Tendinitis is often considered an overuse injury. Any activity that leads to repetitive movements can cause irritation and subsequent inflammation of a tendon. This can lead to pain just outside the affected joint, as is often seen in tennis elbow, golfer's elbow and jumper's knee. Treatment for this condition usually relies on self-care measures, but supplementing the diet with potassium isn't one of them. As with any dietary supplement, talk to your doctor before taking potassium to treat a medical condition.
Usage
The benefits of potassium on tendinitis are anecdotal at best. Proponents of its use believe this mineral can help relieve the pain associated with this condition, but no scientific evidence exists to support such claims. According to Home Remedy Central, taking potassium can even prevent tendinitis, regardless of what you're doing to cause the injury.
Potassium
The Food and Nutrition Center of the Institute of Medicine recommends getting 4.7 g of potassium each day. Like any other nutrient, the best source of this mineral is diet. Many foods contain potassium, such as broccoli, tomatoes, peas, bananas, kiwi, cantaloupe, apricots and citrus fruits. It's also readily available in dairy, nuts, beef, chicken and many fish, such as cod and salmon.
Deficiency
A deficiency in potassium, also known as hypokalemia, doesn't increase the chances of tendinitis. Even though this mineral is essential to the proper function of muscles and other tissues in the body, like the tendons, not enough in the diet does nothing to cause this injury. In fact, a potassium deficiency is rarely the result of dietary habits, reports the National Institutes of Health. Your intake of this mineral can't prevent or treat tendinitis.
Recommendation
Instead of relying on dietary supplements to prevent and treat tendinitis, use other self-care methods proven to work. Preventing tendinitis often entails stretching prior to activities, using proper technique during the activity and resting the joint at the first sign of pain. Treating tendinitis falls along the same lines as prevention. Resting the affected joint is the most beneficial, but you can also see improvements by immobilizing, elevating, wrapping and icing the joint in question. If self-care fails to provide results, take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and talk to your doctor.
Warning
Taking too much potassium can lead to hyperkalemia. While your kidneys are normally able to keep potassium levels from rising too high, supplementing the diet with this mineral can lead to this condition, especially for people with kidney problems. Hyperkalemia can cause nausea and irregular heartbeat. Talk to your doctor before self-prescribing potassium to treat this or any other medical condition.
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