If you are experiencing tendonitis symptoms, it’s time to find relief. The experts at Apex Manual Therapy will identify the root cause to effectively and efficiently provide tendonitis pain relief. Whether you’re suffering from elbow tendonitis, shoulder tendonitis or knee tendonitis, we can help.
Our physical therapists are among the most skilled professionals in the country. They have obtained the highest level of orthopedic physical therapy training available that goes beyond the doctorate level. Our therapists are recognized as Fellows of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy (FAAOMPT). It’s an educational achievement that’s only been awarded to 1,800 fellows in America and guarantees the gold standard of care for musculoskeletal conditions, including tendonitis treatment.
Each visit at Apex Manual Therapy is spent entirely one-on-one with a fellow to provide the best treatment for tendonitis symptoms.
Common tendonitis conditions treated by our physical therapist.
-
Achilles tendonitis treatment
-
Knee tendonitis treatment
-
Patellar tendonitis treatment
-
Tennis elbow treatment
-
Wrist tendonitis treatment
-
Shoulder tendonitis
-
Elbow tendonitis
-
Forearm tendonitis
Do you live in the greater Austin or Pflugerville, Texas area? Then schedule a free consultation with one of our advanced therapists. We guarantee you’ll see the difference in our approach and your results.
Where Tendonitis Develops
You may have heard tendonitis mentioned in conjunction with discomfort in many areas of the body, such as the knee, elbow, shoulder, forearm and wrist. That’s because tendonitis can develop in any part of the body. Tendonitis is also named directly for the tendon associated such as achilles tendonitis and patellar tendonitis.
To properly provide tendonitis pain relief one must understand what a tendon is, how it functions, how it heals and how it became injured.
What is a Tendon and Tendonitis?
A tendon is a fibrous band of connective tissue that connects the muscle to the bone. The connective tissue is primarily collagen.
Tendons are poorly vascularized, meaning they don’t have a good supply of blood. This poor blood supply is responsible for the slow healing of tendons.
Tendonitis is a term which means inflammation or “itis” of the tendon. However, recent research is now showing tendons do not display the classic stages of an inflammatory response. For that reason, tendonitis is now being called tendinopathy, “opathy” meaning a disorder. The disorder in tendinopathy is with the collagen fibers which make up the tendon. Studies reveal the collagen fibers are disoriented instead of having their normal parallel formation.
Tendon fibers have a wave form structure that can provide more length when pulled taunt. If the fibers are pulled too taunt, disorder takes place and the tendon will adapt to a new resting state. Think of a rubber band that is not being stretched and how there is visible slack, this is a healthy tendon which can adapt when pulled apart. If we pull this band too far, the rubber band will deform and take on a new resting position when not being pulled.
Endurance training results in more vascularization (blood supply) and collagen synthesis (building/production) for the tendon. Therefore; exercise is the optimal treatment for tendons. But too much exercise or the wrong kind of exercise, and the band will be pulled too far, causing further collagen disorientation. If you have too little exercise or complete halting of all activity, you’ve now created a state of decreased blood supply and collagen synthesis, which does nothing but worsen and prolong your tendon pain.
What Does a Tendon Do?
Tendons are responsible for storing and releasing energy. Tendons are very strong and allow us to transfer force to the bone. If too much weight or load is placed on the tendon that’s when tendinopathy can occur.
Since tendons store energy, completely resting the tendon will decrease the amount of energy stored setting the patient up for injury. This is often seen with athletes after returning from their off season. In as little as three weeks of complete resting, the tendon is shown to have 25% less ability to transfer loads. This is huge when considering kids and adults take extended breaks from their sports for holidays and summer vacations.
Best Treatment for Tendinopathy
To treat tendinopathy, body mechanics must be assessed. If the body is not moving correctly, the tendon could be subjected to excessive strain. Identifying and treating faulty movement dysfunctions is the first step to tendinopathy pain relief.
Along with addressing the body’s movements, tendon training must take place. A tendon training program provides the tendon with the ability to appropriately store and release energy (what it was designed to do). This treatment approach is different per person and is based on the current state of the tendon. Massage or stretching of a tendon should be avoided as tendons do not respond well to compression and could cause more damage.
Your entire visit will be spent one-on-one with a fellowship trained therapist to achieve maximum tendon performance for lasting results. Come experience a different tendonitis pain relief approach based on the latest, most up-to-date research.
