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DIAGNOSES
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Tendinitis/Tendonitis (either spelling is correct): Tendon is a connective tissue that connects muscle to bone (insert picture). Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon and can occur anywhere in the body. Although a high incidence of back pain is caused by inflamed tendons, this pain is rarely diagnosed as “back tendonitis.” A more commonly known tendinitis is ““tennis elbow,” which is a tendinitis of the common wrist extensors tendon found at the elbow. The inflammation of any tendon is caused by injury. Tendons are more susceptible to injury if they are diseased and/or deconditioned. A healthy tendon will be 2 to 3 times stronger than the muscle. An injured tendon is weaker than the muscle and during contraction is further injured, causing more pain and inflammation. This is why this condition is often referred to as an overuse syndrome. To provide a healing environment, the tendon needs to be exercised in a way that provides good blood flow to the weak tissue without overloading it with too forceful of a muscle contraction. A typical program involves movement without pain for a duration long Relief can be achieved through good functional biomechanics and a program that involves movement without pain for a duration long enough to allow optimal blood flow for tendon healing. The Newton Unloading System is one technique we use to accomplish this environment for tendinitis of the foot, ankle, knee, hip, and back. Tendonosis is commonly misdiagnosed as tendonitis, so a distinction between the two different pathologies needs to be understood. Tendonosis is a physically weakened tendon much like the “almost-worn-through” knee of a pair of jeans. This is different because it lacks the active inflammation process of tendinitis as the “itis” implies. Difficulties arise when tendonosis is treated like tendinitis, primarily because of the time needed for the body to actually remodel the tendon versus healing from the injury by the inflammatory response. Tendinitis can heal in weeks while tendonosis can take months. A tendonosis usually involves: 1) a generally deconditioned person who is not getting good nutrition for healthy tissues and/or not enough exercise/rest 2) work/daily activities that require the use of the involved tendon so it does not have an opportunity to heal, therefore resulting in a “wear and tear” situation 3) an involved tendon that is compensating for another part of the body because of weakness, poor biomechanics, pain, and/or habit. These are issues we are thinking about as we develop a program for each individual person. When you have all the information, you know what to expect and can be involved in developing a plan to help your body heal. |
