What to know about tendonitis treatment can be an important subject whenever someone has begun to feel a twinge of pain in a shoulder or a knee or an elbow or elsewhere on the body.
The pain of tendonitis can range from very mild to extremely severe and debilitating, by the way.
So then, understanding a bit about what it is and what makes it possible is in order.
In the human body many skeletal bones are joined together with other skeletal bones through connective tissue.
Different kinds of connective tissue have different names.
For the most part, people know them as ligaments and -- especially -- tendons.
Composed of very tough fibrous cords, tendons are seen all throughout the body.
Basically, tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendon that leads to pain, swelling and other issues.
If serious enough, it could lead to the area being becoming completely immobile or debilitated.
However, if tendonitis is identified early enough, it can be a relatively simple matter to identify it, treat it and then cure it.
As a matter of medical interest, anywhere a tendon is in evidence is a spot where tendonitis can occur, though there are only a few common areas that are susceptible to tendonitis.
Perhaps the most famous of these areas is in the elbow.
The strict medical term for tendonitis in that area is epicondylitis.
It is more commonly referred to as "tennis elbow, " and it has been well documented for least 100 years.
For the most part, tendonitis results from overuse and injury to the particular tendon in question.
There are a few simple steps a person can take to treat and cure tendonitis, all without having to be seen by a physician in many cases.
The first thing to do, of course, is to cease the activity that is causing the pain that is a result of tendonitis.
Most medical experts recommend that the cessation of the activity last for at least three weeks.
Known as simple rest, it can be the most effective part of any tendonitis treatment regimen.
Generally, 21 days or so is considered long enough to allow the tendon to heal itself and the inflammation to disappear.
Along with rest comes immobilization or bracing or splinting of the area, logically enough.
From there, a person should look at a simple anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen and maybe even a topical cream that is designed to be anti-inflammatory in nature.
After that, reevaluate the tendonitis after three weeks and then gradually ease back into the physical activity that led to the tendonitis in the first place.
Try to pay attention to stretching and warming up before beginning activity in the future.