affected area may be the hands or feet. Acute tendonitis and chronic tendonitis have different causes and symptoms, and the treatments are also different. Experts remind us that if you want to cure tendonitis, you must start with your living habits.

What Are the Causes of Tendonitis?

Tendons are strip-like structures at the ends of muscles that connect to bones. They allow muscle power to be transmitted to bones and drive bone and joint movement. They can also help absorb shock, stabilize joints, and reduce muscle injuries during body movements. Compared to muscles, tendons have a smaller blood supply, so they are more susceptible to injury from overuse or repeated use.

Tendonitis can occur for many reasons:

• Long-term repetitive use of tendons is caused by daily life or work habits, such as elbow or finger tendon inflammation.
• Exercise that uses inappropriate force and overloads the tendon, such as tendonitis in the shoulder.
• Trauma, such as foreign object impact, contusion, compression, etc., can also cause tendon inflammation.
• Caused by rheumatic immune diseases, tendons, ligaments or bone attachment points can be affected, but it is relatively rare.

What Are the Symptoms of Tendonitis?

Tendonitis symptoms vary slightly depending on whether it is acute or chronic. Cai Yulin, director of Mulin Rehabilitation Clinic, said that acute tendinitis is usually caused by acute tendon strain or acute contusion, such as sports injuries or trauma. Tendon swelling will be seen under ultrasound, and there will be severe pain, redness, swelling, and heat pain around the area when pressed.

Chronic tendonitis is often caused by repeated use. Patients may not necessarily feel uncomfortable at ordinary times. They usually feel pain when the relevant tendons are used or engaged in high-intensity exercise. However, it is not as red, swollen, hot, and painful as acute inflammation. Instead, it may be accompanied by joint pain. Occasionally, many tiny calcifications can be seen in the tendon from ultrasound, which is called calcific tendonitis. This is caused by incomplete repair of small injuries caused by repeated use in the past, resulting in scarring, adhesion, and stiffness of the tendon.

Where Is Tendonitis Most Likely to Occur?

Tendinitis can occur throughout the body. The following are the most common areas of tendonitis:

• Fingers: Common as trigger fingers.
• Wrist: For example, in mother’s hand, the tendons of the wrist are inflamed due to frequent grasping of the thumb.
• Elbow: For example, golf elbow and tennis elbow are not necessarily caused by engaging in these sports. They may occur as long as they are often fixed in a certain posture. Office workers also often develop elbow arthritis.
• Shoulder: Inflammation of the supraspinalis tendon in the rotator cuff muscle group.
• Heel: Common lower limb tendinitis such as inflammation of the Achilles tendon.
• Knees: Inflammation of the tendons primarily of the patella, such as the jumper’s knee.

What Is the Treatment for Tendonitis?

The treatment of tendinitis differs depending on acute inflammation or chronic inflammation. Dr. Cai Yulin pointed out that acute tendonitis focuses on ice application and reducing the inflammatory reaction; subacute or chronic tendinitis emphasizes repair and heat therapy to help repair by increasing blood circulation. Common There are 6 types of treatment methods:

• Auxiliary wood: The use of fixed auxiliary wood can avoid moving specific parts, allowing tendons to rest and improve inflammation. For example, mothers often use their thumbs to fix the auxiliary wood to rest the finger tendons.
• Physical therapy: includes ice compress, hot compress, deep heat therapy, etc., as well as low-energy laser, ultrasonic heat therapy, electrotherapy, etc., which can reduce pain, repair tissue, increase blood circulation, and improve overall symptoms.
• Drug treatment: In the acute phase of pain, drug treatment plays an important role, mainly non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics and muscle relaxants. In more severe cases, local injection of steroids may be used to reduce inflammation.
• Prolotherapy: Suitable for chronic tendonitis, but may be more uncomfortable if used in the acute phase. For example, injection of high-concentration glucose solution, PRP (high-concentration platelet plasma) or shock wave therapy.
• Exercise therapy: When symptoms improve or enter a chronic phase, exercise therapy can be performed to help stretch tendons and muscles. For example, stretching exercises can avoid tendon adhesion, and muscle training can strengthen muscles and tendons and reduce the chance of injury.
• Surgery: If tendonitis has become severely adherent and cannot be improved by rehabilitation, injections, etc., surgery may be required. Severe tendonitis is more common in the trigger finger and requires surgery. If the shoulder rotator cuff is accompanied by tendon tear or rupture, it may also require surgery to repair.