Tendonitis – spotting signs and self-care tips

Are you getting pain around your joint that feels like a dull ache? Is the area around your joint tender and difficult to move?

You might have tendonitis – when a tendon (which attaches muscles to bones) swells and becomes inflamed. It can affect the tendon at any joint, but it’s more likely to affect those in your shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, or heels.

While it can feel painful and stop you going about life as normal, mild tendonitis usually gets better in a few weeks, with enough rest and self-care.

Signs it might be tendonitis

Symptoms of tendonitis include:

• pain, stiffness, and tenderness that get worse when you move the limb or joint – it may feel like a dull ache
• a grating or crackling sensation when you move the joint
• swelling and heat that may appear as redness, or a purple color, on your skin, depending on your skin tone.

Tendonitis pain can come on gradually, happen suddenly, and be mild or severe.

Severe, sudden pain is usually the result of a torn (ruptured) tendon – a complication of tendonitis. In this case, you may have heard a popping or snapping sound when the injury happened.

How is it caused?

Tendonitis is often brought on by repeating the same movement (overuse), which can overload a tendon. But a sudden injury, where you put too much pressure on the tendon too quickly, can also be a cause.

You’re more likely to develop tendonitis if you:

• have a manual labor job – like gardening, painting, or construction, where you use repetitive movements frequently
• play sports regularly – that involve a lot of running, jumping, or throwing – repetitive movements that can cause injury over time or suddenly
• playing sports in the wrong shoes and on a hard surface
• moving with poor posture.

Tendonitis is also more likely to develop if you:

• are older – your tendons become less flexible and elastic as you age
• take certain medicines – such as antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones, steroids, or aromatase inhibitors, which are used to lower the risk of breast cancer
• have a specific medical condition – such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or gout.

Self-care tips

Mild cases of tendonitis can be treated at home. You may want to try:

• following the R.I.C.E principle – it involves resting, icing the area with a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel for 20 minutes (every 2 to 3 hours), compressing the area with a bandage, and keeping the injury elevated by raising it
• taking painkillers – such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) to relieve pain symptoms. A pharmacist will be able to help you pick the right painkiller for you.

After 2 to 3 days, begin gentle movement again to stop your joints stiffening up. Avoid playing sports until your tendon is better, and don’t do any heavy lifting, strong gripping or twisting actions for a while.

When to see a doctor

Get urgent medical help if you're in a lot of pain and/or you think you might have ruptured a tendon.

Otherwise, book an appointment to see a doctor if you’ve injured your tendon and:

• your symptoms don’t improve within a few weeks
• it’s getting in the way of your day-to-day life.

Diagnosing tendonitis

At the appointment your doctor will run you through a physical exam to check for pain and tenderness, as well as ask you questions about your symptoms and medical history.

This is usually enough to diagnose tendonitis, but imaging tests like an X-ray, or an MRI, may be used to rule out other conditions.

What’s the treatment?

Most cases of tendonitis can be managed with self-care. If pain continues to linger, your doctor may prescribe you a stronger painkiller, or recommend a steroid injection.

If your tendonitis pain is severe, you might be referred to a physical therapist or an orthopedic specialist. They can work with you to reduce inflammation in and around the joint, while strengthening the muscles and tendons with specific exercises.

It’s rare, but surgery may be offered if:

• other treatments haven’t worked
• you've ruptured your tendon
• you have damaged tissue around the joint that needs to be removed.