Tendentious
I see questions about tendonitis asked a lot. It’s a very common injury. This is a thread I wrote and posted on another board awhile back. I thought I would write about it, because it is so common, and we get so many questions about it. If I miss anything, please feel free to add comments.
What is tendonitis? Inflammation of a tendon (the fibrous structure that joins muscle to bone)
What causes it? Sometimes just simple overuse… It can be a result of an injury, aging, or diseases. As we get older the tendons start losing elasticity and flexibility, and this can lead to injuries.
It commonly effects: heels, shoulders, elbows, shins, wrist, etc.; common names are tennis elbow, shin splints, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.
Symptoms:
• pain and tenderness around a joint (hip pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, wrist pain, or pain in other joints) aggravated by movement
• pain is worse with activity
• night pain
Treatment… In order for it to heal, you have to reduce the inflammation. As the inflammation goes away then the pain will reduce. My doctor recommended rest, ice and prescribed an inflammatory drug. Some doctors will recommended wrapping the area. This is debated whither it works or not… it doesn’t hurt to wrap it, so you be the judge. However, ice and an inflammatory is a must. How long you let it rest will determine how long it will take to heal.
Inflammatory medicine:
Commonly used medicine to treat tendonitis is naproxen sodium or ibuprofen. Brand name over-the-counter drugs used are Aleve® , Advil®, or Motrin®; however, you can find the generics for both naproxen and ibuprofen. A prescription strength naproxen is Anaprox® or Naprosyn®.
Dosage of naproxen can be 250 mg, 375 mg or 500, but it is NOT recommend to take more than 1,000 mg per day (12 hours). Usually take one tablet in the morning and one in the evening.
Dosage of ibuprofen can be 400 mg, 600 mg, and 800 mg tablets; don’t exceed over 1,000 mg per day (12 hours). People… let me stress that you can overdose on this stuff. A former friend of mine’s sister killed herself (yes, it was intentional) on Tylenol®. The damage was so bad by time they found her that she had to go on life support, and that night they turn it off, and she died. Enough said about that…
With some time off, ice and medicine, tendonitis can be treated. It can take 8 to 12 weeks, sometime even longer depending on how serious it is… so be patient with it. If it goes on longer than 12 weeks, I would go see a doctor.
{Sassy (aka Dixie’s Disclaimer)} Btw, I’m not a doctor and have no medical background… I have had tendonitis several times. Therefore, if you have never taken any of these over the counter drugs Aleve®, Advil® or Motrin® or generic forms, you may want to contact your doctor or pharmacist to make sure you can take it.
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