Tendinitis: What to Do and How to Return Gently? 7 Tips From an Osteopath
Relative rest, cold, finding the cause, rehabilitation, gradual return: 7 tips when you have tendinitis, and the signs that mean you should see a doctor.
Tennis elbow, shoulder, wrist, Achilles tendon: tendinitis, or tendinopathy, often comes after repeated movements, in sport or at work. The pain builds gradually, and the most common mistake is to keep going "through gritted teeth". Tendinitis heals with time and method. Here are the landmarks to know.
1. Rest the tendon from the first signs of pain
Rest is one of the most effective treatments. In the first days, spare the tendon, with an elastic bandage if needed. Then move on to relative rest: keep moving, without loading the painful area.
2. Use cold correctly
Put an ice pack on the area, with a damp cloth between the ice and your skin. No more than 20 minutes at a time, then a 20-minute break before starting again.
3. Stop the movement that hurts
In sport as at work, identify the movement that triggers the pain and put it on hold. Forcing a painful tendon makes healing take longer.
4. Look for the cause
Tendinitis almost always has a reason: a movement done badly, poor posture, an insufficient warm-up, unsuitable equipment (shoes, racket, workstation), training stepped up too quickly. Correcting it prevents recurrence.
5. See rehabilitation through to the end
Once the acute pain eases, physiotherapy takes over: stretching and so-called "eccentric" strengthening exercises, over three to six months. It is long, but it is what allows the tendon to rebuild solidly.
6. Return gradually
Go back in stages, increasing the load little by little. Depending on how long you have had the tendinitis, the break from sport can last several months. Returning too early and too hard is the leading cause of recurrence.
7. Don't rely on medicines alone
Painkillers are for short-term use. In most cases, anti-inflammatories bring no benefit to the tendon itself, and cortisone injections are not recommended. Talk to your doctor about it.
When to see a doctor
See your doctor in the next few days if the pain is severe, if the joint moves less well, if nothing improves after 48 hours, or if the tendinitis appears during or after a course of antibiotics or corticosteroids: some medicines can weaken tendons.
Seek urgent care if you felt a sudden snap, like being hit with a stick behind the ankle, and can no longer put weight on your foot normally: it may be a tendon rupture.
Recovery time, designed for people prone to tendinitis
I designed the Tendons & mobility listening programme for athletes and people prone to tendinitis who want to give their body moments of relaxation during a gradual return: 18 quiet minutes, sitting or lying down, the sensitive area resting on a cushion, headphones on, one session every 6 days over 45 days. My advice: listen to your session in the evening after a training day or a day of physical work, when your body is at rest. It does not treat tendinitis and replaces neither medical advice nor rehabilitation. To discover the method, the first session of the Anti-Stress programme is free.
Éric Rosati, osteopath with 30 years of experience. This article is for information and does not replace your doctor's advice.
Sources (in French): Vidal, What to do about tendinopathy · Vidal, Treating tendinopathies
🎧 Recommended programme: Tendons & mobility · tendinitis
To listen to with headphones, in a quiet place, at your own pace.