What’s the Difference, and Should I Just Deal with the Pain?
We’ve all been there, training for a big race, preparing for the big game, or just trying to get something done at work, when we notice pain around a joint. Most of the time the pain goes away, but what happens if it doesn’t. Should you just “deal” with the soreness?
-
One of the most common overuse injuries is tendinitis, whether through sports, work, or recreational activities, and if left untreated, can limit your ability to perform at your full potential. Sometimes the terms tendinitis and tendinosis are used interchangeably since they both present at one of the approximately 4,000 tendons in the body, which are the collagen-based tissue that attaches muscle to bone. However, the management approach to each diagnosis differs.
Tendinitis is the inflammation of a tendon caused by micro-tears in the tendon, often due to acute injury or overuse. Often it results from activities involving repetitive motion or sudden stress on a tendon. Symptoms often include pain, swelling, and tenderness over the affected tendon, and it can cause redness, heat, and swelling in the affected area. The pain is usually localized and may worsen with movement of the affected joint or muscle and decrease when at rest.
Tendinosis, on the other hand, is a chronic condition resulting from long-term overuse or repetitive microtrauma to a tendon and not resting to allow for healing. Unlike tendinitis, it is not primarily driven by inflammation and is characterized by degeneration of the tendon tissue. There is a physical breakdown of the collagen fibers in the tendon, which often times leads to thickening and weakening of the tendon. Pain with tendinosis can be more persistent, and can even occur at rest.
Since both tendinosis and tendonitis are caused by excessive and repetitive forces on the tendon, it can be difficult to determine what you have. Your physical therapist or physician can perform an evaluation along with specific questions to help determine which condition you have. A musculoskeletal ultrasound or an MRI can also be performed to determine if there is inflammation or degenerative changes in a tendon.
Treatment for tendinitis often starts with rest and NSAIDs to help decrease inflammation. Physical therapy will provide patient and joint specific exercises to help strengthen the tendon and muscles as well as preserve range of motion. Often bracing or taping will be used to help in your recovery, and you may also need a cortisone injection to help relieve pain and swelling if your symptoms are severe enough. Typically, tendinitis recovery is a few days to 6 weeks, depending on how early it’s diagnosed.
Rest is also needed when treating tendinosis, but since inflammation is absent, NSAIDs are not typically needed and actually impede collagen healing. Activity modification is important as well as physical therapy to provide appropriate exercise type and intensity, including eccentric strengthening. Conservative movement in a pain free range is encouraged as you’ll want to regain the range of motion of the affected area as well as increase circulation to the area to promotes healing. If diagnosed early enough, recovery can take 6-10 weeks, but if the condition has moved into a chronic state, it takes a minimum of 2-6 months for a full recovery. Sometime surgery is recommended if you are not responding to any type of treatment.
There are common treatments that can help improve both conditions. Rest is needed for both, and while that can be hard due to busy work and sports schedules, you will continue to deal with pain that limits your ability to perform at your highest potential if you don’t give your body time to heal. Hydration and nutrition contribute to the healing process as well, and try to avoid foods that cause inflammation. Your physical therapist will perform various techniques to the tissue, such as cross-friction, dry needling, or ASTYM, that promotes healing to both tendonitis and tendinosis. They will also ensure proper form, load, and repetition with exercises to minimize any soreness and strengthen the tissue against any future injuries.
Most importantly, your recovery will not be linear! There may be periods of improvements followed by a small setback as you start returning to activity. Discuss with your physical therapist how you are responding to treatment to allow them to modify any part of your treatment so you can get back to your life and activity.
And since most insurances no longer require a prescription for physical therapy, you can call us at 918-893-3409 to set up an appointment and start your road to recovery!
-
One of the most common overuse injuries is tendinitis, whether through sports, work, or recreational activities, and if left untreated, can limit your ability to perform at your full potential. Sometimes the terms tendinitis and tendinosis are used interchangeably since they both present at one of the approximately 4,000 tendons in the body, which are the collagen-based tissue that attaches muscle to bone. However, the management approach to each diagnosis differs.
Tendinitis is the inflammation of a tendon caused by micro-tears in the tendon, often due to acute injury or overuse. Often it results from activities involving repetitive motion or sudden stress on a tendon. Symptoms often include pain, swelling, and tenderness over the affected tendon, and it can cause redness, heat, and swelling in the affected area. The pain is usually localized and may worsen with movement of the affected joint or muscle and decrease when at rest.
Tendinosis, on the other hand, is a chronic condition resulting from long-term overuse or repetitive microtrauma to a tendon and not resting to allow for healing. Unlike tendinitis, it is not primarily driven by inflammation and is characterized by degeneration of the tendon tissue. There is a physical breakdown of the collagen fibers in the tendon, which often times leads to thickening and weakening of the tendon. Pain with tendinosis can be more persistent, and can even occur at rest.
Since both tendinosis and tendonitis are caused by excessive and repetitive forces on the tendon, it can be difficult to determine what you have. Your physical therapist or physician can perform an evaluation along with specific questions to help determine which condition you have. A musculoskeletal ultrasound or an MRI can also be performed to determine if there is inflammation or degenerative changes in a tendon.
Treatment for tendinitis often starts with rest and NSAIDs to help decrease inflammation. Physical therapy will provide patient and joint specific exercises to help strengthen the tendon and muscles as well as preserve range of motion. Often bracing or taping will be used to help in your recovery, and you may also need a cortisone injection to help relieve pain and swelling if your symptoms are severe enough. Typically, tendinitis recovery is a few days to 6 weeks, depending on how early it’s diagnosed.
Rest is also needed when treating tendinosis, but since inflammation is absent, NSAIDs are not typically needed and actually impede collagen healing. Activity modification is important as well as physical therapy to provide appropriate exercise type and intensity, including eccentric strengthening. Conservative movement in a pain free range is encouraged as you’ll want to regain the range of motion of the affected area as well as increase circulation to the area to promotes healing. If diagnosed early enough, recovery can take 6-10 weeks, but if the condition has moved into a chronic state, it takes a minimum of 2-6 months for a full recovery. Sometime surgery is recommended if you are not responding to any type of treatment.
There are common treatments that can help improve both conditions. Rest is needed for both, and while that can be hard due to busy work and sports schedules, you will continue to deal with pain that limits your ability to perform at your highest potential if you don’t give your body time to heal. Hydration and nutrition contribute to the healing process as well, and try to avoid foods that cause inflammation. Your physical therapist will perform various techniques to the tissue, such as cross-friction, dry needling, or ASTYM, that promotes healing to both tendonitis and tendinosis. They will also ensure proper form, load, and repetition with exercises to minimize any soreness and strengthen the tissue against any future injuries.
Most importantly, your recovery will not be linear! There may be periods of improvements followed by a small setback as you start returning to activity. Discuss with your physical therapist how you are responding to treatment to allow them to modify any part of your treatment so you can get back to your life and activity.
And since most insurances no longer require a prescription for physical therapy, you can call us at 918-893-3409 to set up an appointment and start your road to recovery!
-
One of the most common overuse injuries is tendinitis, whether through sports, work, or recreational activities, and if left untreated, can limit your ability to perform at your full potential. Sometimes the terms tendinitis and tendinosis are used interchangeably since they both present at one of the approximately 4,000 tendons in the body, which are the collagen-based tissue that attaches muscle to bone. However, the management approach to each diagnosis differs.
Tendinitis is the inflammation of a tendon caused by micro-tears in the tendon, often due to acute injury or overuse. Often it results from activities involving repetitive motion or sudden stress on a tendon. Symptoms often include pain, swelling, and tenderness over the affected tendon, and it can cause redness, heat, and swelling in the affected area. The pain is usually localized and may worsen with movement of the affected joint or muscle and decrease when at rest.
Tendinosis, on the other hand, is a chronic condition resulting from long-term overuse or repetitive microtrauma to a tendon and not resting to allow for healing. Unlike tendinitis, it is not primarily driven by inflammation and is characterized by degeneration of the tendon tissue. There is a physical breakdown of the collagen fibers in the tendon, which often times leads to thickening and weakening of the tendon. Pain with tendinosis can be more persistent, and can even occur at rest.
Since both tendinosis and tendonitis are caused by excessive and repetitive forces on the tendon, it can be difficult to determine what you have. Your physical therapist or physician can perform an evaluation along with specific questions to help determine which condition you have. A musculoskeletal ultrasound or an MRI can also be performed to determine if there is inflammation or degenerative changes in a tendon.
Treatment for tendinitis often starts with rest and NSAIDs to help decrease inflammation. Physical therapy will provide patient and joint specific exercises to help strengthen the tendon and muscles as well as preserve range of motion. Often bracing or taping will be used to help in your recovery, and you may also need a cortisone injection to help relieve pain and swelling if your symptoms are severe enough. Typically, tendinitis recovery is a few days to 6 weeks, depending on how early it’s diagnosed.
Rest is also needed when treating tendinosis, but since inflammation is absent, NSAIDs are not typically needed and actually impede collagen healing. Activity modification is important as well as physical therapy to provide appropriate exercise type and intensity, including eccentric strengthening. Conservative movement in a pain free range is encouraged as you’ll want to regain the range of motion of the affected area as well as increase circulation to the area to promotes healing. If diagnosed early enough, recovery can take 6-10 weeks, but if the condition has moved into a chronic state, it takes a minimum of 2-6 months for a full recovery. Sometime surgery is recommended if you are not responding to any type of treatment.
There are common treatments that can help improve both conditions. Rest is needed for both, and while that can be hard due to busy work and sports schedules, you will continue to deal with pain that limits your ability to perform at your highest potential if you don’t give your body time to heal. Hydration and nutrition contribute to the healing process as well, and try to avoid foods that cause inflammation. Your physical therapist will perform various techniques to the tissue, such as cross-friction, dry needling, or ASTYM, that promotes healing to both tendonitis and tendinosis. They will also ensure proper form, load, and repetition with exercises to minimize any soreness and strengthen the tissue against any future injuries.
Most importantly, your recovery will not be linear! There may be periods of improvements followed by a small setback as you start returning to activity. Discuss with your physical therapist how you are responding to treatment to allow them to modify any part of your treatment so you can get back to your life and activity.
And since most insurances no longer require a prescription for physical therapy, you can call us at 918-893-3409 to set up an appointment and start your road to recovery!