Tendons are fibrous cords that attach muscle to bone. It is through tendons that the muscles of the foot and ankle allow us to perform the different motions necessary for walking. Tendonitis is inflammation or irritation of a tendon. Tendons can become irritated quickly, as in acute tendonitis. Or, they can become irritated after repetitive injuries, termed chronic tendonitis or overuse syndrome.
Wrist Tendonitis Caused by Tendon Injury
To get tendonitis, acute or chronic, you need a tendon injury. In daily life, limb and joint motion is a result of muscle contraction and simultaneous tendon traction on its target bone. Hence, the tendon is loaded (stressed). Either concentrically or eccentrically as the joint is flexed or extended. If the increase in demand is gradual, muscles and tendons will usually adapt without injury. But like any loaded structure, tendons will fail if overloaded. This can be like a dramatic explosive disruption of a complete Achilles tear on a basketball court or multiple small microscopic tears acquired over time from repetitive stress or local friction. Almost any activity in excess qualifies; such as weightlifting, throwing, tightening bolts etc. At last check, lifting a can of beer is still safe.
Chronic tendonitis on the other hand is the accumulation over time of small scale injuries that do not heal. As such, one can say that chronic tendonitis is a chronic injury of failed healing resulting in areas of tendon degeneration.
Who Gets Wrist Tendonitis?
Absolutely everyone, although individual genetic differences lead to different genetic tendon compositions, leaving some individuals more vulnerable to tendon injury than others. Genetics will likely prove to be key in sorting out the tendonitis puzzle. Except in severe connective tissue disorders, there is no way yet of genetically identifying a person at risk. That said, women may be slightly more susceptible than men and increasing age certainly increases the risk for tendonitis.
Structurally, tendons are largely woven of protein (collagen) fibers, like a rope. When these fibers are torn, the new collagen production needed for repair can take months. Hence, the long lime needed for tendon healing. Clearly, if there is new stress and injury during the slow healing phase, the balance will tip unfavorably.
How to Prevent Tendonitis?
Common sense remains number one. Stretching and staying below a level of activity that produces inflammation are the keys. In sports or weight training, this may be as easy as working with a coach and gradually increasing load in a training program. Avoiding activity leading to tendon injury on the job is often easier said than done. But proper work station ergonomics can help. See Treatment, below.
Wrist Tendonitis - Natural Treatments
The goal in acute tendonitis is decreased inflammation and in both acute and chronic tendonitis, the goal is to promote better Tendon healing and break the cycle of failed healing. At present, nothing appears to speed up healing and treatment is largely aimed at preventing the inadvertent slowing of healing, while allowing some function and muscle rehabilitation. The muscle of the injured muscle tendon unit often being measurably weakened after injury.
Rest as it likely takes months for a tendon to heal, resting it is key and generally means avoiding activities which cause pain. Activity restrictions should lesson with time and tendon healing, and does not mean activity restriction to the extent of muscle atrophy or joint stiffness.
Presently, many practitioners find that eccentric exercise is particularly helpful. Eccentric means a muscle is forced to lengthen during contraction, for example, the quadriceps that lengthen while contracting as one performs the down part of a wall squat. Most physical therapists will devise a program that starts with evaluation and progresses from palliative modalities like heat, ultrasound, ice, and electrical stimulation, and move on to stretching and resistance exercises and finally, full activity. The time in supervised treatment usually depends on need; for example the rate of progress, the availability of equipment at home or gym and insurance coverage. You can guess which way the trend is going. One can count on the component of home exercises of treatment to he key in almost all situations. For some specifics on home exercise programs, you may wish to check www.merk.com. A note on physical therapy modalities. These are palliative ,that is designed to reduce symptoms. They do not heal tendons or demonstrably speed tendon healing.
