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Tendinosis is a chronic tendon injury caused by overuse or injury that leads to inflammation and degeneration. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, burning, and swelling. Treatment options include rest, physical therapy, shock wave therapy, cold treatment, orthotics, nutritional supplements, and surgery.
Tendinosis is the medical term used to describe inflamed or irritated tendons that don’t heal and eventually begin to degenerate. The condition is sometimes called chronic tendon injury or chronic tendonitis. Tendons are the thick bands of fibrous tissue that connect muscle to bone and are typically capable of withstanding considerable tension. Overuse or injury to the tendons, however, can lead to inflammation or degeneration in severe cases.
Tendinosis usually affects only one area of the body at a time and is more common in middle-aged individuals. Tendons become more worn and prone to inflammation with age, but the condition can affect anyone. People who regularly engage in repetitive activities such as typing are more likely to develop the disorder later in life.
The most common causes of tendinosis are injury or overuse. If a tendon is injured and not allowed to heal, it will begin to degenerate, causing pain and discomfort in the affected area. In rare cases, an infection present in the tendon sheath or the membrane layer around the tendon can cause the condition.
The symptoms of tendinosis are similar to those of tendonitis, which sometimes makes diagnosis difficult. The most common symptoms include pain and stiffness around the tendon area, a burning sensation around the tendon, pain that gets worse during and after activity, and swelling and fluid buildup around the tendon. The tendons can also cause a grinding sound that a doctor can hear with a stethoscope when they rub against the tendon sheath.
There are a number of treatments for tendinosis available, but they are general and do not drastically speed up the healing process. They can, however, be used to manage symptoms, reduce pain, and begin healing damaged tendons. Common treatments include rest, physical therapy, shock wave therapy, cold treatment, orthotics, nutritional supplements, and as a last resort, surgery.
Rest and physical therapy may be the most effective treatments available for tendinosis sufferers. Rest allows the tendon to heal, and physical therapy can help speed healing if the correct exercises are prescribed. Shockwave therapy is a relatively new treatment that delivers sound waves directly to the affected tendon, which is believed to reduce pain and speed healing. Cold treatment is a temporary method of pain relief in which ice packs are applied to the area to reduce symptoms.
Orthotics are often used to treat tendinosis of the wrist, elbow, ankle and knee. Orthotic braces help support the tendons during activity, but they cannot be worn all the time or you could lose strength and flexibility. Sometimes dietary supplements are used in combination with other treatments. While there isn’t much scientific evidence to back up the claims about these supplements, many patients have reported good results from taking vitamin C, vitamin E, glucosamine, and chondroitin. Surgery is performed to treat tendinosis only when the patient experiences severe, chronic pain and does not respond to other treatments.
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