Among the inflammatory processes of the tendons, the disease temporal tendinitis is the most controversial. Its symptoms are often attributed to sprains, trigeminal neuralgia, or arthrosis of the temporomandibular joint.
Pathology can develop only on one side, but bilateral cases of the disease are also common.
Moreover, people of almost any age group are susceptible to the disease.
There are many reasons for the occurrence of temporal tendinitis. So, the most common can be called a systematic monotonous load on the joint. If a person has a bad habit of gnawing hard food (seeds or nuts), then the load increases and provokes microtrauma of the tendon and the subsequent replacement of their elastic fibers with connective tissue, which is rough in structure.
Often, the temporal type of tendinitis develops when the teeth are abnormally positioned and there is a malocclusion. In this case, even while chewing soft food, the load on the temple and lower jaw increases several times.
Other reasons include:
Endocrine diseases, various disorders of mineral metabolism, and systemic diseases (lupus erythematosus, scleroderma) can cause problems.
Age-related changes in the body make a negative contribution to the development of temporal tendonitis, which is manifested by a significant decrease in the elasticity of the tendons and fragility of the joint, even under normal loads or minor injury.
With this disease, general symptoms are rare. In the majority of cases, only with an inflammatory process in the tendons of the masticatory muscles caused by an infectious factor.
Patients may complain of increased body temperature, decreased or even lack of appetite, fatigue and lethargy.
Most of all, patients are concerned about pain in the joint and cheek area, radiating to the neck, forehead, teeth and lower jaw. The intensity of such pain can range from dull, aching to unbearably sharp.
People are not always able to adequately establish the relationship between the development of discomfort and previous chewing of hard foods (seeds, nuts).
It can hurt all the time, but it gets even worse when chewing, talking, or simply opening your mouth. In some cases, pain is felt only when the joint is loaded.
As for local symptoms, they usually appear:
If a temporal type of tendinitis of an infectious nature has developed, then it is characterized by redness along the tendons.
Diagnosis of the disease is based on collecting anamnesis, patient complaints and a thorough examination. Often these measures are quite sufficient for a diagnosis. There is usually no need for additional diagnostic methods, especially since they are not informative.
Even if there are changes in the general blood test, they are not specific. X-rays will also show no signs of tendonitis.
The greatest difficulty will be in the differential diagnosis between temporal tendonitis and other diseases with similar symptoms:
A diagnosis of temporal tendonitis is usually treated on an outpatient basis. When the case of the disease is severe (which is especially rare), hospitalization and treatment in a hospital may be required. Treatment will be limited to the following measures.
Ensuring complete functional rest of the temporomandibular joint. During the acute period, the patient is prohibited from opening his mouth wide and talking. In this case, food is given in liquid form using a straw.
After 2 days, the patient is gradually transferred to semi-liquid meals, and over the next month, treatment includes a mechanically gentle diet. Food should be soft and ground. In the future, it is recommended to avoid foods that require effort during chewing.
The use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. Treatment of the temporal zone strictly prohibits the use of various warming and burning ointments based on snake venom. When applied to the skin of the face, rhinitis, lacrimation and conjunctivitis often develop due to severe irritation and the entry of caustic particles into the nose and eyes.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used as local drugs:
Often, NSAIDs and painkillers are recommended in short courses of no more than 5-7 days.
Antibacterial agents are indicated for temporal tendonitis of an infectious nature. Broad-spectrum drugs are prescribed orally, intramuscularly or into the inflamed joint. The most effective will be Amoxiclav, Azithromycin, Cephalexin.
Physiotherapy will help relieve symptoms: treatment will be significantly accelerated, and the pain will dull over time.
Ultrasound, shock wave therapy, laser, electrophoresis with lidase, novocaine, and magnetic therapy have proven themselves well.
Traditional medicine recipes can help get rid of the disease and alleviate symptoms. So, one of the ways would be an ice massage. To do this, take several plastic glasses, fill them with water and place them in the freezer to harden. Separate the upper part of the formed ice and perform self-massage for 20 minutes three times a day.
Regular consumption of turmeric (no more than 0.5 g per day) will have a good effect on your condition. The bioflavonoid contained in the plant has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
Doctors recommend relieving the symptoms of tendinitis using saline dressings. They are prepared using a glass of warm water and a spoon of kitchen or sea salt. A napkin is generously moistened in the solution, wrapped in a bag and placed in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
After this, the bandage is applied to the affected area, bandaged and held until it dries. This treatment is carried out until the pain stops.
A measure to prevent inflammation of the temporal region will be maximum avoidance of rough loads. If there are risk factors, especially after tendonitis, it is recommended to completely avoid nuts, seeds, crackers, hard sausages and hard meat, because their consumption involves intensive chewing and, accordingly, excessive stress on the jaws.
making an appointment with a doctor, diagnostics
Many people have heard about such a disease as tendonitis. The disease is an inflammation, expressed to varying degrees, both of the tendon itself and of the areas directly around the sore spots. In the early stages of the disease, tendinitis can easily be confused with a sprain. This disease is characterized, in most cases, by severe pain that does not go away over a fairly long period of time. There are several types of tendonitis.
Knee tendinitis develops in 3 stages.
Shoulder tendinitis is much less common. The disease causes a huge amount of trouble for many people. This disease is characterized by the formation of swelling, as well as rupture of tendons and muscles that perform the function of normal support of the shoulder. The most important symptom is pronounced pain in the shoulder. In the first stages of the disease, pain occurs only in cases where the arm is thrown forward and when a person raises his arm above his head. With sudden movements, the pain can be unbearable. The disease tends to progress, and over time, pain will be felt even when a person offers his hand to greet a friend. In especially severe and advanced cases, the pain can be paroxysmal in nature and occur at night.
Treatment of tendinitis depends primarily on what type of disease the patient has. Attention is drawn to the cause of the disease and the degree of its complexity. If the disease begins to be treated immediately after the first symptoms appear, then much less time will be needed for treatment, and the condition will improve much faster.
Treatment for tendinitis affecting the knee is carried out in two ways . There are conservative and opportunistic methods. If the disease is not too advanced, then you can get rid of the disease with the help of special warming compresses, a plaster cast and the use of a variety of painkillers.
If the disease is advanced and conservative methods do not have the desired effect and do not cause recovery, then surgical intervention is used. The complexity and duration of the operation depends on various factors.
Treatment of the shoulder joint for this disease consists of creating rest for the damaged area. Most often, a fixing or special plaster bandage is applied. If treatment of the disease does not give the desired result for a maximum of one year, then surgical intervention is used.
Other types of diseases can be successfully treated only through the use of conservative methods.
Treatment of tendinitis using traditional methods
In addition to the traditional treatment of tendonitis, such a disease can be quite successfully overcome with the help of well-tested and true methods of traditional medicine. One of the most effective recipes of traditional medicine is the use of a specially prepared solution. To do this, you need to take about a glass of walnut partitions, lightly rinse them and pour 500 milliliters of vodka or medical alcohol. This mixture must be infused for three weeks in a slightly dark place. Take one tablespoon three to four times a day.
In order to avoid becoming a victim of tendonitis, you need to properly organize your sports activities. As practice shows, it is incorrect or excessive sports activities that become the main cause of the development of the disease. For any injury, even the most insignificant in your opinion, you should immediately seek qualified medical help. It is best to stop training for a short time.
Persons whose activities involve physical labor have a high predisposition to developing the disease.
In addition to general symptoms, tendonitis of various locations have specific symptoms.
Surgical intervention is carried out for stenosing tendinitis (which is characterized by narrowing of blood vessels), severe degenerative changes in the tendons or their rupture, and the presence of Osgood-Schlatter disease. This involves excision of the damaged area and scar tissue. The postoperative rehabilitation period is 2-3 months, and includes therapeutic exercises. A return to full exercise is allowed no earlier than after 3-4 months.
In addition to the general principles of diagnosing and treating tendinitis, there are also specific approaches to individual types of this disease.
1. The first stage of the disease is not accompanied by noticeable pain, which can appear only after significant exertion, and does not lead to a decrease in physical activity.
2. The second stage is characterized by the manifestation of severe and paroxysmal pain during standard training, even with light loads.
3. At the third stage of the disease, pain occurs even in a calm state and tends to intensify.
Treatment includes both conservative methods (rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone injections, etc.) and surgical methods (removal of inflamed tissue from the tendon surgically).
Striated muscles have a formation at the end that serves as an attachment for the muscle to the skeletal bones. This structure is based on collagen fibers interspersed with rows of fibrocytes that form tendons.
As a result of traumatic or other impact, this tissue can become inflamed - most often this occurs in the area of the transition from tendon to muscle or in the immediate place of attachment of muscle to bone.
Essentially, joint tendonitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the tendon, which can also affect the tendon bursa or tendon sheath. Inflammation of the entire tendon rarely spreads; as a rule, this indicates an advanced chronic process, when degenerative processes have the greatest impact.
This disease, depending on the etiology and location, may have an ICD 10 code M65, 75, 76, 77.
The causes of tendonitis are excessive physical activity, which can be either one-time or regular. As a result, the tendon fibers receive micro-tears. Most often, professional athletes and people engaged in monotonous physical labor are susceptible to the disease.
Tendinitis can be recognized by painful physical activity, increased temperature in the affected area combined with hyperemia, as well as slight swelling of the soft tissues.
If tendonitis has acquired the character of a chronic disease, then stopping exacerbations will be an important area of treatment. Treatment can include both medication and surgery.
Tendons are attached in close proximity to the joint. Therefore, when the tendon becomes inflamed, pain will be felt near the joint, which often makes a person think that the problem lies in the joint. Regardless of location, all tendonitis will have the following symptoms:
Depending on the location, each type of tendinitis will have its own specific characteristics.
Tendonitis is characterized by a gradual onset of symptoms. This may result in an increase in pain.
Initially, tendon soreness manifests itself exclusively in peak load situations and most patients do not attach any importance to this, maintaining their usual mode of activity.
During development, pain syndromes become more pronounced and the degree of stress gradually weakens to feel them. The patient begins to experience discomfort in everyday activities. A mild swelling of the soft tissue may form at the site of the lesion.
The inflammatory process of the tendon varies depending on the location. In each case, characteristic features of tendinitis can be identified.
When the heel tendon becomes inflamed, it is called Achilles tendonitis. Occurs due to poor quality metabolism and impaired tissue conductivity.
When the tendon tissue begins to crack and then scar, the preconditions for the formation of tendonitis gradually develop. Ultimately, it is even possible for the tendon to separate from the heel bone. In addition to the tendon itself, the adjacent tissues of the articular apparatus may be involved in the inflammatory process.
There are cases when the cause of the development of the disease lies in an imbalance of substances that cause the deposition of calcium salts in the tendon tissues. Ultimately, there is a chance of developing a heel bump called plantar fasciitis.
Achilles tendinitis can develop over several months. May manifest itself when going up and down stairs or an inclined plane. The pain is felt after sleep and does not go away after warm-up exercises. Soreness appears after sleep. The patient cannot rise to his toes, which clearly indicates a tendon injury.
Near the shoulder joint there are tendons that provide attachment for a large number of muscles, because to ensure such freedom of action, good support is needed.
If the loads and operating mode are not observed, the tendon of the rotator cuff, which includes the tendons of the supraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis and infraspinatus muscles, is the first to suffer. The second most popular is tendinitis of the biceps brachii or biceps muscle. The supraspinatus is most often affected.
This problem is especially troubling for manual workers and athletes, because they have to immobilize the joint during the rehabilitation period. For those who are familiar with chronic tendonitis, it is very important to properly develop the affected tendons and prevent injury.
Men over 40 are also characterized by calcific tendinitis, which is based on metabolic disorders. Calcium salts trigger pathological degenerative processes in tissues. If left untreated, the processes spread to adjacent joint tissues and muscles. The muscles, subacromial bursa, and shoulder joint capsule suffer.
Jumper's knee is also known as patellar tendinitis. It is this tendon that receives the maximum load during the pushing activity of an athlete. The quadriceps muscle experiences enormous load during jumping, which leads to regular microtrauma.
The disease develops slowly and tends to be chronic. If you do not pay attention and continue to load the knee, you end up with a serious inflammatory process.
Knee tendinitis in the initial stages is successfully treated with conservative methods and physiotherapy. However, in advanced cases it is necessary to perform surgical intervention when the inflamed or torn part of the tendon is excised. The operation is performed using small incisions endoscopically. Healing will require time and constant development of the knee joint, otherwise mobility may be limited.
This pathology is also called “pes anserine tendinitis” because of the shape of the tendon. Sometimes it can be found in adolescents and children, who, due to the immaturity of the ligamentous apparatus, are at risk of receiving a similar injury.
Inflammation of the tendons in the ankle area is a real scourge for athletes and women who prefer high heels.
Tendinitis of the ankle joint develops against the background of regular injuries - dislocations, subluxations, bruises.
During treatment, it is very important to fix the joint and give the limb complete rest. This can be problematic, since the ankle is under load from its own body weight. If it is necessary to completely immobilize a limb, not only splints, but also crutches can be used.
Overweight people will also be at risk. Firstly, this is an additional load on the ankle tendons, and secondly, it is often an incorrect metabolism, which provokes an acceleration of the destruction of the collagen fiber of the tendon.
Treatment of the ankle requires the use of all resources to speed up the rehabilitation of the limb. If surgical intervention is necessary, the joint will be developed and the tendons will be adapted.
In addition, we must not forget that in the foot, as in the hands, there is also a large number of tendons responsible for the work of the fingers and the shock-absorbing properties of the foot when walking. The inability to support in case of inflammation will also require prompt intervention from a doctor.
When tendonitis occurs, the elbow joint may show signs characteristic of other common diseases - osteoarthritis or polyarthritis. It is very important to correctly diagnose the problem. It is necessary to find out by palpating the tendon area whether there is tunnel syndrome, supination or valgus, varus syndrome. These are also inflammatory processes, but not related to this case.
Elbows are often subject to stress when playing sports, where it is necessary to constantly keep tense arms bent or when carrying heavy objects. In this situation, it is necessary to avoid overloading the tendons, otherwise you can get an unpleasant chronic problem.
The biceps or biceps muscle provides flexion of the arm at the elbow joint, as well as rotation of the forearm, that is, the movement of turning the arm with the palm up or down.
Tendinitis of the biceps brachii muscle develops due to excessive sports stress or heavy physical work. This pathology is common among those whose job functions require them to hold their arms above their heads - swimmers, throwers, tennis players.
Biceps tendinitis can develop from a fall on the top of the shoulder. When the adjacent ligamentous apparatus is destroyed, the joint may become hypermobile and begin to fall out, causing dislocations and subluxations.
A distinctive feature of the fingers is that there is no muscle tissue inside. There are muscles only in the hand. The tendons are thin and long; due to them, the fingers move freely and can perform various manipulations.
Today, a very common problem is inflammation of the finger flexors. This is due to the fact that the hands and fingers are constantly under tension when it is necessary to hold or type something. Large loads on the use of fine motor skills make this disease very common.
You should not neglect the problem, since the tendon is thin, and the destructive effect of the disease occurs on it much faster. It is necessary to study therapy as early as possible so as not to suffer in the future. This pathology is inherent in those who work a lot with their hands - from musicians to adjusters.
Tendons are attached to the femur at both the knee and hip joints. This is a large bone and a lot of stress falls on its tendons.
If the femoral tendons are torn, the pain, as in most cases, will increase gradually. It is characteristic that if a person begins to perform simple warm-up exercises, the pain disappears, but as soon as an increased load is given, the pain returns in a much more serious form.
A person, subconsciously protecting the injured area, soon begins to limp, his gait frankly changes. Lameness develops gradually, intensifying. When performing hip abduction, flexion, or walking, crunching sounds may be heard.
The quadriceps tendon is often affected, but clicking may simply be an anatomical feature of the tendon when its attachment slips. Such phenomena occasionally occur when the fastener slips to the greater trochanter of the gluteus maximus tendon. Sometimes this feature occurs in young women and does not cause any problems.
The temporal tendon can become inflamed due to the strain that occurs in the jaw muscles due to an incorrect bite. The second reason is the habit of gnawing hard food - crackers, nuts. The symptoms that accompany this form of the disease often force you to contact a dentist or neurologist.
Tendinitis in the area of the temporal joint causes headaches and toothaches; when talking, the gums may hurt, and the longer the need to speak, the more sensitive the pain. Patients complain of discomfort when eating.
This form of tendinitis is characterized by irradiation of pain to the temporal and occipital region, and neck. If the patient seeks help in a timely manner, then this form of the disease can be perfectly treated with conservative methods. Physiotherapy has a good effect.
When the tendons of the gluteal muscles become inflamed, a person may experience difficulty moving and changing body position.
The dystrophic nature of the pathology is expressed in atrophy and severe weakness of the muscles of the buttocks. When moving, clicks are heard and the person is unable to move normally.
Considering the nature of the occurrence and course of tendonitis, it is worth warning that treatment with all kinds of folk remedies in this case can be more likely to cause harm. Because a tendon rupture can be much more serious than you might imagine. In cases where avulsion occurs, the surgeon excises the inflamed part and applies sutures.
Ointments for tendinitis play a supporting role when it is necessary to use not only oral NSAIDs, but also to promote local healing of the tendon. You won't be able to heal tendinitis quickly at home. On average, treatment takes 6 weeks, and if an operation was performed to excise part of the tendon, then rehabilitation can take up to six months.
After the diagnosis, the doctor builds a scheme and determines how to treat tendonitis in a particular case. It should be noted that surgery is an extreme case; most often, such a disease responds well to drug treatment.
The scheme resembles the general algorithm for treating joints and connective tissues:
Surgery is indicated for severe inflammation, when it is necessary to clean the tendon.
The main task for preventing the disease is careful control of the load and avoidance of injuries. If the last condition fails, then it is necessary to take care of adequate medical care and methodical implementation of all rehabilitation conditions.
To avoid sprains and dislocations that could injure the tendons, athletes use elastic fixing bandages. This allows you to reduce the load and minimize the number of micro-tears in the tendon. Also, a diet to replenish collagen reserves helps restore the elasticity of the tendon body, which also prevents the likelihood of tearing and the development of inflammation.
Considering the length of the recovery period for tendonitis, it is quite normal to be meticulous and play it safe. Compliance with safety precautions will help maintain the health of not only joints, but tendons and ligaments.
Unlike other tendon diseases, temporal tendonitis does not impair a person's ability to move, but it is accompanied by very painful and unpleasant symptoms.
Temporal tendonitis occurs everywhere and affects people of any age.
Tendinitis is an inflammatory lesion of the tendons.
Temporal tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendons of the masticatory muscles, which are attached to the temporal bone and provide function to the temporomandibular joint.
The disease can occur on only one side or involve the tendons on both sides.
Causes of temporal tendonitis include:
What is spondylosis deformans? The answer is here.
The main symptom of temporal tendonitis is pain localized in the joint area, cheeks and radiating to the lower jaw, teeth, neck, and forehead.
The intensity and nature of the pain can vary: from dull aching to unbearably sharp.
Very often, patients are able to clearly establish the relationship between the occurrence of pain and previous chewing of hard foods, cracking of nuts and seeds.
The pain can be constant, intensifying when chewing, talking, opening the mouth, or it can only occur when there is a load on the joint, and be absent at rest.
The most common local symptoms are:
Infectious temporal tendonitis is characterized by redness along the tendons.
With temporal tendonitis, general symptoms are rare, mainly in cases where inflammation of the tendons of the masticatory muscles was caused by an infectious factor.
Patients may complain of lethargy, loss of appetite, headache, and fever.
Diagnosis is based on a thorough collection of medical history and complaints, examination of the patient by a doctor - this turns out to be quite sufficient to confirm the diagnosis.
Additional research methods are not needed, and they are not informative: in a general blood test, if there are any changes, they are nonspecific (signs of inflammation), and no pathology can be detected on x-rays.
The greatest difficulty is the differential diagnosis between temporal tendonitis and other diseases with similar symptoms (dental problems, trigeminal neuralgia).
However, an experienced doctor should easily cope with this task, since the disease has a number of distinctive features:
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Treatment of tendinitis is carried out mainly on an outpatient basis; severe cases of the disease requiring hospitalization are practically never encountered.
The basic principles of treatment are presented below.
Ensuring functional rest of the temporomandibular joint
In the most acute period of the disease, with severe pain, patients are prohibited from opening their mouths, and they are not even allowed to talk.
Food is given in liquid form through a straw. After 1-2 days, they gradually switch to semi-liquid food, and a mechanically gentle diet (ground, soft food) is maintained for about a month.
Subsequently, it is recommended to avoid foods that require significant chewing effort.
Use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs
The peculiarity of the treatment of temporal tendonitis, in contrast to tendonitis of other localizations, is that all kinds of burning and warming ointments are not used.
When applied to the face, they greatly irritate the skin; caustic particles get into the eyes and nose and can cause lacrimation, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis.
Local remedies include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Voltaren emulgel, diclofenac).
More often, NSAIDs and painkillers are prescribed orally for a short course (for 5-7 days) - diclofenac, nimesulide, nurofen, ketorol and other drugs are used.
For temporal tendonitis of infectious origin, broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs (amoxiclav, azithromycin, cephalexin, etc.) are prescribed orally or intramuscularly, less often - to the area of the inflamed tendon.
They relieve pain very effectively and significantly speed up the healing process.
In this case use:
Specific prevention is to avoid harsh loads on the temporomandibular joint.
If there are risk factors, as well as after tendonitis, it is recommended to avoid nuts, seeds, hard meat, hard sausages, crackers and other products, the use of which is combined with intense chewing.
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The tendon becomes inflamed due to tendonitis (tendinosis) due to severe physical activity or staying in one position for a long time. The tendon reacts to constant overload with swelling. What are the types and causes of tendinitis? Knowing the symptoms will help you consult a doctor in a timely manner and receive treatment.
Most often, the tendons become inflamed in the knee, hip, shoulder, elbow joints, less often - on the wrist and feet
Tendinosis (tendinopathy, tendonitis) is an inflammatory process in the tendon area, which occurs accompanied by hyperemia (redness) of the skin over the area of inflammation, pain, which leads to limited movement of the joint and limb. If the tendon is inflamed at the junction with the bone, then the process is called enthesopathy.
Reference. There are two main types of tendonitis (depending on the presence or absence of infection): infectious tendinosis and aseptic (non-infectious).
Separately, it is worth mentioning calcific, or calcific tendonitis, a disease that occurs as a result of excess calcium salts in tendons and soft tissues, followed by inflammation. It is characterized by pain when lifting the limbs upward and discomfort during night sleep.
Calcium deposits on the periosteum tendon are the epicenter of tendinitis.
The inflammatory process can develop due to:
Calcific tendonitis is divided into degenerative and reactive calcification.
Degenerative calcification occurs when tendons wear out due to deterioration of blood supply. Therefore, they weaken and microtears appear on the fibers.
Reactive calcification occurs for unknown reasons. There are three stages of development:
Attention! Tendon tendonitis can occur in different conditions. First, the tendon sheath becomes inflamed; this disease is called tenosynovitis. Or the tendon bursa is first affected - tendobursitis occurs. When nearby muscle tissue is involved in the inflammatory process, myotendinitis begins.
The type of tendinitis is named depending on its location.
It often happens in athletes and manifests itself as pain in the kneecap initially during exercise, then the pain intensifies and becomes disturbing when walking. The patellar ligament is affected - the tendon of the quadriceps femoris muscle. The place of attachment is the anterior surface of the tibia. The pain symptom is often confused with the discomfort of a sprain, so a diagnosis should be made.
Chronic tendonitis occurs:
Difference between tendinitis and sprain:
Tendinitis of the hip joint resulting from arthrosis
The tendons of those muscles that attach to the hip joint on all sides become inflamed. Particular attention should be paid to inflammation (Hamstring syndrome) of the tendons of the muscle fibers that attach to the ischial tuberosity, since there is a risk of pinching the sciatic nerve. Pathology also develops due to:
The inflammatory process can begin in different muscle groups, which is why the disease is called “golfer’s elbow”, “tennis elbow”, “baseball player’s elbow” when the exercise is performed frequently. In the biceps area, the tendon that connects the biceps muscle to the shoulder joint is affected. In tennis players, monotonous sudden movements damage the tendons connecting the flexors and extensors of the wrist, and the brachioradialis muscle with the bone.
With prolonged stress on the shoulder, athletes who perform weight-bearing exercises or workers who move or carry loads can develop tendonitis in the rotator cuff and biceps muscles. Symptoms are characterized by sharp pain, swelling and redness of the skin.
It appears more often in boxers and weightlifters, and in people skilled in various types of wrestling. The pain occurs after putting stress on the foot, then while walking.
The tendons that attach the muscles of mastication to the jaw are affected. This is possible due to chewing nuts with teeth. Painful attacks radiate to the neck area. Often inflammation is mistaken for toothache or headache due to inflammation (neuralgia) of the trigeminal nerve (due to the similarity of symptoms).
It is important to know. Tendinitis differs from neuralgia by pain when putting pressure on the jaw joint and swelling in the tendon area. Trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by pain in the area of one of the three branches, lack of sensitivity of the skin to tingling with a sharp object (needle). If you have a toothache due to caries, your cheek will hurt, and when you chew, the pain will intensify.
Dislocation of the branches of the trigeminal nerve and possible areas of pain in neuralgia
If tendonitis is suspected, the symptoms in the area of different joints are almost the same:
Chronic tendonitis is characterized by the occurrence of spontaneous pain due to changing weather and increased discomfort at night.
The initial stages of tendonitis with rare painful attacks and their low intensity are not a reason for many to turn to a specialist for help. If left untreated, the pain intensifies, then the person begins to look for information about how and with what to treat tendinitis. It would be better to consult a doctor. From him you can learn that tendinitis is a disease with a long treatment process - at least 2-6 weeks. If tendonitis is treated with surgery, then rehabilitation can last 2-6 months.
When diagnosed with tendinitis, treatment is carried out using:
Warming ointments for tendonitis will relieve inflammation
Note. Ointments for tendinitis are prescribed based on methyl salicylate, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, indomethacin, bee or snake venom, menthol, camphor, mustard and pepper extract.
The comprehensive program includes the treatment of tendonitis with folk remedies.
Ointment for compress:
You should consult a doctor for treatment in the initial stages of tendinitis. An excellent treatment effect can be obtained by prescribing complex therapy.
Co-author of the material: Dmitry Ulyanov is an orthopedist-rheumatologist with 22 years of experience, a doctor of the first category. Engaged in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of all diseases of the joints and connective tissue. He has a diploma in Rheumatology and studied at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia.
Tendinitis is an inflammatory pathology that affects tendons in the human body. It is especially common among professional athletes and people whose work itself involves high physical activity.
With tendonitis, it is mainly those parts of the tendon that are located closest to the bone structures that are affected, but sometimes the entire tissue is affected. The main symptom of this inflammation is pain.
Tendon is a tissue consisting of collagen fibers. The main task of this tissue is to ensure the correct trajectory of movements, as well as maintaining joint mobility.
Doctors say intense physical activity is the main cause of the disease. However, the following etiological factors are often additionally identified:
All these factors do not necessarily lead to the fact that a particular person develops the disease, but they significantly increase the chances of encountering it.
Doctors distinguish two types of tendinitis – chronic and acute. In any of the cases, the symptoms of tendinitis do not develop immediately; it occurs gradually, without sudden jumps.
It all starts with the appearance of pain. Pain initially occurs only during severe physical exertion, which significantly exceeds the capabilities of one particular person.
Gradually, as the pathology progresses, unpleasant sensations begin to disturb even under standard loads. Eventually the patient will experience discomfort even at rest.
When examining the joint, the doctor will be able to pay attention to local swelling of the skin, its redness, and a rise in local temperature. In this case, a crepitating sound will be heard while driving. Sometimes, in order to hear it, it is not enough to rely only on hearing; you need a phonendoscope.
In addition to chronic and acute tendinitis, doctors distinguish a number of forms, depending on which joint is affected.
If a person experiences pain in the cheek area, which intensifies when chewing, and subsides when the jaw remains immobile, this is a reason to suspect a temporal type of disease. Discomfort is not always felt in the cheek area. Sometimes the pain radiates to the neck or to the head in general, without the ability to indicate a specific location.
When the heel tendon is damaged, the first thing the patient will complain about, in addition to discomfort, is limited mobility in the Achilles tendon area (there is no ability to lower the foot down or, on the contrary, pull it towards oneself). Upon examination, swelling of the articular area and local hyperthermia are possible. Surgical treatment is usually not required.
Tendinitis of the knee joint is quite common in medical practice. First of all, there is a type of pathology such as jumper's disease or patellofemoral tendinitis. In this case, the tendons that connect the patella and tibia are affected. As is clear from the informal name, it is mainly jumpers who suffer from the disease.
The patellar type of the disease occurs mainly in people whose age has passed the 40-year mark. During this period, degenerative processes begin in the tissues, causing the patellar ligaments to suffer.
With shoulder disease, patients usually complain of acute pain, which is especially disturbing when trying to make a sudden movement. The shoulder joint suffers if a person is forced to hold his arms above his head for a long time (for example, while painting a ceiling).
In medical practice, there are several types of lesions of the shoulder joint. This is explained by the fact that the joint has a complex structure, a state of many muscles and bones.
Most often, the inflammatory process develops in the periosteal muscle, but damage to other components is also possible. So, for example, if a patient complains of discomfort when trying to perform rotational movements in the shoulder, we are talking about a pathology of the teres minor and major muscles.
Calcific or, as it is also called, ossifying tendonitis is a disease that, in addition to the inflammatory process, is accompanied by the deposition of calcium salts in the tendon area. In this case, the shoulder joint is most often affected, but other joints of the human body can also be affected.
Interestingly, the disease is more correctly classified as tendovaginitis rather than simple tendonitis. This is explained by the fact that not only the tendon itself, but also the surrounding tissues are involved in the pathological process due to calcium salts. As a result, if the pain has passed, but the treatment of the disease has not been given enough attention, it will continue to progress, leading to rapid wear and tear of the joint.
Tendonitis of the gluteal muscle tendon is accompanied by dysfunction and gradual complete atrophy. Disturbances in the motor sphere gradually increase until the patient understands that he cannot change the horizontal position to any other.
Often the tendon in this area undergoes rupture, as indicated by an acute pain attack and a characteristic clicking sound.
Inflammatory processes in the posterior tibial muscle are most often a consequence of constant trauma to this area. It is mainly encountered by women over 30 years of age who play sports professionally, but men are not immune from the disease.
Damage to the biceps usually occurs in people who are forced to frequently swing their arms above their heads. For example, swimmers and tennis players suffer from it. This affects the biceps tendon, which provides attachment to the muscle to the shoulder joint.
The patient will first notice the appearance of pain at the moment when he tries to lift something heavy, since during this period the load on the muscle will be the highest.
Epicondylitis of the lateral or, as it is also called, external type is a disease characterized by damage to the tendons of the extensor muscles of the wrist.
If at first the patient is not bothered by practically anything except pain, then over time he will not be able to even lift the cup from the table to drink if treatment procedures are not started in a timely manner.
Epicondylitis of the medial or external type is the involvement of the flexor muscles of the forearm in the pathological process. This disease often affects golfers, squash and baseball players.
The symptoms of medial and lateral epicondylitis are not much different from each other, and therefore an MRI is often required to make a diagnosis.
De Quervain's disease is characterized by inflammatory processes in the tendons that, together with the muscles, provide abduction and flexion of the thumb.
A person suffering from de Quervain's disease will complain to the doctor of pain, and when trying to perform the Elkin test (placing the thumb with the index and little fingers) will encounter failure.
Many patients wonder which doctor treats tendinitis? Most often, the treating specialist is either a traumatologist or a therapist.
If necessary, a surgeon or sports medicine doctor may be involved in the case. If there is a suspicion of an active rheumatological process, then contact a rheumatologist.
Before you can figure out how to treat tendonitis, it is important to get a proper diagnosis. The following techniques will help with this:
Treatment of tendonitis in the initial stages is carried out using conservative techniques. First of all, rest and cold are recommended to relieve inflammation.
Various therapeutic procedures from the field of physiotherapy are used (for example, massage, UHF, electrophoresis, ultrasound, magnetic therapy, etc.). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are actively used.
Orthopedic means include the use of splints, casting, crutches, and special shoes. If an infection is suspected, antibiotics are prescribed.
If the disease is severe, the patient is recommended to use glucocorticosteroids, which are injected directly into the area of the inflammatory process.
Treatment of advanced tendonitis, which is accompanied by vasoconstriction and active degenerative processes, is carried out promptly. In this case, the affected area of tissue is removed, and then local therapy is carried out, similar to that used for ligament rupture.
If pain that was previously passing has become constant after physical therapy and conservative treatment, surgery is also recommended.
It is important to remember that tendonitis is much more difficult to treat than it is prevented. To prevent damage to tendon tissue, the following preventive measures are recommended:
Basically, with tendinitis, the prognosis is favorable if the patient consults a doctor in time. With timely initiation of therapy, the likelihood of complications is minimal, and therefore it is recommended to consult a doctor with minimal manifestations of the disease.