Tendonitis

What is Tendonitis?

Tendons are strong cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Tendonitis, inflammation of a tendon, can happen to any tendon in the body. An inflamed tendon can cause swelling, pain, and discomfort.

Another problem linked to tendonitis, tenosynovitis, is the inflammation of the lining of the sheath around a tendon. Often the sheath itself is inflamed, but both the sheath and the tendon can be inflamed at the same time.

Common types of tendon problems include:

Tennis elbow: pain to the side of the elbow and forearm, along the thumb side of the arm, is caused by damage to the tendons that bend the wrist back and away from the palm.
Golfer’s or baseball elbow: pain from the elbow to the wrist on the palm side of the forearm, caused by damage to the tendons that bend the wrist toward the palm.
Rotator cuff tendonitis: this shoulder disorder causes inflammation of the shoulder capsule and related tendons.
DeQuervain tenosynovitis: a common tenosynovitis disorder that causes swelling in the tendon sheath of the tendons of the thumb.
Trigger finger or trigger thumb: a type of tenosynovitis when the tendon sheath becomes inflamed and thickened, making it hard to extend or flex the finger or thumb. The finger or thumb may lock or "trigger" suddenly.
Knee tendonitis: also know as jumper's knee, is an in jury to the tendon connecting your keep cap (patella) to your shinbone.
Achilles tendonitis: an injury caused by overuse of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects calf muscles to the back of the lower leg to your heel bone.

UR Medicine's Treatments for Tendonitis

Most bone and joint conditions have several treatment options that can be combined and modified over time, including:

Rehabilitation exercise
Braces
Medication
Injections
Surgery to correct a structural problem that won’t resolve otherwise

We work with you to figure out the plan best suited to you and your lifestyle. If your problem needs a more specific course of treatment, you can see one of our many skilled specialists on the Orthopaedics & Physical Performance team.

What Sets Us Apart?

Our physical therapists are experts in treating musculoskeletal conditions—often, just a single visit is all that’s needed to instruct in the proper care of the condition.

If more is needed, our team of nationally recognized orthopaedic surgeons and specialists can help. Our surgeons are fellowship-trained—the highest level of academic achievement in their field—and patients come from the entire multi-county region to benefit from their expertise.