Pearl Physiotherapy Center

Tendonitis and Tendinosis

Common tendonitis and tendinosis injuries treated by Pearl Physiotherapy Center

Tendon problems are very common injuries. The tendons play an important part in muscle and joint function, being the attachment point for the muscle to the bone or joint where large forces are transmitted from the muscle to the joint to create movement. Due to this, tendons are susceptible to injury either within the tendon fibres, or the sheath of the tendon.

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Types Of Pains and Causes

Tendinitis

A tendinitis involves an inflammatory process of the tendon and the suffix, ‘itis’ refers specifically to ‘inflammation’. Tendinitis often results in excessive trauma or loading to the tendon and will be characterised by pain at rest as well as with activity. Other symptoms can include swelling, redness and heat.

Degenerative or Tendinosis

Most tendon injuries are because of a gradual wear and tear as part of the ageing process. Tendons are designed to transmit the load and forces from a muscle to the joint and excessive loading, or stress leads to the tendon fibres becoming injured. The collagen in the tendon often becomes irregular in formation, and this leads to a failed healing cycle of the damaged tendon. The result is the body tries to repair the tendon, but the original stronger collagen fibres are replaced with a weaker collagen matrix. This can lead to patients feeling pain on return to activities even after resting the injury. The solution is to identify the problem and progressively load the tendon to strengthen. This results in an adaptation of the tendon collagen matrix to withstand the forces and pressures being put through the tendon, and henceforth, a reduction in pain with activities.

Tenosynovitis

Tenosynovitis involves inflammation to the fluid-filled tendon sheath or ‘synovium’ which surrounds the tendon. Common places for the tendon sheath to become irritated to lead to inflammation occurring within the sheath are the wrist, thumb, fingers and the inside of the ankle. Symptoms include pain, swelling and stiffness. At Pearl Physiotherapy Center our physiotherapists will aim to quickly diagnose this debilitating problem, giving appropriate treatment and importantly, help you to understand the contributory factors in your day to day life that could be leading to the tendon sheath becoming irritated.