Tendonitis

Tendonitis is when a tendon swells (becomes inflamed) after an injury. It can cause joint pain and stiffness, and affect how a tendon moves.

You can treat mild tendonitis yourself. It should feel better in 2 to 3 weeks.

Causes of tendonitis

Tendonitis is usually caused by sudden, sharp movements or repetitive exercise. Repetitive exercise can include running, jumping or throwing.

Tendonitis can also be caused by:

• playing a sport
  
• having poor posture or technique while at work
• repetitive movements
  

This is called repetitive strain injury (RSI).

Symptoms of tendonitis

The main symptoms of tendonitis include:

• pain in a tendon that gets worse when you move
• difficulty moving the joint
• feeling a grating or crackling sensation when you move the tendon
• swelling, sometimes with heat or redness

Treatment for tendonitis

You can treat tendonitis at home.

To help manage pain and to support the tendon:

• try to avoid moving the tendon for 2 to 3 days
• wrap an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas in a tea towel and put it on the tendon for up to 20 minutes, every 2 to 3 hours
• support the tendon by wrapping an elastic bandage, tube bandage or soft brace around the area

When you can move the injured area without pain, keep moving it so the joint does not become stiff.

To help prevent further injury or pain, try to avoid:

• heavy lifting, strong gripping or twisting actions that make the symptoms worse
• playing sports, until the tendon has recovered

Talk to your pharmacist about products and medications that can help. Paracetamol and ibuprofen can help ease the pain. Your pharmacist may also recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that you rub on your skin.

Your GP may:

• prescribe a stronger painkiller
• suggest you use an NSAID cream or gel on your skin, to ease the pain

They may refer you:

• for an x-ray or scan, if they think you have another injury, such as a broken bone
• to a specialist for assessment, to see if your tendon is torn
• for physiotherapy

Physiotherapy may work if:

• the pain is severe
• the pain lasts a long time
• your have limited movement

You can also book private appointments to see a physiotherapist.

Your GP may refer you to an orthopaedic specialist if physiotherapy does not help. This is a doctor that specialises in muscles and bones.

Treatment for severe tendonitis

Specialist treatment for severe tendonitis can include:

• shockwave therapy, which may help with healing
• platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP), which may help with healing
• surgery, to remove damaged tissue or repair a ruptured tendon
• steroid injections, this may give short-term pain relief

Preventing tendonitis

You cannot always prevent tendonitis. But there are things that you can do to help reduce the chance of a tendon injury.