Tendons are the tissues in your body that keep your muscles and bones connected to one another. More specifically, they are what allows your muscles to move your bones. That said, many types of injuries are related to the tendon, limiting your body’s ability to move. One of the best examples of this is tendonitis (also spelled tendinitis).
Did you know that physical therapy can actually help patients with tendonitis to heal? If you are dealing with tendonitis, you can opt to participate in physical therapy to boost your recovery. Not only that, but physical therapy also ensures that you won’t fall back into the same injury.
Let us talk about the symptoms of tendonitis and how exactly physical therapy can address this condition.
What exactly is tendonitis?
Tendonitis is a type of swelling that occurs in your tendons. This is usually caused by repetitive motion in which the tendon experiences enough stress that it starts to tear. This condition can be extremely painful in many cases.
While the pain can last a few weeks, it can go on for a few months if left untreated. During this time, it may rob anyone of the ability to carry out even the simplest of tasks, like walking.
What are the symptoms of tendonitis?
The symptoms include swelling of your tendons, which can show as redness around the affected area. It also consists of the inability to move the limbs properly and the feeling of cracking if you attempt to move it. However, the most apparent symptom is that the affected area will hurt a lot, possibly causing a lump to form due to the resulting swelling.
How does physical therapy treat tendonitis?
There is no one way to treat tendonitis, and this is true when undergoing physical therapy. However, the general treatments you can expect if you experience such therapy will include icing and supporting as well as resting.
In the beginning, the therapist will first analyze where the pain is coming from and quickly identify what kind of movements cause the pain. After that, a massage can follow to ease the stress on the tendons. This can also include general stretching that you will carry out at home to reduce stiffness and help you regain your range of motion.
There are a few other treatments available that you might undergo. Once your conditions seem to stabilize, you will move onto strengthening exercises. These exercises will ensure that your tendons and muscles regain their strength to allow you to use them properly again and reduce the risk of the injury from happening again.
Conclusion
Put simply, physical therapy puts you through different exercises to not only heal tendonitis but also prevent it. With that said, do expect to be continuing plenty of physical activities. You will need to rest to keep all your tendons healthy and strong. Give yourself enough time to recover to stay fit and free from any future cases of tendonitis.
North Florida Hand & Wrist is a center that offers care for your hands and wrist. Whether you’re looking for arthritis treatment for your hands or address wrist tendonitis, we’re here to help. Reach out to us today!
