Tendons are the tough cords of fibrous tissues that join your muscles to your bones. They're essential for proper joint function, but when they become injured or inflamed, joint movement becomes impaired and you experience symptoms such as swelling and pain. This condition is called tendonitis, or tendinitis. It can strike any tendons in your body, but the elbow and shoulder tendons are among those most commonly affected.
Causes and Risk Factors for Tendonitis
The most likely causes of tendonitis are injuries and overuse. Tightness in your tendons and muscles, high-intensity activities and diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis also contribute to tendonitis. You're more likely to suffer from this painful condition as you get older and your tendons begin to weaken, or if you have a job or participate in sports that involve repetitive activity.
Benefits of Physical Therapy
Physical therapy provides several benefits for tendonitis. It can increase range of motion, which becomes limited during tendonitis. For instance, shoulder tendonitis may prevent you from scrubbing your back or reaching up to highly placed objects. Elbow tendonitis may prevent you from fully extending the joint. Also, physical therapy helps to strengthen weakened tendons and relieves pain.
Types of Physical Therapy Exercises
Stretching exercises help to improve range of motion or flexibility. Each stretch should be held for 20 to 30 seconds and should be performed five to 10 times twice a day, according to the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Trauma. Strengthening exercises to increase tendon and muscle strength begin once your pain decreases. Typically, you use a 1-lb. weight when you begin strengthening exercises and gradually increase the poundage once you can easily complete three sets of 10 repetitions. After you complete these exercises, apply an ice pack to your joints for about five to 10 minutes, making sure that you place a piece of cloth between your skin and the ice pack.
Additional Physical Therapy Options
In some cases, your therapist may recommend that you wear a brace for a short period of time each day or while performing therapeutic exercises. Besides weights, other devices you might use during therapeutic exercises include a tennis ball or a rubber bar for elbow tendonitis, or a broom stick or pole for shoulder tendonitis. Besides exercises, your physical therapist will likely also recommend that you treat the affected joint with RICE -- rest, ice, compression and elevation -- to reduce the activity that's causing the condition and to decrease pain and swelling. If physical therapy doesn't improve your symptoms and joint function, your doctor may recommend surgery.
References
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Tendinitis and Tenosynovitis
- MedlinePlus: Tendinitis
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Shoulder Impingement/Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
- Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Trauma: Physical Therapy Corner: Tennis Elbow
- The Stretching Institute; Rotator Cuff Injury and Shoulder Tendonitis Stretches; Brad Walker
