Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Tendons?CausesSymptomsTreatmentOther InjuriesPrevention Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Tendons?
Causes
Symptoms
Treatment
Other Injuries
Prevention Tips
This article explains what tendons are, including the causes and symptoms of tendonitis. It also describes how tendonitis is treated and ways to prevent it.
Tendons are tough bands of fibrous connective tissues that attach bones to muscles. Likeligaments(which connect bones to other bones), tendons are composed mainly of collagen.
There are over 400 tendons in the human body.Four of the most prominent—and the ones most vulnerable to injury—include:
Causes of Tendonitis
Examples of repetitive stress tendon injuries include:
Symptoms of Tendonitis
Symptoms of tendonitis include:
If severe or left untreated, tendonitis can worsen, causing a partial tear in the tendon or, in extreme cases, a complete rupture.
What a Quad Tendon Rupture Feels Like
How Long Does Tendonitis Last?
Even so, recurrence is common unless changes are made to how you use a joint. If changes are not made, an acute injury like tennis elbow will become chronic and may even lead to a tendon rupture.
Chronic tendonitis may require ongoing care to manage symptoms and prevent exacerbations (flare-ups). This includes treating or managing the underlying condition like gout or diabetes.
At-Home Treatment
Tendonitis is commonly treated at home with:
Once the acute swelling and pain have eased, you will need to gradually incorporate exercises to rebuild strength and regain therange of motionof the injured joint.
These may include:
When to See a Healthcare ProviderThere are times when tendonitis is too severe to be treated at home or the injury turns out to be something more serious (like a tear or rupture). In cases like this,cortisone shots, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or surgery may be needed to treat the condition properly.Seek immediate medical care if:Your condition doesn’t improve or worsens after several days.Symptoms develop suddenly and severely.The injured joint is misshapen.You hear a popping sound at the time of the injury.There is severe bruising or bleeding of the joint.You can’t move the joint or bear weight on the joint.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
There are times when tendonitis is too severe to be treated at home or the injury turns out to be something more serious (like a tear or rupture). In cases like this,cortisone shots, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or surgery may be needed to treat the condition properly.Seek immediate medical care if:Your condition doesn’t improve or worsens after several days.Symptoms develop suddenly and severely.The injured joint is misshapen.You hear a popping sound at the time of the injury.There is severe bruising or bleeding of the joint.You can’t move the joint or bear weight on the joint.
There are times when tendonitis is too severe to be treated at home or the injury turns out to be something more serious (like a tear or rupture). In cases like this,cortisone shots, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or surgery may be needed to treat the condition properly.
Seek immediate medical care if:
Other Types of Tendon Injuries
Tendonitis is one condition affecting tendons. When tendonitis is chronic, it is commonly referred to astendinosis. The degeneration of the tendons due to inflammatory or non-inflammatory conditions is referred to astendinopathy.
Tendinosis
Tendinosis can occur when overuse continues without giving the tendon time to heal. When this happens, even tiny movements, such as clicking a mouse or lifting your arm, can cause chronic tenderness and pain.
The distinction between tendonitis and tendinosis is important insofar as the goals and duration of treatment can differ. Tendinosis may require chronic, ongoing management with the aim of preserving rather than restoring joint function.
Tendinopathy
Tendinopathy encompasses a wide range of conditions affecting tendons, both inflammatory and non-inflammatory. As with tendinosis, “tendinopathy” and “tendonitis” are often used interchangeably. However, tendinopathy doesn’t describe inflammation as much as it does the process of tendon deterioration.
As such, tendinitis and tendinosis are subcategories that fall under the umbrella of tendinopathy.
Verywell / Hilary Allison
Preventing Tendon Injuries
If you can determine the cause of the tendon injury and make a correction, you can often avoid long-term problems.
If your pain is from overuse, reduce or stop that activity and find a substitute activity. If the pain is from poor technique or poor ergonomics, consult a coach or trainer for skills training. If you can eliminate the offending factors, you have a much greater likelihood of a full recovery.
To prevent the return of tendon overuse injuries, athletes should maintain a training schedule that includes varied intensity and duration as well as the type of activity.
Summary
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Screen HRC, Birk DE, Kadler KE, Ramirez F, Young MF.Tendon functional extracellular matrix.J Orthop Res. 2015;33(6):793-799. doi:10.1002/jor.22818Andarawis-Puri N, Flatow EL, Soslowsky LJ.Tendon basic science: development, repair, regeneration, and healing.J Orthop Res. 2015 Jun;33(6):780-4. doi: 10.1002/jor.22869.Steinman S, Pfeifer CG, Borchhausen C, Docheva D.Spectrum of tendon pathologies: triggers, trails and end-state.Int J Mol Sci.2020 Feb;21(3):844. doi:10.3390/ijms21030844Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tendonitis.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Tendon overuse injuries (tendinopathy): how are tendon overuse injuries treated?Girgis B, Duarte JA.Physical therapy for tendinopathy: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Phys Ther Sport.2020 Nov:46:30-46. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.08.002=
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Screen HRC, Birk DE, Kadler KE, Ramirez F, Young MF.Tendon functional extracellular matrix.J Orthop Res. 2015;33(6):793-799. doi:10.1002/jor.22818Andarawis-Puri N, Flatow EL, Soslowsky LJ.Tendon basic science: development, repair, regeneration, and healing.J Orthop Res. 2015 Jun;33(6):780-4. doi: 10.1002/jor.22869.Steinman S, Pfeifer CG, Borchhausen C, Docheva D.Spectrum of tendon pathologies: triggers, trails and end-state.Int J Mol Sci.2020 Feb;21(3):844. doi:10.3390/ijms21030844Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tendonitis.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Tendon overuse injuries (tendinopathy): how are tendon overuse injuries treated?Girgis B, Duarte JA.Physical therapy for tendinopathy: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Phys Ther Sport.2020 Nov:46:30-46. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.08.002=
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Screen HRC, Birk DE, Kadler KE, Ramirez F, Young MF.Tendon functional extracellular matrix.J Orthop Res. 2015;33(6):793-799. doi:10.1002/jor.22818Andarawis-Puri N, Flatow EL, Soslowsky LJ.Tendon basic science: development, repair, regeneration, and healing.J Orthop Res. 2015 Jun;33(6):780-4. doi: 10.1002/jor.22869.Steinman S, Pfeifer CG, Borchhausen C, Docheva D.Spectrum of tendon pathologies: triggers, trails and end-state.Int J Mol Sci.2020 Feb;21(3):844. doi:10.3390/ijms21030844Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tendonitis.Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Tendon overuse injuries (tendinopathy): how are tendon overuse injuries treated?Girgis B, Duarte JA.Physical therapy for tendinopathy: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Phys Ther Sport.2020 Nov:46:30-46. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.08.002=
Screen HRC, Birk DE, Kadler KE, Ramirez F, Young MF.Tendon functional extracellular matrix.J Orthop Res. 2015;33(6):793-799. doi:10.1002/jor.22818
Andarawis-Puri N, Flatow EL, Soslowsky LJ.Tendon basic science: development, repair, regeneration, and healing.J Orthop Res. 2015 Jun;33(6):780-4. doi: 10.1002/jor.22869.
Steinman S, Pfeifer CG, Borchhausen C, Docheva D.Spectrum of tendon pathologies: triggers, trails and end-state.Int J Mol Sci.2020 Feb;21(3):844. doi:10.3390/ijms21030844
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tendonitis.
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.Tendon overuse injuries (tendinopathy): how are tendon overuse injuries treated?
Girgis B, Duarte JA.Physical therapy for tendinopathy: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.Phys Ther Sport.2020 Nov:46:30-46. doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.08.002=
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