Tendonitis/Tenosynovitis

Tendonitis is a common presentation generally resulting due to over use of specific muscles in a given activity. It most commonly appears in the upper and lower limbs and can present anywhere from a general stiffness in the muscle associated with the tendon to acute pain at the site where the tendon attaches to the bone.

Tenosynovitis is similar to tendonitis and shares many of the same causes. They differ in that tenosynovitis refers specifically to inflammation of the synovium (a fluid filled sheath that surounds many tendons).

Tendonitis/tenosynovitis are commonly thought of as sports related injuries but they can occur as a result of any activity where overuse of specific muscles are involved, i.e. knitters will often experience tendonitis in the elbow as will office workers who spend many hours using the mouse daily.

Prevention

Tendonitis/ tenosynovitis are both relatively easy to avoid in most cases. 

Overuse of a muscle causes the muscle belly to shorten over time, as the muscle belly shortens it puts increased tension on the tendon which can lead to inflammation either at the attachment site (i.e. tennis elbow) or within the synovium of a tendon (i.e. Achilles tenosynovitis). 

To avoid developing either presentation one simply has to look at their activities of daily living to determine if they tend to focus on a given activity for many hours or at a relatively aggressive level. If so, look at the muscles that are being overused or experiencing stress and commit to a consistent (i.e. daily) gentle progressive stretching routine for the affected muscles. 

Examples would include

• knitters & administrative office workers are prone to developing tendonitis in the elbow & wrist and should stretch the muscles of their forearms at minimal twice a day.
• runners are prone to Achilles and patellar tendonitis, to avoid Achilles tendonitis stretch the calves consistently and to avoid patellar tendonitis stretch the quads.
• weight training often leads to imbalances in the shoulder that can lead to different forms of rotator cuff tendonitis. To help avoid this ensure you are are training muscle groups in a balanced way as well as stretching after each workout.

Treatment

The treatments for tendonitis and tenosynovitis vary depending on where they present and at what stage they are at when you seek treatment. 

In the early stages of each, it might be possible to resolve the presentation by simply working aggressively to lengthen the affected muscle. In middle to late stages it might be necessary to do some fascial release or friction the affected tendon. 

Needless to say, the sooner you seek treatment for tendonitis the easier it is to resolve with less invasive techniques.