Tendonitis (tenovaginitis) or tendinitis is inflammation of the tendons in the tissue. Tendonitis in the wrist often occurs because the hands are used in a variety of ways through work and sport and are therefore also overloaded. But even simple activities such as writing, playing computer games and working on the computer can cause tendonitis in the long term.
What is tendonitis?
Tendonitis is a complete over-stimulation of the tendons, which occurs with great potential for pain in the arm that is primarily used. If you are right-handed, it is the right arm and vice versa. However, in the event of overexertion, tendonitis can also occur in one leg. See ablogtophone for RNA which stands for Ribonucleic Acid.
Tendonitis is one of the most painful inflammations of the musculoskeletal system. It can usually only be cured by rigorous immobilization of the affected part of the body. However, as long as the affected body part begins to tremble as soon as it is used, tendonitis is by no means considered cured. Of course, the same applies if the pain from tendonitis continues.
Causes
Tendonitis is usually caused by massive and persistent overexertion. Tendonitis can occur with frequent crocheting and knitting or other handicrafts, as well as after hours of typing on a keyboard. But writing with a classic pen, which tends to be cramped, can also lead to tendonitis.
The same applies to relatively monotonous activities, such as plastering walls or sawing wood. Last but not least, tennis very often leads to tendonitis due to incorrect racket position. Hence the erroneous but widespread term “tennis elbow” for tendonitis. Basically, any movement that tends to be the same and is repeated over and over again can lead to a very painful tendonitis due to incorrect posture or too few breaks and relaxation phases.
Tendonitis can only be cured with absolute rest and lasting recovery. So it makes sense to take regular breaks before tendonitis occurs in the first place.
Symptoms, Ailments & Signs
Tendonitis causes pain in the affected tendons, which is described as aching. The affected joints hurt with every movement. The pain is initially only noticeable when moving or under stress. Later, the joints can also be very painful and throbbing at rest.
Redness and swelling may occur in the affected joints. The skin also feels warm. If the tendonitis occurs in the forearm, crunching noises can occur when you move. These frictional noises are called snowball crunches. Tendonitis can also be visible visually.
Then a small bump shows up under the skin. This is due to the congestion of the parallel tendon fibers. Numbness may also occur. The wrists are most commonly affected. The disease can also affect elbows or ankles. If the inflammation is not treated, scarring leads to thickening and knotting and the tendons sticking together.
If rheumatism proves to be the cause of the disease, deformed joints become apparent. The disease is associated with severe pain, but usually subsides after a few days without complications. If left untreated, a chronic course is possible and the patient can feel pain for months.
Complications
In most cases, tendonitis has a favorable course. However, there is a risk of complications if the disease is recognized and treated too late. So it is possible that the inflammation takes a chronic course.
Some chronic forms of tendonitis are so complicated that even medical treatment cannot provide adequate relief. If a connection is established between the illness and the workplace, an occupational illness can even be recognized. In such cases, patients are forced to switch to other tools or pursue a new job.
Some of those affected also need psychotherapeutic treatment due to their illness. If the tendonitis takes a chronic course, it is also referred to in medicine as an RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). This clinical picture is caused by the same stresses that are repeated over and over again.
If the tendonitis appears on the hand or the finger flexor tendon sheaths, this can result in a trigger finger. Doctors then also speak of tendovaginitis stenosans. During this process, the tendon sheaths that belong to the finger flexor muscles thicken. The metatarsophalangeal joint, which is located on the inside of the hand, is particularly affected by such thickening.
If the tendonitis has to be treated surgically, there is also a risk of complications. These primarily include accidental nerve injuries, growth of a nerve in scar tissue, and inflammation of the surgical wound.
When should you go to the doctor?
Tendonitis must always be examined and treated by a doctor. Only proper medical treatment can prevent further complications. If the tendonitis is not treated, the inflammation can spread in the worst case. A doctor should be consulted if the person concerned is suffering from very severe pain. This pain occurs primarily when you are at rest and worsens when you move. The pain associated with tendonitis often spreads to the neighboring regions and also causes considerable discomfort there.
Furthermore, it is not uncommon for severe redness or swelling of the area to indicate tendonitis. Numbness can also be a sign of the disease. The pain lasts for a long time and does not go away on its own. In the case of tendonitis, a general practitioner can be consulted in the first place. Further treatment is then carried out by a specialist.
Treatment & Therapy
A cast is usually applied in the event that tendonitis has been diagnosed. This is to ensure that any form of stress is prevented as long as the tendonitis persists. Tendonitis can be treated with supportive radiation and can often even calm it down a bit. If this treatment method is indicated, a plaster splint can also be made instead of the closed cast and put back on after each treatment.
However, splints made of lighter plastics are also often used to immobilize the arm during tendonitis but still be able to carry out direct radiation. In addition, soothing ointments that relax and provide warmth to the diseased tendons are administered.
Regular light massage of the affected parts of the body with these ointments also relieves the pain caused by tendonitis. A tendonitis that has not healed before the body part is put under pressure again is, so to speak, on the verge: it will make itself felt again immediately. Medical advice is essential before resuming sport or work.
Prevention
In order to prevent tendonitis, it can be very useful, for example, to strengthen the muscles in the arm that is overused with a so-called hand expander.
However, this measure should be started at the earliest when a tendonitis that has already occurred has definitely healed. Another form of preventing tendonitis is to learn a craft or sport properly from a professional or trainer. Only learning the required movements correctly can prevent the arm from being used incorrectly. This would inevitably lead to a possible renewed tendonitis in a very short time.
Aftercare
In most cases, patients with tendonitis do not have any special or direct options and measures for aftercare, so that a doctor should first and foremost be consulted with this disease at an early stage. Therefore, a doctor should be contacted at the first signs and symptoms of tendonitis in order to prevent the occurrence of other complaints and complications.
It cannot heal on its own, so those affected are always dependent on medical examination and treatment. In many cases, the symptoms can be relieved with the help of medication. The person concerned should always pay attention to regular intake and the specified dosage in order to permanently relieve the symptoms.
Likewise, if anything is unclear or if you have any questions, you should first consult a doctor. Those affected should rest and rest their bodies, avoiding exertion or stressful activities. In the case of tendonitis, the help and support of one’s own family can also be very useful in order to make everyday life easier for the person affected. As a rule, the patient’s life expectancy is not reduced by the disease.
You can do that yourself
It is crucial to keep the inflamed area resting and resting the limbs for several days. If the tendonitis occurs in the hand, for example, the other hand should be used more. After a few days, the affected hand can be carefully accustomed to physical exertion again.
Best practice is to apply coolant or ice. These should be wrapped in a towel so that they do not lie directly on the skin. You would otherwise cause skin reactions similar to those of a burn. It also makes sense to apply a pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory ointment several times a day, which can be bought in pharmacies and drugstores without a prescription. Depending on where the tendonitis is occurring, the site may then be covered with a bandage. If the pain is severe, appropriate painkillers can be taken. If the tendonitis does not improve even after a few days, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
For everyday use, the cause of the tendonitis should be researched and behavior and other circumstances changed if necessary so that it does not recur: For example, a flatter keyboard on the PC helps those who write a lot to relieve the tendons, and more breaks should be taken when playing the piano or knitting.