Tendinitis 101: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment at Strive Performance in West Ashley, SC

Tendinitis is commonly treated at Strive Performance in West Ashley, Charleston, SC!

At some point or another, you or someone you know has most likely experienced tendinitis. Cranky tendons are one of the most common reasons people refer themselves to Strive Performance, a cash-based physical therapy clinic in West Ashley, SC, yet they are one of the most misunderstood “injuries” from a patient’s perspective. You may have noticed I put quotes around injury - that’s intentional (more on that soon). Without further ado, let’s dive into tendon pain and what it means for you! 

What Is Tendinitis? 

The best place to start when discussing tendon pain is by asking: what is a tendon? A tendon connects a muscle to bone, and it is a flexible but strong collagen tissue. Every muscle in your body is connected to bone by a tendon. Tendons transmit force from the muscle to the bone, causing joints to move. So, tendinitis (or you may hear the word tendinopathy used interchangeably) is a condition that affects the tendon. 

Due to certain causes (which we will discuss next), the physical structure of the tendon can change. The collagen starts to break down and become disorganized, more blood vessels and nerves move into the area (making it more sensitive), and immune cells and inflammation increase. Voila, you now understand the basics of tendinitis!

What Causes Tendon Pain? 

There are a few reasons tendons may become irritable. The most common cause is overuse/overloading, however certain medical conditions can cause tendinitis without overuse. For the simplicity of this blog, we are going to stick with discussing tendon pain from overuse. 

Overuse injuries come in all shapes and sizes. Everything from a “Couch to 5k” to starting a weight training program if you’ve never lifted can cause overuse/overloading. Tendons need time to adapt and get stronger just like muscles and bones. If you ramp up activity too quickly, tendons will become irritable as they are not yet ready for the demands of this new volume. Here are some examples of progressing activity too aggressively: 

• Never lifting weights → going to the gym 4+ days per week

• Running 5 miles a week → running 20 miles a week

• Squatting 135lbs. → squatting 225lbs. (this is called ego lifting folks)

Knowing overuse causes tendon pain, we can work backwards and implement evidence-based treatments to get you back in action. 

How Do You Treat Tendinitis? 

I am going to say this right off the bat so there’s no debate or discussion: REST AND STOPPING ALL ACTIVITY WILL NOT FIX YOUR TENDON PAIN! 

If there is one single thing I want you to take away from this blog, it’s that resting or halting all activity is the WORST thing you can do. If only it were that simple. 

Remember earlier how I said the physical structure of the tendon begins to change? No amount of rest is going to solve that. Tendons need healthy, tolerable physical stress to lead to positive adaptations. It can be incredibly difficult and frustrating to find the right balance between therapeutic and non-therapeutic exercise amounts. Too little and the tendon won’t adapt for the better. Too much and you’re stuck in a negative cycle. This is when working with a physical therapist at Strive Performance in West Ashley (you know I had to represent) comes into the picture. 

Here are some ways to reduce tendon stress while being able to stay active: 

• Reduce the intensity (weight or speed)

• Reduce the range of motion (ex: full squats to box squats)

• Reduce the frequency (running daily to 4 days/week)

• Reduce the volume (5 sets to 3 sets)

The Role of Physical Therapy 

Physical therapists are experts in movement. We understand anatomy, biomechanics, and the principles of healing/recovery. Working with a physical therapist has been shown in research to lead to better outcomes than self-treatment. If your tendinitis does not improve within a few weeks, continues to worsen even with activity modifications, or is starting to impact daily life outside exercise, it’s time to seek professional help. 

At Strive Performance and Mobility, your Doctors of Physical Therapy are experienced with treating all forms of tendinitis. Achilles, patellar (aka jumper’s knee), rotator cuff, and golfer’s and tennis elbow tendinitis, to name a few, are all commonly treated by our team.

We are also experienced in weight training, running mechanics, loading progressions and regressions, programming workouts, and modifying exercise form. Our office is a gym, meaning we have the equipment to properly load you back to 100%. If you are struggling with tendon pain and need guidance, send us a PT inquiry to get your rehab started! We look forward to getting you back in action without being limited by pain.