Tendonitis Treatment Should Not Begin with a Trip to the Pharmacy

In the previous blog post, I discussed the most common causes of tendonitis. Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendon that causes pain, tenderness, and mild swelling. Overuse and repetitive movements are often the culprit, whether those movements involve lifting objects overhead, throwing a baseball, swimming, playing golf, running, painting the ceiling, or yard work.

Of course, injuries, accidents, and different types of trauma can also cause tendonitis. Some areas of the tendon that are farthest from the blood supply don’t get enough oxygen and nutrients, which can lead to inflammation. Tendonitis becomes more common as you age and can turn into more serious conditions if left untreated.

Proper Diagnosis Comes First

The last thing you want to do is treat the symptoms with pain medication. You may experience temporary relief, but you won’t fix the problem at the source. In extreme cases, temporary use of pain medication might be necessary. But fixing the problem begins with proper diagnosis.

Proper diagnosis of tendonitis starts with a thorough physical examination and discussion about your health history. At Natural Healthcare Center, we’ll observe joint movement and provide a hands-on assessment. We’ll discuss what types of activities you perform at work and in your personal time. We’ll find out when the pain started, when you feel the pain, what type of pain you’re experiencing, and the severity of the pain.

Depending on what we learn during this examination and discussion, we may recommend additional testing to confirm our diagnosis, rule out certain conditions, or determine what other physical or nutritional issues could be affecting your health. This could include blood tests and diagnostic imaging such as x-ray, ultrasound, or MRI.

Your Personalized Treatment Plan for Tendonitis

Once we’ve diagnosed tendonitis and pinpointed the root cause, we’ll develop a personalized treatment plan that’s tailored to your physical condition, the location and severity of the tendonitis, and any other health issues that could be related to you condition.

For minor cases of tendonitis, rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) are often enough to allow the inflammation to subside while eliminating or substantially reducing the pain. For more severe cases of tendonitis, especially for those who have been injured or avoided treatment until the pain became unbearable, a more comprehensive treatment plan will likely be necessary. This could and often does include multiple modalities to deliver the best possible outcome for the patient.

• Physical therapy and chiropractic care can be used to stabilize, strengthen, and restore full mobility and balance in the joint.
• Acupuncture can be used to promote blood flow to the areas of the body that need healing.
• Therapeutic massage can be used to stimulate blood flow, remove toxins, and relax soft tissue in and around the joints where tendonitis is present.
• For tendonitis in the foot and ankle area, podiatry can be used to restore balance and proper function.
• Clinical nutrition and supplements can be used to reduce the presence of inflammatory substances in the body without prescription drugs.
• While surgery is always a last resort, it could very well be the best treatment option for serious injuries and conditions, especially if the tendon ruptures or tears.

A critical but often overlooked component of tendonitis treatment is education. How can you perform certain tasks in a way that reduces strain and pressure on your tendons? What exercises and nutritional protocols will make you more resilient to sports injuries? How can you reduce inflammation in your body by addressing all three aspects of the Triad of Health – the physical, psychological, and nutritional?

Our goal is not just to get rid of tendonitis, but to reduce the risk of tendonitis ever coming back. We provide you with the information you need to make better lifestyle choices and live without pain and discomfort.

If you’ve noticed pain, tenderness, swelling, or redness around your joints, don’t wait until they start to affect your quality of life. Schedule a complimentary consultation at Natural Healthcare Center so we can diagnose your condition and treat the root cause of the problem.