I’m sure you’ve heard of tennis elbow, swimmer’s shoulder, trigger finger — these are a few common names for tendon pain, or tendinopathy. Your tendons are made of many connective tissue fibers that connect your muscle to bone like a cord. Tendons can withstand amazing amounts of force, but sometimes their limit can be pushed too far. When there is a problem, you’ll know it by the classic symptoms of pain, stiffness and swelling near the joint.

People who experience tendon pain often assume that it’s tendinitis, however this may not always be the case. The suffix “-itis” implies that inflammation is part of the tendon pain. But in fact, studies have found that the body’s inflammatory response to injury — redness, swelling and pain — isn’t necessarily to blame. Tendinitis may or may not exist — and in some cases, a person may have tenosynovitis, where the synovial sheath around the tendon is inflamed.  But tendons themselves don’t contain many blood vessels, therefore making it hard for them to get inflamed.

Instead, most people over the age of 50 experience tendinopathy as the result of tendon degeneration. As we age, the collagen that makes up the tendon breaks down, causing multiple microscopic tears. Blood circulation in the tendon also decreases with age, limiting its ability to heal these microscopic tears.  This degenerative condition is called tendinosis. It’s common to develop tendinosis to some degree during your lifetime, but you may have no symptoms.  Symptoms may suddenly appear as a result of trauma, years of repetitive motion during exercise, sports or work demands.

The most effective treatments for tendinosis starts with limiting or stopping the aggravating activity, which helps to decrease further degeneration. Adjusting your biomechanics during an activity is also helpful — for example, posture changes when sitting at your desk for extended periods. Specific exercises can help combat tendinosis by speeding collagen formation. Eccentric movements, in which the muscle lengthens against the force of gravity, has been shown to be effective in helping to rebuild the structure of the tendon. Even with diligent treatment, tendinopathies are often slow to heal, but steps in the right direction can be helpful in preventing further damage.

Reference: Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Alert July 2012 Volume 24 Issue 5

Disclaimer: This newsletter is intended to provide our readers with timely and accurate information.  It is not intended to give personal medical advise, which should be obtained directly from a physician.  Acting on any information provided without first consulting a physician is solely at the readers risk.