Playing a sport is an effective way to stay limber, maintain a healthy weight and reduce the chance of developing a serious disease. Sports participation can also lead to injuries, particularly if you don't use proper form or overuse one area of the body. Tendinitis, an inflammation of the tendons that connect your bones to muscles, is a common type of athletic injury.
Types and Symptoms
Tendinitis can affect tendons in the elbow, shoulder, knee and Achilles tendon. Inflamed joints feel sore and inflamed and may be more difficult to move. Elbow tendinitis can affect the inner or outer tendon, causing pain that may be felt in the elbow, upper arm or forearm. Both biceps and rotator cuff tendinitis can cause tendinitis in the shoulder. Pain may radiate down your arm and may increase when you raise your arm. Rotator cuff tendinitis causes pain at the top of your shoulder and upper arm. The pain may worsen if you raise your arm, lie on your arm or use that arm to lift, pull or push an object. Tendinitis in the knee can cause pain in the knee and leg when you run, jump or walk quickly, while Achilles tendinitis causes pain in the heel and the back of the leg.
Causes
Many sports use the same movements over and over again, which strains muscles and tendons and can result in tendinitis. Elbow tendinitis is commonly called tennis elbow and golfer's elbow because repetitive movements in those sports can lead to tendon inflammation. Any type of repetitive motion that involves hand gripping, twisting motions or constantly turning the wrist can cause the condition.
Participating in sports or other activities that require raising the arms, such as pitching, tennis or swimming, can cause biceps tendinitis or rotator cuff tendinitis in the shoulder. Tendinitis in the knee, also called jumper's knee, frequently occurs in athletes who participate in track and field, basketball, dancing or bicycling. Achilles tendinitis can occur if you participate in activities that cause calf muscle contraction, such as tennis, basketball, football or using a stair-stepper machine.
Considerations
Age and failure to warm up before exercise can increase your risk of developing tendinitis. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases reports that jumper's knee is most likely to occur in older people whose tendons tend to be weaker and less flexible. Achilles tendinitis often occurs in people who exercise only occasionally and don't take the time to stretch before they begin the activity.
Treatment
Tendinitis treatment involves resting and icing the injured area, taking anti-inflammatory medication, using compression bandages or splinting or bracing the injured body part. Your doctor may suggest ultrasound treatment to increase blood flow to the affected area or may suggest injecting the area with a corticosteroid to reduce pain and inflammation. Corticosteroid injections must be used sparingly because frequent injections can cause the tendon to rupture. Stretching exercises can help you regain flexibility and strength as you recover from tendinitis. If symptoms don't improve with treatment or you develop a tear in a tendon, you may require surgery to repair the affected tendon and relieve pain.
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