Dr Richard Nahas Shares Interesting Facts That Will Help You Understand Tendonitis

Introduction

According to Dr Richard Nahas, a lot of patients live with joint pain for weeks, months or years while sidelining it and delaying medical counsel. Most such patients have a common injury, tendonitis. Let’s check out a few interesting facts that will help you understand tendonitis.

The Facts

1. You can’t see tendonitis, but you can feel it – Tendonitis is a condition that can affect your calf, knee, hand, wrist, shoulders, biceps and other such parts of your body. It happens when the thick and flexible tissue band, a tendon that connects a bone to a muscle, is inflamed. Tendons facilitate the movement of bones with muscle contractions.

When tendonitis occurs, you’ll feel pain in the affected joint. The joint may become stiff, weak, or sore, especially with repetitive activities. While the area near the joint may appear swollen at times, it would look normal at most times without showing any signs of injury.

2. Regular repetitive motions cause tendonitis – As mentioned above, tendonitis is often caused by repetitive motions and most patients don’t know that. Physical activities like swinging a racket or golf club, throwing a ball or something as normal and necessary as running may cause tendonitis. Even the most beloved hobbies where you do repetitive tasks may cause tendonitis. Carpentry, gardening, painting or even cleaning your home may cause the injury.

3. Some people are more susceptible – The risks of tendonitis rise after you cross the age of 40. You start losing lean muscle, and your tendons become weaker and more vulnerable to injuries. Most patients who are affected by tendonitis are usually over the age of 40 and got their injury from repetitive motions on the job, in sports or while indulging in a hobby. However, tendonitis isn’t just limited to that group. Anyone may have tendonitis and won’t even know it if the pain is mild at the beginning.     

4. You can get treated at home – The most important thing about tendonitis is to get diagnosed. This is an easily treatable condition that can even be fixed at home if the injury is mild enough. Your doctor can help you identify the motion that caused tendonitis in the first place and would recommend you rest the affected area and limit the activity that causes pain. 

Your doctor may also recommend you keep the affected area elevated to reduce swelling and apply cold compression throughout the day to reduce inflammation and manage it as much as possible. You can also get over-the-counter medication to help relieve the pain and swelling and stabilize the area with a band, splint or brace. In severe cases where the tendon is torn, you may need to get surgery or corticosteroid injections.

Conclusion

Dr Richard Nahas suggests that you don’t ignore joint pain or other such ailments that may indicate signs of tendonitis. It’s best to see the doctor as early as possible so that you can manage the pain and reduce the symptoms. If you ignore it, the injury is going to worsen over time.