Understanding Bicipital Tendonitis
May 3rd, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
The human body is a marvel and often the simple actions that are performed on a daily basis are taken for granted. For example, consider a number of things that are accomplished on a routine basis. Some of these actions include walking, breathing, the continual beating of the heart, etc.
However, if there is some trauma that is experienced or if an overexertion takes place, then the pain that results causes us to appreciate what is sometimes taken for granted. An example of this type of injury would be bicipital tendonitis.
What Is Bicipital Tendonitis?
Simply put, bicipital tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon that connects the bicep muscle to the bones of the body. The bicep is one of the major muscles of the upper arm and is located on the anterior portion of the humerus. The tendon, similar to a rubber band, is a sturdy yet pliable band of fibrous tissue.
Bicipital tendonitis generally occurs during overexertion, repeated and routine movements over a period of time, or a condition that transpires with age. If age is a precipitating factor in experiencing bicipital tendonitis, this is generally due to the fact that the tendon is losing its elasticity.
Where age is not a factor in experiencing bicipital tendonitis there may be other factors that cause this condition. Specifically, athletes are especially prone to bicipital tendonitis. Examples of those athletic endeavors include golfing, bodybuilding, aquatics, etc. Generally, any endeavor that may require a strenuous and routine use of the bicep muscle is susceptible to this type of injury to the bicipital tendon.
Specific Causes Of Bicipital Tendonitis
The most typical scenario that causes bicipital tendonitis is overexertion. This occurs when an enthusiastic individual starts a new exercise program and, rather than pace themselves, overextends their activity.
In addition, some enthusiastic individuals do not stretch or “loosen up” prior to their exercise program which may result in the occurrence of this distressful condition. Also, an occurrence may result if an individual tries to perform a simple activity and underestimates the weight or doesn’t properly apply the right technique in performing that function.
Symptoms Of Bicipital Tendonitis
Symptoms of bicipital tendonitis include soreness or pain that can be located close to the shoulder. In addition, symptoms become more pronounced when trying to conduct normal activities. Also, there may be accompanying edema and sensitivity near or over the area where the tendon connects with the bone.
Simple Treatment Of Bicipital Tendonitis
The treatment of bicipital tendonitis concerns itself with relieving the pain, soothing the tenderness and reducing swelling in the area. A simple treatment program combines the application of ice, immobilizing the arm as much as possible and the taking of mild pain relievers.
[tags]tendonitis, bicipital tendonitis, overexertion, symptoms[/tags]
Dealing with Supraspinatus Tendonitis as an Active Person
April 26th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Dealing with supraspinatus tendonitis as an active, otherwise healthy person can be quite frustrating. While your injury may have resulted from an athletic endeavor, or its onset prevented you from participating in such an activity, supraspinatus tendonitis can affect the simplest of tasks like getting comfortable to go to bed.
Your diagnosis of supraspinatus tendonitis was probably not great news, but allowing yourself time to heal and regroup will go a long way in your future athletic endeavors. If you’re used to getting home from work and gearing up for the gym or for softball practice, supraspinatus tendonitis can leave you feeling ostracized from your regular routine. The first step in treating your supraspinatus tendonitis is to recognize that it is just a small bump in the road, and that by allowing yourself some time to be less active, you will ensure a full recovery and be back to your normal routines in no time. Because supraspinatus tendonitis is an injury of the shoulder, you should really focus on stabilizing your arm.
You may find that even walking causes your shoulder pain if your supraspinatus tendonitis is severe. The more intense your pain is, the more intensely you should focus on simply resting and recovering. Don’t worry about missing workouts or practices. Your new goal is to get your shoulder back into great shape.
Ease Back Into the Swing of Things
After you’ve slowed down and started the healing process, don’t make the mistake of rushing back into being active. If you start over using your shoulder too soon your supraspinatus tendonitis will only worsen, and you’ll be sidelined for an even longer period of time. Work with your physician or physical therapist to create a realistic schedule of activities. Having a “road map” of recovery will help you feel like you’re moving back towards the things you enjoyed doing, and will give your rest a sense of purpose. If your supraspinatus tendonitis was bad enough you may even need to include physical therapy into your recovery. Allow yourself to view this as a warm-up to your normal activity. And by all means allow yourself the luxury of enjoying some down time.
Remember all those books you wanted to read but never had time to get your hands on between events? Tackle those now. You’ll need something to talk about once you’re back in the gym or warming up on the field.
[tags]tendonitis, supraspinatus tendonitis[/tags]
Pain Management: Calcific Tendonitis
April 21st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Calcific tendonitis is a disorder of the shoulder/rotator cuff, and is caused by calcium deposits on the tendon. While these deposits can form on any tendon in your body, they are very common in the shoulder. Depending on the stage of the developing deposits at your time of diagnosis, your pain may range from mild discomfort to unbearable. If you have some time between your diagnoses your procedure, here are some tips to help alleviate the pain associated with calcific tendonitis.
The easiest way to avoid pain in your shoulder due to calcific tendonitis, and to prevent any existing pain from increasing, is to avoid laying on, or over using, your shoulder. When you lie down in bed to go to sleep, try laying on your back or stomach to keep your shoulder level. If your pain is severe you will also want to limit your range of motion. Avoid lifting your arm higher than your shoulder if possible. Don’t do any heavy lifting. You may even find it to be most comfortable if your arm is stabilized in a sling to ensure its movement is restricted.
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
In some cases you may benefit from the use of anti-inflammatory drugs. You should not begin taking this type of medication for your calcific tendonitis without first consulting your doctor. If the intensity of your pain is so bad that you are unable to sleep or function during the day, you are most likely a good candidate for anti-inflammatory drugs. If your pain is mild, however, and you are able to alleviate your pain in other ways, you should avoid taking anti-inflammatory drugs unnecessarily for your calcific tendonitis.
Home Therapy
In conjunction with using some common sense tips to avoid overusing your shoulder, and in addition to taking anti-inflammatory drugs when appropriate, there are many other ways for you to treat your pain in the comfort of your home. Try icing your shoulder, for example. If ice doesn’t make your shoulder feel more comfortable, try dry heat and apply a heating pad or warm towel to your shoulder. You might also find that getting someone to massage the tender area helps ease the pain. Vitamin C is known to aid in the reduction of inflammation, so you might want to try consuming more fruits with a high content, like strawberries and citrus, or try taking a vitamin supplement. Always remember to take care of yourself for the best results possible.
[tags]tendonitis, calcific tendonitis, pain[/tags]
Wrist Tendonitis - how to cope
April 14th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Wrist tendonitis is a condition which can cause a great deal of pain and inflammation over time, and there are some helpful solutions to this common problem.
What Is Wrist Tendonitis And How Can I Help Heal This Condition?
Wrist tendonitis is an inflammation of the wrist joint that can cause irritation and swelling in the joint itself, causing stiffness and muscle tension to occur. The person living with this condition has a hard time grasping objects and holding their hands in a certain position because of the pain. This condition can result from an overuse of the wrist or an overexertion over time, such as by playing a sport requiring lots of wrist action, such as racquetball or basketball. The consistent wear and tear that is put upon the joint causes a chronic inflammatory response to an already susceptible joint. Some people’s joints are more prone to developing inflammation due to a number of factors such as diet, exercise, health and age.
There are many helpful remedies when dealing with a case of wrist tendonitis.
Often, taking a break from using the wrist often helps to calm the irritation and pain. Using cold packs or warm packs on the wrist can be helpful as well. The cold pack is generally recommended for a wrist that is red and swollen, to help reduce any swelling that may be present. Taking over-the-counter medications can be an effective short-term treatment to help eliminate the pain, yet for long term, this is not a recommended choice. Pain killers are sometimes prescribed as well, but it is not wise to take them for long periods of time either.
Homeopathic remedies and analgesic creams can be massaged into the wrist for helpful relief, as well as soaking the wrist in salt water.
Magnesium is known for its pain reducing qualities as well, and calcium calms and soothes joints also. Eliminating inflammation causing foods from one’s diet can often eliminate wrist tendonitis as well, such as dairy products which people are often allergic to. With the proper care and help, wrist tendonitis can not only be helped but healed as well.
[tags]tendonitis, wrist tendonitis, pain, remedies, swelling[/tags]
Thumb Tendonitis - how to cope with a hand injury
April 13th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
The thumb found on the human hand plays a very important role in providing full functionality of the hand. Because of the thumb the ability to pick up or grasp items is facilitated.
Often, however, we overlook the wonder of these everyday functions until something happens to disrupt these simple abilities. One of those disruptions is through a condition called thumb tendonitis.
What Is Thumb Tendonitis?
Thumb tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon that runs along the side of the wrist. That particular side of the wrist corresponds to the location side of the thumb. A tendon is a thick fibrous elastic-like band that connects the muscle to the bone.
The symptoms of thumb tendonitis include swelling, tenderness and pain. These symptoms are felt along the same side of the wrist where the thumb is located. In addition, because of the tenderness, the ability to fully utilize the thumb is hampered. These actions include the ability to grasp, make a fist and rotating the wrist.
Thumb tendonitis can be caused by a number of factors. Generally, thumb tendonitis is caused by performing hand movements that are not natural or awkward actions that are done repetitiously over a period of time.
Indications Of Thumb Tendonitis
Thumb tendonitis is demonstrated when the sufferer experiences pain over the wrist area that is in closest proximity to the thumb. This pain may come on gradually over a period of time or its onset may appear in dramatic fashion. In addition, the pain can generate up the arm and extend into the forearm. Also, the pain increases proportionately when the hand and thumb are used extensively.
Thumb tendonitis is also characterized by edema in the wrist area. Also, there may be the development of a cyst in that particular part of the wrist. The cyst is generally comprised of accumulated fluid. Another symptom may be the hearing of a snapping noise. This noise maybe similar to the snapping sounds of a rubber band.
Treatment
Treatment for thumb tendonitis is facilitated by addressing the symptoms. Therefore, application of ice to the surface of the wrist on the thumb side is indicated. Also, to relieve the pain a moderate pain relieving medication may assist the sufferer. In addition, an anti-inflammatory medicine can be taken. This inflammatory medicine can be injected directly into the area of focus or, as a pill, can be taken by mouth.
Another practical method of treatment is to immobilize the affected area and allow for healing to take place. This immobilization can be accomplished by simply splinting the thumb area in order to prohibit activity.
In severe cases, corrective surgery may be indicated.
[tags]tendonitis, thumb tendonitis, hand injury, pain[/tags]
Causes Of Tendonitis: Are there any definite causes?
April 3rd, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Although tendonitis is usually a minor injury, it can prevent you from the doing the things you’re used to doing, so what causes tendonitis - can you prevent it recurring?
If you suffer from the pain, inflammation, and trauma of tendonitis, they you probably know that it can be difficult to discover the underlying cause of tendonitis. There are many different things that can be the cause of tendonitis, and part of the treatment for the problem relies on finding the underlying cause, in order to treat the cause as well as the symptoms. Before you can look at the causes of tendonitis, you must first understand what the problem is. While it is often called tennis elbow, giving the impression that it affects only the elbow and arm, tendonitis can affect any tendon in the body. Tendonitis is basically an inflammation and pain in the tendons. Tendons are the part of the body that attaches muscle to bone. That inflammation can be caused by many reasons, which is what makes finding the cause of tendonitis so difficult.
Injury: The Most Common Cause
One of the most common causes of tendonitis is probably injury to the affected area. This is often a sports injury, which causes the tendons to become inflamed. Often, those who experience an injury later find that they have developed tendonitis after the original injury has healed.
Overuse Is another Cause - computer users, be careful
Overuse is the other common cause of tendonitis. Frequent, repetitive motions that put strain on the same tendon of the body can lead to those tendons becoming inflamed and sore. This is the cause of tennis elbow, and why it received its name. Tennis elbow is an inflammation of the tendons in the elbow, due to repetitive motion, which commonly occurs in those who play tennis. People who work in factories and perform the same motion over and over are at risk of developing tendonitis in their hands and wrists. Also, musicians, particularly pianists, and those who spend long periods of time on the computer can also develop tendonitis due to overuse, particularly in the wrists.
Aging Can Cause Tendonitis
A final cause of tendonitis is aging. As the body ages, so do the tendons. They age by losing elasticity, which can make them susceptible to becoming inflamed, especially when they are overused. While most of the causes of tendonitis cannot be helped, there are some things that you can do to avoid making the problem worse. If you notice swelling and pain in an area of your body that is being used in a repetitive motion, take a break. Ice the area, and do whatever you can to get the swelling down. This will keep the tendonitis from getting worse.
[tags]tendonitis, tendonitis causes, aging, over-use, injury[/tags]
