What is Tendinitis, Tendinosis or Tendinopathy?
Any condition that affects the tendons, the rope-like tissues that connect your muscles to your bones, is called tendinopathy. It can cause pain and swelling in the affected area. For instance, your Achilles tendon, which joins your calf muscle to your heel bone and enables you to move your ankle, can become painful and swollen if you have Achilles tendinopathy.
Tendinopathy can make your daily life difficult. It can prevent you from doing things like playing sports or doing housework.
Tendinopathy can be either tendinitis or tendinosis.
Tendinitis is when your tendon becomes inflamed. It can be a short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) injury. You can get tendinitis from a sudden injury, such as lifting a heavy weight, or from doing activities that cause small tears in your tendon over time.
Tendinosis is when your tendon loses its strength and structure. It occurs gradually and is usually due to overusing your tendon.
What are the risk factors for tendinopathy?
Tendinopathy can occur in anyone, but some factors increase the likelihood of having this tendon condition. It causes pain and swelling in the tendons. The following groups have a higher risk of tendinopathy:
People who play sports.
People who are older than 40 years.
People who do the same tasks over and over. Some activities that can lead to tendinosis by doing them repeatedly are: Working in the garden, carrying heavy objects, making changes to the land, applying paint, Cleaning with a brush, digging with a tool, playing games, Using the keyboard, Creating with wood.
People who use certain drugs (Fluoroquinolones, Glucocorticoids).
People who have specific health problems (Dyslipidemia, Gout, Obesity, Rheumatoid arthritis, Type 2 diabetes)
People who have weak muscles.
Women
Treatment of Tendinopathy
Some ways to treat tendinitis are:
Taking a break.
Using anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Wearing orthotics, splints and braces. These devices such as shoe inserts and arm bands can protect your tendons and reduce the stress they face.
Doing physical therapy. Physical therapy can help you learn how to stretch and strengthen your muscles in a safe way.
Undergoing extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT).
Pain Procedures
Receiving growth factor injection in the tendon.
Receiving Steroid injection around the tendon
You can always contact Dr Chinmoy Roy at Rajarhat pain clinic at Newtown, Kolkata for best treatment options in a case of tendinopathy or tendon tear.
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