Tendinitis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Tendons themselves are cords of tough, fibrous connective tissue that attach muscles to bones. Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendon. The condition may also involve the tendon sheath, usually close to where the tendon goes into the muscle. Tendons are generally healthy structures that appear glistening white to the naked eye. If you’ve ever carved a turkey, the tendons are the tough bands you cut through to get the drumsticks apart.
Tendinitis usually occurs in middle or old age. The condition develops when people have used the same motion over and over again for a long time. When tendinitis occurs in younger people, it is usually caused by performing the same motion very frequently over a short period of time. A classical example of tendinitis is tennis elbow. Tennis elbow gets its name because it occurs most commonly among tennis players. Tennis players may use the same swing of their arm over and over again many times during a few hours or few days.
The first symptom of the patellar tendonitis is pain in the patellar region or between the kneecap and the shinbone’s tendon. During jumping or running, the pain can be noticeable and sharp, and it will continue to throb fully even while at rest. As the condition worsens, the patient may discover that the pain becomes worse as the intensity of the activity goes higher.
The Facts on Tendinitis
Tendons are bands of tissue that anchor muscles to bones. They slide back and forth as our muscles contract and our joints flex. To prevent chafing and to keep them in position, the tendons are enclosed in special coverings (sheaths) that are lubricated. When something goes wrong that prevents the tendon from moving smoothly, pain and stiffness result. When tendons are damaged and inflamed, the condition is commonly known as tendinitis. If the problem is in the lining of the tendon’s sheath, it’s called tenosynovitis.
Tendinitis due to overuse is most common in younger individuals and can occur in walkers, runners, or other athletes, especially in sports like basketball that involve jumping. Jumping places a large amount of stress on the Achilles tendon. Tendinitis from arthritis is more common in the middle aged and elderly population. Arthritis often causes extra bony growths around joints, and if this occurs around the heel where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel bone, the tendon can become inflamed and painful.
Tennis elbow (epicondylitis) was first recognized by doctors more than 100 years ago and it is estimated that up to half of all tennis players will suffer from the condition at some point. Tennis elbow is the inflammation of the tendons in the elbow area and is caused by overuse and injury. Tennis elbow almost always effects the tendons out the outside of the elbow.
Injections: Medical practitioners often inject cortisone into the affected tendon to relieve the inflammation as well as the pain. However, there are certain side effects associated with cortisone, which must be carefully weighed before you opt for this particular type of treatment.
peterhutch
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/tendinitis-causes-symptoms-and-treatment-483189.html
2 Responses to “Tendinitis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment”
Leave a Reply
Switching from synthyroid to natural desiccated thyroid or just add a T3?I have hypothyroidism. I've been taking synthyroid for 5 months. Doc. says my TSH is normal. I still have symptoms. I've had a mysterious case of tendinitis (tennis elbow) that has persisted for over a year. It goes from one elbow to another and makes a crunching sound when I bend it palm down. I've read that hypothyroidism can cause inflammation and that treatment should relieve the tendinitis. I am still tired, mood swings, and experience symptoms of hypoglycemia(not sure if it's related) after eating foods high in carbs (palpation's, lose of sight when I stand up, falling asleep and extreme irritability), despite a normal blood glucose after eating. Anyone out there have any insight? Should I use the natural thyroid or try to get a rx for a T3 in addition to my T4? I'm batting my brains out looking for an answer.
Hi James,
I personally would just continue the Synthroid medicaition,especially if your doctor told you your TSH is normal. I think your other symptoms are absolutely unrelated to hypothyroidism. You should discuss these with your doctor and maybe he/she would like to check some tests to further evaluate.
In regards to thyroid supplements, Levothyroxine (Synthroid) is the preferred treatment. I don’t know if you realize that Levothyroxine is T4 and the body converts it to the active form of T3. T3 supplementation is only used in rare circumstances and is not superior to T4 supplementation in 99.9% of patients. T3 also leads to fluctuating levels during the day. So no, I don’t think this is an appropriate option for you. In regards to natural thyroid, I do not know a single doctor that has ever prescribed or recommended this. The problem with natural thyroid is that we don’t know the potency or strength of it. Therefore we don’t know exactly how much T4 (thyroid hormone) you are actually getting. So basically the best treatment for hypothyroidism is Levothyroxine aka T4 aka Synthroid. I do not think changing your hypothyroid regimen will change your symptoms, because I very much doubt they are related to your thyroid disease. You should of course discuss this with your personal physician. I hope this helps you.
References :
Physician