It is summertime and chances are you’ve been exercising or taking on a hobby on the weekends. Summertime is also the time there is an increase in injuries; one of the most common being tendon injuries. Most of us don’t realize how much damage we can do once we start an activity, but as you’ll discover, it’s quite easy.
Types of Tendon Injuries
- Tendinitis – one of the most common conditions for the tendon; it is pain in soft tissue caused by a tear in the tendon fiber and inflammation; it is a result from chronic overload or repetitive motion with the tendon; most commonly found in adults, especially those over 40 years of age
- Tendinosis – means “abnormal condition of the tendon”; it has been argued that this is the proper term for tendon pathologies because a true tear and inflammation of the tendon (tendinitis) is uncommon compared to other pathologies
- Tenosynovitis – an inflammation and/or irritation between a tendon and its surrounding synovial sheath; it is caused by chronic overloading or excess friction between a tendon and its sheath; the symptoms of tendinosis and tenosynovitis are similar, but you can distinguish the two by determining if the dysfunctional tendon has a synovial sheath
The most common symptom of any tendon pathology is a pain at the site of a tendon and its surrounding area. The pain may be gradual or sudden, usually caused by an overuse or doing too much too soon when the tendons are not used to movement. Tendinitis massage is especially helpful with relieving pain in the surrounding area.
It has been proven that a breakdown in collagen fibers has also been one of the main problems for tendinosis. Collagen fibers give a tendon its strength, while elastin fibers give it a small amount of flexibility. If the tendon pain is truly tendinitis, the tissue repair and inflammation would take less time to heal than rebuilding the collagen fibers.
Avoiding Tendinitis
Instead of exerting yourself too hard if your body has not performed an activity in a while, take it slow at first and gradually build up your activity level. Try to avoid too many repetitions.
Avoid activities that aggravate the problem. Rest and ice the area the same day that you are feeling pain. If the condition doesn’t improve within a week, you may need more advanced treatments and should visit your primary care physician. From there, your physician can decide the next steps in treating the pain.
How Massage Can Help Tendinitis
There are a few ways that massage therapy can help your tendinitis or tendinosis. Tendinitis massage can help identify and locate the injury. Once the location of the injury has been found, friction massage in the precise location will stimulate the healing response and release tension for the adjacent muscles that had to work harder while the tendon was injured. However, the most important part of tendinitis massage and tendinosis healing is the self-care by the client in between sessions. Call me or visit me to discuss how we can work with your physician to provide you with the best self-care tips while healing. Your physician will help guide you on how to rest and treat the tendon and massage can help reduce the physical stress and the emotional stress that injury may be causing.
