Tendonitis Treatment Made Simple

By Heather Clay

Easy to understand tendonitis treatment might be a good thing to know for those who have begun to experience little aches and pains in the elbow or shoulder or even knee. As a medical condition, tendonitis pain can range in intensity and can be completely debilitating in extreme episodes. This is why it can be a good thing to know a bit about tendonitis.

In the human body many skeletal bones are joined together with other skeletal bones through connective tissue. Different kinds of connective tissue have different names. For the most part, people know them as ligaments and -- especially -- tendons. Composed of very tough fibrous cords, tendons are seen all throughout the body.

Inflammation of the tendon can cause varying degrees of pain and swelling along with a few other issues in more serious cases. Serious tendonitis generally can lead to extreme levels of pain that tend to cause a person to become disabled if not treated. However, if tendonitis is treated early enough and intelligently enough, there is little reason to fear that it cannot be cured.

Medically speaking, just about any tendon in the body is liable to being impacted by tendonitis, though there generally are only a few areas that normally experience it. Most famously, the elbows seem to be hit by it more often than anywhere else. The term "tennis elbow" refers to tendonitis in that area, which is medically known as epicondylitis. Physicians have known about the condition for over a century.

For the most part, tendonitis usually evidences itself after an overuse injury or actual injury to the tendon. In order to treat tendonitis properly, there are several steps one can take, all without having to make use of a physician under most circumstances. First of all, stop whatever activity it is that has been causing the pain.

Cessation of the activity will generally be necessary for around twenty-one days, which is usually sufficient time to allow the tendon to heal itself. Such rest is probably the single most effective part of any treatment regimen, by the way. Combine rest with immobilization whenever possible. This can be accomplished through bracing or splints or slings, generally.

Additionally, include over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines like naproxen sodium and a skin cream that contains anti-inflammatories in order to aid the body in recovering from the tendonitis. Take a look at the area again after three weeks and start engaging in light warming up and stretching, gradually working back into the activity that caused the pain in the first place. Try not to forget about warming up and stretching in the future. - 32188

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