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In Switzerland, it is estimated that an employee is absent on average 1.3 days per year due to MSDs. Among these disorders, we mainly find back pain and tendonitis.
Federal Coordination Commission
for work safety CFST
Whether it’s your wrist, thumb, shoulder, elbow, knee, foot, ankle, hip or arm… Tendons are living organs essential to our mobility. Acting as a link between muscles and bones, tendons transmit a force that allows us to produce movement.
The membranes of the tendons help us to sign the nature of our movements as well as the tensions of the tendons. Thanks to them, we can better perceive our body in space and maintain our own posture and balance.
Resistant and elastic in nature, the tendons are strongly mobilized during any movement, especially during sporting activity. Badly heated or overstressed, the tendons can become fragile and inflamed, resulting in what is called tendinitis.
Very common diagnosis in athletes, tendonitis can evolve for several months if not treated correctly. Consult a doctor or health specialist quickly as soon as you are injured to avoid aggravating or perpetuating the pathology.
At l’Arbre Blanc, Katya Vicente, physiotherapist and reflexologist, will help and accompany you throughout your rehabilitation.
WHAT IS TENDONITIS?
You suffer from tendinitis when the fibers of your tendons have partially ruptured, in this case we speak of inflammation of the tendon. This can happen following successive rubbing of the fibers of the tendon, due to repeated gestures, overstretched tendons, badly heated tendons or already weakened tendons.
Can cause intense pain and swelling, tendonitis can prevent you from performing certain daily activities. This pathology affects all the tendons, so you can have tendinitis of the elbow, shoulder or wrist for example. Affecting more seniors, athletes and those performing repetitive movements, tendinitis can, in fact, occur in anyone.
Tendinitis can affect all tendons in the body, so there are several types of tendinitis that you may come across in your life.
TYPES OF TENDONITIS
TENDONITIS OF THE WRIST
It is an inflammation of the tendons in the wrist. In the majority of cases, this is due to too long or too intense repetition of a wrist movement. Whether the movements come from a sports practice or from everyday life, poorly done, they can cause you wrist tendonitis.
TENDINITIS OF QUERVAIN OR THUMB
There are several types of wrist tendinitis since this joint has a lot of tendons. The most common is de Quervain’s tendinitis because it affects the tendons of the thumb. Causing pain at the outer edge of the wrist, it hinders the movements of the thumb.
SHOULDER TENDONITIS
This is an inflammation of the tendons in the shoulder causing pain when performing certain basic movements. Shoulder tendinitis affects the “rotator cuff”, which brings together four tendons. Essential to the movement of rotation and the elevation of the shoulder, this pathology can manifest itself both during the day and during the night, if the person is lying on the shoulder concerned.
ELBOW TENDONITIS
It is an inflammation of the tendons connecting the muscles of the forearm to the elbow. Also called epicondylitis or “tennis elbow”, tendinitis of the elbow is often associated with racquet sports such as tennis and badminton. By the repetition of powerful gestures soliciting the elbow joint, athletes and all people with repetitive activities are prone to have elbow tendonitis.
KNEE TENDONITIS
It is an inflammation of the tendons in the knee. Athletes, runners, footballers, dancers… All of them use their knees during the repetition of their movement and are therefore particularly affected by knee tendonitis. Beyond sports, any sudden movement of the knee repeated on a daily basis can cause knee tendonitis.
CROW’S FEET TENDONITIS
This is tendonitis on the inner side of the knee. It is indicated by pain at the top of the tibia, at the level of the lower and inner face of the knee. Most often nocturnal, it appears when warming up and disappears at the start of physical exertion. If crow’s feet tendinitis intensifies, it can spread to the inner thigh, causing more discomfort during certain movements.
TENDONITIS OF THE FOOT
It is an inflammation of the tendons in the foot. Progressive pain, feeling of stiffness, numbness, weakness… Tendinitis of the foot can also cause difficulty in moving other lower limbs such as the knee. Being able to hinder the slightest gesture, the pain can extend from the arch of the foot above the foot.
ANKLE TENDINITIS OR ACHILLES TENDONITIS
It is an inflammation of the Achilles tendon. Often due to repeated or too intense movements soliciting this area, tendonitis of the ankle is also favored by dehydration, old age, overweight and diabetes. Whether you walk, run, trample or simply stand, these harmless movements can still cause Achilles tendonitis. Remember to wear good shoes and maintain good posture.
HIP TENDONITIS
This is a wear of the gluteal tendons: the small gluteus, the medius gluteus and the lateral blade of the medius gluteus. Hip tendinitis is characterized by pain in the buttocks, groin, as well as on the lateral aspect of the thigh and hip. Affecting many hikers and runners, it most often occurs after strenuous exertion, such as excessive walking.
TENDONITIS OF THE ARM
Often associated with tendonitis of the forearm, wrist and hand, arm tendonitis has similar causes to other tendonitis. Repetitive movements, excessive movements, false movement, unusual physical effort, fall or bad position… Regardless of the cause, tendinitis of the arm is characterized by pain in the arm, feelings of heat, redness, stiffness, even swellings. In some more severe cases, you may find it difficult to move your arm.
CAUSES AND FACTORS OF TENDONITIS
An ankle sprain is usually the result of putting a lot of strain on the joint, such as suddenly twisting your ankle or flexing/extorting your foot joint too much. Pain, swelling or difficulty moving… A sprained ankle causes many uncomfortable sensations.
An ankle sprain can arise from multiple causes such as:
- A misstep
- A fall
- A blow to the ankle
- Strong joint tension
- A weak ankle
- An accident while playing sports
- Poor physical condition
- Regular efforts for the ankle
- Additional poorly treated lesions
- Improper treatment of previous injuries
Other factors of daily life can favor the appearance of an ankle sprain, for example:
- Practice a sports activity
- Walking on poor ground or surface
- Wear shoes that are unstable, uncomfortable, worn out or not suitable for your activity
- Have abnormal foot statics
- Have difficulty coordinating movements
SYMPTOMS OF TENDONITIS
Pain, inflammation, redness, swelling, rubbing, squealing or decreased performance… These are the symptoms you may experience when you suffer from tendinitis.
There are different stages of severity, depending on the evolution of the pathology:
- Stage 1: Pain appears after exercise and disappears at rest
- Stage 2: Pain appears during activity and continues after exertion
- Stage 3: Permanent pain in daily life and sports
- Stage 4: Tendon rupture
Even before reaching the last stage, it is essential to treat the pathology. Untreated tendinitis can become chronic and the tendon could remain weakened for a long time without regaining its capacity for resistance and elasticity.
To treat your tendonitis, here are different methods that will allow you to relieve your pain and heal your injury.
- Use oral or local anti-inflammatories to calm the pain
- Promote a good rest of your painful area. Without immobilizing it, you can perform what does not cause you intense pain.
- Perform cryotherapy. Applying cold to the painful area helps relieve the pain.
- Consult a physiotherapist or an osteopath to rehabilitate your joint and stimulate the formation of new fibres.
- Eat food supplements (turmeric, boswellia, etc.) alongside a balanced diet to relieve pain.
- Use corticosteroid injections in case of chronic tendonitis. Combined with anti-inflammatories and rest, injections can relieve pain.
- Have recourse to surgery in the rare event that the tendons are torn and no other therapeutic solutions have worked.
Depending on the advice of your doctor or other health professionals, you will choose the best treatment(s) most suited to solving your problem.
After a good adapted treatment, tendonitis usually disappears after a few months. But, to be sure that it does not reappear and decrease your chances of having tendinitis, you can take certain preventive measures such as:
- Warm up and stretch well before and after exercise
- Take regular breaks during exercise
- Stop all effort as soon as any pain appears
- Maintain good posture and master technical gestures
- Avoid performing repetitive movements
- Drink regularly to avoid dehydration
- Adopt a balanced diet
Thanks to his advice, you reduce your chances of suffering from tendinitis or a recurrence.
You can also do preventive physiotherapy sessions with Katya Vicente, reflexologist and physiotherapist, at l’Arbre Blanc.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN PHYSIOTHERAPY
Discover in video the definition, the history, the benefits and all the facets of physiotherapy.
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