Physical Therapy for Tendonitis

Tendonitis refers to a painful and inflammatory condition of the tendon, one of the dense fibrous cords that attach the body’s muscles to the bones. While tendonitis can affect any of your tendons, it is most prevalently found in the areas of your elbows, heel, shoulders, wrists, and knees, where the average person moves the most during everyday activity.

Tendonitis sometimes develops as a result of traumatic injury, though your body may also develop tendonitis simply as a consequence of moving around a lot and overusing a particular muscle group. Physical therapy for pain can help mitigate the effects of tendonitis and may also decrease the likelihood of tendon rupture or other complications.

Tendonitis Physical Therapy

Tendonitis severity can vary due to a number of factors, including the age of the patient and the location of the affected tendons. At Mid-County Physical Therapy, the first thing we do with a new patient is determine if they are dealing with tendinosis or tendonitis, as these two conditions have similar symptoms.

Once we have correctly identified your condition, our physical therapists will work with you to develop a customized treatment plan that accommodates your unique needs and capabilities. Some of the most common forms of tendonitis physical therapy include the following:

1. Resting

It’s hard for the body to process an injury if you don’t have enough sleep. This is because your muscle fibers and tissues rebuild and rejuvenate during rest. Giving the body the time it requires to heal especially is essential to getting better.

This is in part due to how sleeping affects the flow of blood. Restful sleep increases blood circulation in the body, helping to distribute oxygenated blood that aids in muscle recovery and regeneration to the location it’s needed most.

Another factor is the impact of hormones. Growth hormones are produced when the body begins the sleep state stage (non-REM). There’s a correlation between lack of sleep and decreased growth hormone levels, which can make it more difficult for your injury to recover.

2. Wearing a Brace

Using a brace may be required by your physical therapist when you have tendonitis. That’s to ensure that your tendon will get the proper rest and security it needs as it heals. Wearing a brace is a great way to protect your body, especially if you are active in sports that have been linked to certain kinds of tendonitis, such as tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow.

Different Types of Braces for Knees and Joints Tendonitis

• Supportive braces – can support your limbs or joints after getting a swollen and pained muscle.
• Functional braces are used when you’re in the last phase of recovery. This prevents the injury from happening again. You can also move again with this brace.
• Rehabilitation Braces – temporary use of rehabilitation braces allows your joint’s strength and flexibility to improve. After surgical procedures or tendonitis physical therapy, these are usually administered.
• Proprioceptive Braces – Light Arthritic provides only minimal comfort and support. Braces, straps, and folds are all examples of these.
• Immobilization Braces – these are administered when you have a severe injury. It includes partly or entirely immobilizing the injured joint.

3. Motion Exercises

Overall, there are three common types of motion exercises that your physical therapist may conduct to help relieve your tendonitis.

(a) PROM or Passive Range of Motion

In this motion exercise, the injured patient doesn’t have to move because the physical therapist will move them, or they’ll have the assistance of additional equipment.

(b) AAROM or Active Assisted Range of Motion

In this motion exercise, the injured patient will stretch the tendon/muscle encircling the weak point to try and relieve the tension. This exercise is the halfway point between AROM and PROM, as the patient will have assistance with the movement, either through their physical therapist or additional equipment.

(c) AROM or Active Range of Motion

This motion exercise includes moving the muscles near the weak joint without any help from the therapist.

4. Strengthening Exercises

Strengthening exercises are required to restore strength to an injured body part during recovery. The pre-recovery phase can make your muscle too relaxed, so strengthening exercises will help to encourage the restoration of energy without adding tension.

These can include exercising water resistance, gravity, weight, and a resistance band. Strengthening programs are beneficial so that your muscle strength will be restored and improved and to prevent potential future reinjury.

5. Functional and Educational Training

These are parts of post-recovery and are totally optional. Functional and Educational Training helps teach the injured patient how to prevent an injury from happening again. It’s a great way to be informed and understand how your muscle works.

Need Help with Tendonitis? Call Mid-County Physical Therapy!

The treatment options outlined above are just a few of the most common ways Mid-County Physical Therapy can help patients suffering from tendonitis. We also offer therapeutic dry needling, a comprehensive sports injury rehabilitation program, and more.

To learn more about how the dedicated pain relief specialists at Mid-County Physical Therapy can help you recover from tendonitis or other physical injuries, schedule an appointment today. We look forward to working with you!