As you move your body, such as reaching up with your arm or bending your knee, a series of muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and bones must all work together to create the desired movement. In a healthy body, this happens without pain and is fluid. If an injury occurs to any component of this system, it can lead to pain, limited mobility, and, over time, chronic damage. One such condition is tendonitis.
Physical therapy for tendonitis may help you to regain your movement and fluidity while reducing pain. But is physical therapy needed for tendonitis, or will it just go away?
What Is Tendonitis? Understanding the Condition
Tendonitis is a condition impacting the tendons, which are tissues within the musculoskeletal system that connect the muscles to the bones. When tendons become inflamed and painful, tendonitis can be the underlying cause. Tendinitis refers to a wide range of inflammations to the tends, but there are various specific forms:
- Pitcher’s shoulder
- Tennis elbow
- Jumper’s knee
- Swimmer’s shoulder
These are all conditions that are a form of tendonitis or inflammation in those specific areas. It can be brought on by misuse, overuse, or straining. In some situations, it develops due to an injury but may also occur over time as a result of repetitive use and strain of the tendon.
How Physical Therapy Supports Tendonitis Recovery
Tendonitis physical therapy could provide you with a number of benefits, including:
- Improved pain levels: Utilizing physical therapy to reduce inflammation is one of the core benefits of this holistic approach. Ice and heat can help manage some pain, but physical therapy can apply various therapeutic modalities to help reduce discomfort.
- Range of motion improvements: Using physical therapy, it’s possible to reduce some of that pain while also improving the range of motion, allowing you to get back to your normal activities.
- Building strength: Stronger muscles and tendons help minimize the risk of further injury and strain, especially with strengthening and stretching exercises.
- Prevention of recurrence: Once tendonitis improves, physical therapy works as a type of preventative strategy to reduce further instances of inflammation.
- Get back to what you love: By reducing the pain and discomfort of tendonitis, it’s possible to get back to doing what you enjoy, such as running or playing tennis, without pain.
Key Treatment Techniques Used in Physical Therapy
Numerous strategies may be available to reduce pain and improve mobility in those who have tendonitis. Some examples include:
- Manual therapy: Manual therapy is one of the most readily used methods to correct alignment and reduce inflammation of tendons and muscles around joints.
- Stretching: Your physical therapist will aid in stretching to build range of motion and improve joint mobilization overall.
- Strengthening exercises: This type of exercise works to build the muscles surrounding the tendons. In doing so, they are better able to function properly, reducing the pain and pressure on the tendons.
- Ultrasound: Ultrasound technology works to stimulate the body’s immune system in a safe manner, encouraging the reduction of inflammation and improving tendonitis as a result.
- Dry needling: Some patients may benefit from dry needling as a way to reduce tightness in the muscles surrounding the tendon, which can reduce inflammation and improve pain levels.
The Benefits of a Structured Rehabilitation Plan
There are numerous ways that physical therapy can help tendonitis, but for the best results, a personalized treatment plan must be created. A structured rehabilitation plan created by your physical therapist considers your current needs and goals while considering any limitations you have right now.
This type of personalized approach enhances healing and prevents long-term damage while also ensuring that you gain very specific help to address your needs. For example, your physical therapist can develop a strategy to relieve tendonitis that could be causing you knee pain while running by correcting your form and function or adjusting the joint. This type of customized care can make a big difference in the results you’ll have along the way.
Preventing Tendonitis: Tips for Long-Term Joint Health
In addition to providing you with help in the healing process from existing pain and discomfort, your physical therapist will also develop a strategy to prevent the condition from occurring again. That includes ensuring basic needs are met, such as nutrition, avoiding aggravating the condition, and minimizing the amount of weight or force placed on the tendon over time.
Strategies that your physical therapist may recommend for prevention of tendonitis include:
- Ensure a warm-up happens first. Depending on the intensity of your planned workout, use a warm-up as a first step. This includes simple stretching and flexing as a way to loosen muscles and relax tendons before you start working hard.
- Train before you start a new sport. For example, you may be able to reduce the risk of an ACL injury if you work to build that muscle group at a gradual pace, giving those areas of the body the ability to heal well.
- Use the correct methods. Your physical therapist also uses the proper movements, structures, and formats to move your joints and muscle groups. By teaching your body the right way to move, it’s less likely you’ll suffer further injuries.
When to Seek Professional Help for Tendonitis
If you’re an active person, tendonitis can slow you to a halt fast. Allowing your body time to heal is important, but that’s not always enough to recover and then prevent further instances of inflammation. For this reason, if you have tendonitis or have had it more than one time, seek out the help of a physical therapist who can help you build strength and reduce pain risk.
Contact Rock Valley Physical Therapy for Tendonitis Treatment
If you’re struggling with pain you think could be tendonitis, now is the time to seek care. Find your local Rock Valley Physical Therapy clinic available to you now, book an appointment with our team for physical therapy for tendonitis, and start on the path to rebuilding.