Treating Chronic Tendonitis ? And It?s Not Just Tennis Elbow
We’ve all heard about tennis elbow, and many of us have suffered from it. In reality, it is a form of tendonitis brought on by the frequent, repetitive motions involved in playing tennis. Tendonitis, however, is not limited to the elbow or arm. It can occur throughout the body. Any activity which places stress on the same tendon can cause that tendon to become inflamed and sore.
Chronic Tendonitis
Tendonitis can be either acute (i.e. a temporary flare up) or chronic (i.e. long lasting). When tendonitis keeps recurring, it is called chronic tendonitis.
Tendons are composed of elastic-like tissue which connects our muscles to our bones. As we age, tendons tend to lose their elasticity through normal wear and tear. From time to time, a tendon will break or tear and scar tissue forms in the healing process. Scar tissue is not as flexible as tendon tissue and frequently causes pain and inflammation with continued use and motion. Most often the areas affected are elbows, knees, ankles, shoulders and feet.
Obviously it?s these parts of our anatomy that see repeated use during the course of a normal day. As we continue placing strain on an injured tendon, it doesn?t have an opportunity to heal which, in turn, leads to chronic tendonitis.
Age is only one of the underlying causes of chronic tendonitis. Athletes who are highly trained and in superb condition can also suffer from chronic tendonitis. Again, it is the repetitive motions required by a variety of sports that cause the condition to erupt. For example, repeated motion of the golfer?s swing or a pitcher?s throwing arm in baseball over the course of time can cause weakness in the tissue and lead to inflammation of the muscles and tendons. This is why it?s so important to do stretching exercises and warm ups prior to strenuous activity.
Left untreated, things can only get worse. Both acute and chronic tendonitis sometimes will result in a tear or rupture of the tendon. In this case, the physician will probably prescribe surgery, but only after more conservative measures have failed.
Treating Chronic Tendonitis
Acute or chronic tendonitis can cause mild to severe pain. In its simplest and most conservative approach, treatment will involve analgesics such as ibuprofen and resting the affected area. Depending on the severity, your physician may conclude that you will benefit from an anti-inflammatory medication and may prescribe cortisone injections. This is an effective, and powerful anti-inflammatory medication that helps to reduce the pain and swelling and promote healing of tendonitis. Treatment may also include mild stretching exercises in order to keep the joints flexible.
Just a word of caution is in order. Corticosteroids can be injected but they do not come without risks. One of their side effects is that they can weaken the immune system or infection can appear at the injection site. Again, It is critical that the tendon be given time to heal or more serious tendon injury can occur. And, as mentioned, surgery may be required in cases of tears or ruptures in order to repair the damage and relieve the pain of chronic tendonitis.
About the Author:
Robert G. Knechtel operates several websites, including TendonitisFacts.Com - Tendonitis Facts and Tips and PainReliefChronicles.Com - Exploring Pain Relief Options
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How To Best Treat You Tennis Elbow
The following are a combination of treatment methods that work together to heal your tennis elbow. Tennis elbow treatment should be like any other soft tissue injury treatment, and therefore will require using the following process:
? R.I.C.E.R:
o Rest:
Resting your injury is essential for your tennis elbow before you attempt to fix it with physical therapy.
o Ice:
Doctors always recommend that you keep ice on any serious muscle or tendon injury to reduce the swelling?it will help your injury heal as well as reducing inflammation.
(side note:) Another tennis elbow treatment that will help you is, if you do take pain medication: avoid aspirin, acetaminophen, and other fever reducer/antipyretic. Instead use something with an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen, to keep the swelling down.
o Compression:
Get a wrap for your arm and wrist. This is another way to keep the swelling down and to keep your muscles and tendons from being further abused by helping keep them compressed and in place.
o Elevation:
Whenever you can, try to elevate your injured arm?this will help keep your arm from additional pain and swelling due to too much blood in the injured place. Lifting your arm reduces the amount of blood flowing through the arm.
o Referral:
Do not try to do it all yourself, get a medical specialist to have a look at the injury and determine tennis elbow treatment for you.
When you have to receive tennis elbow treatment for any serious tennis elbow condition?which is considered a Repetitive Stress Injury, (RSI) so as soon as you begin to improve you should start, gently with a couple of resistance tennis elbow exercises. Of course, you want to start simple, and work your way up to things like dumbbells. Read more
Tennis : Murray coping well with pressure at the top
BANGKOK: Scottish teenager Andy Murray insists that despite his youth and combustible temperament, he can handle the pressure of tennis at the highest level.
The 19-year-old, ranked 19th in the world, says he does not care what people think about his approach and the only pressure he feels is what he puts upon himself.
“I cope with it well, the pressure is there but you have to decide if you worry what everyone else is saying or whether you concentrate on your own game,” Murray said at last week’s Thailand Open.
“The pressure I put on myself is harder to deal with than from other people. I try not to listen to them, what I demand of myself is what’s important,” said Murray, who started the 2005 season at 407 in the world rankings.
Murray confirmed his place as Britain’s foremost player at Wimbledon in July when he knocked out Andy Roddick in straight sets, replacing Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski as the nation’s biggest hope of winning the tournament for the first time in 70 years.
But with the weight of expectation upon his slender frame, he went out in the fourth round to Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, and afterwards admitted it was one of his worst performances of the year.
He says Britain has a right to demand more from its tennis players.
“I didn’t feel any pressure, sure I wanted to win Wimbledon, but expectation at home is something we have to deal with,” he said.
“They take tennis seriously in Britain, they have the biggest tournament in the world. I would expect a Briton to win more often than every 70 years.”
The lanky Scot, who weighs in at just 68kg, says he is in no rush to start winning tournaments and is happy to wait for major titles.
“I want to win a Grand Slam, that’s pressure on myself, but that’s what I want,” said Murray, who crashed out in straight sets to Henman in the first round in Bangkok.
“It doesn’t have to come this year or next year, that’s the goal I’ve set myself and I’m happy to wait for it.
“But that success won’t come to me, I have to go after it. It will come, I know it.
“I have the potential to get deep into the Grand Slams and once you get that far, it’s the mental strength that counts, it doesn’t come down to the tennis.”
Despite his fiery temperament, Murray believes he is in control of his emotions and says the odd outburst is part of his game.
“A lot of guys get frustrated, but you have to be yourself,” he said.
“The best matches I’ve played are when I’ve been fired up and pumped up. I just have to keep it in check, not get angry at important times.
“People in England complained that Tim (Henman) hadn’t shown enough emotion, and I come along and show emotion and some people say it’s a bad thing.” Read more
What is a Tennis Racket?
Having the perfect tennis racket is going to be the key in your game. You do not have to have the most expensive racket, but you do need to have one that fits your body and the way you play the best. You need to make sure that you figure out what it is that you need in your racket before you go and buy the first one that you see.
A tennis racket is usually made from aluminum or steel. You may also find ones that are made from other materials like plastic. It will depend on the kind and style that you want for yourself when you go shopping for the perfect racket for your game. You should shop around and test many of the rackets before you decide on a certain one.
There is usually netting at the top of the racket to hit the ball with. You will find that most tennis rackets are durable and can take a beating. They are lightweight so that you can move it around easily. If you are new to the game of tennis, you will soon learn to move the racket in all the directions that you need to in order to hit the ball and get the game won.
A tennis racket is used to hit the ball back and forth in the game of tennis. You will use this to hit the ball before the ball goes out of your designated space. You will find that the more you use your tennis racket, the better your game will be. It is not that hard to figure out the game of tennis, all you need to do is have little patience and some time to learn the game.
There are many tennis rackets that you can get for as little as ten dollars or so. You will find that if you want to get a really good one, you will only have to pay twenty or so dollars for the racket. These rackets will be made of aluminum. They will have the medium wide profile and a mid to medium oversized head. You can go to many department or sporting good stores to find the racket that would be perfect for your game. Read more