A tendon is the strong band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. When the tendon becomes inflamed, often from overuse, it can cause redness, swelling, pain, and discomfort. The symptoms of tendonitis often include pain with movement and relief of pain at rest. This can happen to any tendon in the body, but is most common in the shoulder, elbow, thumb, knee, and achilles.
Tendonitis is often seen in the back of your shoulder, the elbow, or the achilles. In all three of these areas, a specific muscle is often misused causing the tendon to take excessive loading. Improper movement patterns are typically to blame for tendonitis. In rotator cuff tendonitis, the rotator cuff muscles are over used causing inflammation to the tendon creating tendonitis.
The most effective treatment for tendonitis is proper loading of the tendon and patience. Inflammation is a chemical process that takes time to work through. Tendonitis is not typically an overnight fix. Chiropractic care, coupled with patience, is an excellent option in reducing pain and restoring function to the affected tendon.