About this topic
A tendon is a thick cord that attaches muscle to bone. Tendonitis happens when these cords become inflamed or swollen. Certain tendons are more likely to get irritated. These are tendons of the hand, shoulder, elbow, knee, and ankle. ‚
View OriginalView Original
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Take your drugs ordered by your doctor.
- Rest the painful area. Avoid any activity that makes the pain worse.
- Place an ice pack or a pack of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful area. Never put ice directly on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Do this a few times a day.
- If you have swelling, wrap the area with elastic bandages. Your doctor will teach you how to put them on.
- Wear a sling, band, or other support device as ordered by your doctor.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- Your doctor may suggest exercises or physical therapy to build muscle strength.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Fight an infection
The doctor may give you a shot of an anti-inflammatory drug called a corticosteroid. This will help with swelling. Talk with your doctor about the risks of this shot. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to limit moving the area with tendonitis. You can do other physical activities that do not affect the tendon. Your doctor may order physical therapy for you. ‚
What problems could happen?
- The tendon can separate from the muscle and bones.
- Tendonitis may come back
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Warm up slowly and stretch your muscles before you work out. Use good ways to train, such as slowly adding to how far you run. Do not work out if you are overly tired. Take extra care if working out in cold weather.
- Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
- Take breaks often when doing things that use repeat movements.
- If the tendonitis was caused by computer work, make sure you use good posture at your computer. Your keyboard should be at a certain height. Take breaks if you type a lot.
- Avoid overusing your arm in an overhead position.
- Avoid running on hard surfaces.
- Wear shoes with good support. Do not go barefoot.
- Keep a healthy weight so there is not extra stress on your joints. Eat a healthy diet to keep your muscles healthy.
- Do not ignore or try to work through pain.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Pain that wont go away even after taking your drugs for pain
- Loss of feeling or tingling near the problem area
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have more pain or numbness, tingling, or swelling around the tendon.
Where can I learn more?
Arthritis Foundation ‚
http://www.arthritis.org/conditions-treatments/disease-center/tendinitis/ ‚
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases ‚
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bursitis/bursitis_tendinitis_ff.pdf ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚