Tendonitis is an inflammation of the cords that attach your muscles to bones. The main symptoms of tendonitis are pain and tenderness that make it hard to move the joint being affected. It’s possible to develop tendonitis in any tendon, but it’s most commonly observed in tendons in the shoulder, knee, heel, wrist or elbow. A number of common sports injury terms like swimmer’s shoulder and tennis elbow actually refer to tendonitis.
The cause of tendonitis is almost always a repetitive motion, which is why it’s sometimes called a repetitive motion condition. The reason for this lies in the job of tendons in the first place. They allow you to make movements repetitively, but if you do them frequently, such as on an every day basis for years, like in sports or work, inflammation is likely to develop eventually. You’re even more likely to get it if you do the motion incorrectly. Injury, aging and some diseases like rheumatoid arthritis can also cause tendonitis.
Signs of tendonitis typically manifest in a dull ache and stiffness first near the affected area or the specific joint. Such signs also tend to increase when you move the affected area or joint. You might experience stiff joints, loss of motion, swelling and tenderness in the area as well. When you first feel these symptoms come on, you should apply ice and rest the area. Treatment for tendonitis can include rest, elevating the area, heat or ice applications, medications such as pain relievers and anti-inflammatories, and wrapping the joint in a compression bandage to improve swelling. In more severe cases, you might need supports, surgery, physical therapy or corticosteroid injections.
1. Stiff Joints
The definition of stiff joints is the feeling of a loss of motion or a heaviness that makes it hard to move the affected area. Joint stiffness is usually also accompanied by swelling or pain or both. You may feel sensations like tingling, warmth or numbness and you may experience redness in the area and it may hurt to the touch. Stiff joints have various causes, but inflammation such as that which occurs with tendonitis is a common cause. As joints are parts of the body where two bones are connected, tendons are extremely crucial to their fluid movement.
Tendonitis causes stretching and inflammation, which then restricts movement and gives the feeling of joint stiffness. You’re most likely to feel joint stiffness in the morning when you first wake up or during the night. Movement may make it feel better temporarily, but a tendon injury usually gets worse if it is not allowed to heal. A stiff feeling in the joints most often affects the elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles.
2. Tenderness
Another symptom you might experience with tendonitis is tenderness. This is different from a painful feeling and both terms are used differently in a diagnosis. When something is painful, that means it gives off that feeling all the time regardless of what you’re doing. When something is tender, that means that it hurts when the area is touched or bothered. For example, you might have a stomach ache, but if someone presses on your stomach, it doesn’t hurt more. This is an important distinction in the medical field as a tender abdomen could indicate appendicitis as an example. A tender joint feeling means pressing or moving the area hurts.
3. Pain
Conversely, a painful feeling is when a part of the body constantly hurts. No matter where you have tendonitis, you might experience a painful sensation in the area. In making a diagnosis, a doctor might use the pain scale to discover how severe it is. This scale goes from 0 to 10 with zero being no painful feeling and 10 being that it’s so painful you feel like passing out. Most painful sensations associated with an inflamed tendon fall between 1 and 7. This includes occasional minor twinges up to difficulty concentrating, interference with sleep and being able to function only through effort.
4. Swelling
You’re likely to experience swelling with tendonitis, which is one of the body’s many reactions to injury. It is defined as an enlargement of some part of the body and may be a result of fluid collecting as white blood cells rush to the inflamed area. If you notice a swollen joint area, the best course of action is to rest and elevate the area first and then treat it with ice and possibly compression to control the response. Do not use heat on a swollen area for the first 72 hours as this may increase the enlargement. Ice should be used for 20 minutes each hour.
5. Stiffness
Stiff muscles or joints is a condition where they feel tight and harder to move than usual. You might also have a painful feeling in your muscles or joints, cramping or general discomfort. Stiff muscles have a different feeling from the symptoms of rigidity or spasticity. In the case of those symptoms, your muscles will continue feeling stiff whether you’re moving or not. Stiff muscles might go away on their own, but can also be signs of something more serious like tendon inflammation. You should consult your doctor if the feeling doesn’t go away or is accompanied by other symptoms in this list.
6. Dull Ache
The feeling of a dull ache is often hard to describe. It doesn’t always feel painful, but instead mildly uncomfortable. You can feel a dull ache in your muscles and joints with the onset of tendonitis. When you describe the sensation to your doctor, you might also refer to it as a heavy or sore feeling. It’s most likely to occur in a very localized area. The dull feeling is like a low level ache that goes on for an extended duration and it may also feel more intense when you put pressure on the area with the dull ache. A toothache is a common example for this feeling.
7. Loss of Motion
When you experience a loss of motion, it means that the distance and range that your joint could previously move is reduced. The medical field has an established range for movement in each joint. For example, your knee should be able to extend until straight and bend at 130 degrees. A loss of motion in your knee could mean that it’s not able to extend until straight or unable to bend a full 130 degrees. Reduced range of motion in joints is common as you age, but it’s also one of the many signs of tendonitis and should be evaluated with other symptoms.
