1. Watch the Signs
When navigating through an injury, it's necessary to watch for the early warning signs of pain. Pay attention to what your body is telling you through the pain signals it gives. To diagnose bowler's tendonitis, your doctor must see you first. Make sure you give him a call at the first sign of joint discomfort so you avoid a more serious injury. Some of these warning signs include a dull ache in your elbow, shoulder, knee or wrist. This pain in your joint may be better after exercise, or it might worsen after exercise. Another sign is a sharp or shooting pain in the joint at any movement. Any of these symptoms should prompt you to see your doctor immediately.
2. Let's Take a Look
When you visit your doctor, she looks for certain symptoms to diagnose bowler's tendonitis, as well as other types of tendonitis such as tennis elbow. The symptoms include tenderness directly over the tendon and swelling in that same area. Swelling of the area in and around the tendon generally means there may be inflammation of the tendon as well. The doctor will also examine and assess your movement of the joint and ask you about your level of discomfort while moving it. He will also ask you what type of pain you are having. If you experience a sharp stabbing pain in the joint, it may mean tendonitis is the most likely culprit than some other diagnosis. Give your doctor a thorough background of your sports history, including past injuries and possibly even display your throwing technique. An orthopedic specialist knows the biomechanics of the body and may be able to tell what movement causes the injury.
3. Take a Picture
Sometimes your doctor my ask you to get an X-ray or MRI of your joint. This is simply to rule out other causes of your pain. These can include ligament damage, such as torn or strained ligaments, which sometimes require surgery to correct. Another possibility is a broken or bruised bone, which, depending on the nature of the injury, may need set or surgically corrected. A diagnosis of tendonitis, however, does not require imaging, but these tests confirm that your condition isn't being caused by something else. Your detailed description of the symptoms and the way the injury developed may be all your doctor needs to confirm bowler's tendonitis.
