Tendinitis, Tendinosis, Tendinopathy

Do I have tendinitis, tendinosis, or tendinopathy?

How do you know if the pain you are feeling is going to resolve itself with a little patience and rest, or if waiting to get treatment could be making things worse? Here are some guidelines that may prevent further injury and save you time, money, and effort.

Sprains and Strains

If you can identify a specific injury that caused your condition, your pain is likely due to the inflammation process, classified as a simple sprain or strain. "Sprain" is the term used when you overstress a joint, whereas "strain" refers to a muscle or tendon injury.

Muscle strains are often caused by overstressing the musculotendinous junction. The resulting inflammation is a normal part of your body's healing process. If it doesn't go away in 10 to 21 days, you're not recovering normally and should seek medical help to determine if you have something more serious, like tendinitis.

Tendinitis, Tendinosis, Tendinopathy

Tendinitis is a condition that can be treated with physical therapy; our treatments can quickly resolve your pain and immobility and return you to full function and mobility. Signs of tendinitis include calcification of the tendon/muscle unit, failure to heal the tissue, and lumps forming along the injured tendon, and it can lead to tendon ruptures if left untreated.

Tendinitis is less severe than tendinosis and can be treated within several weeks. Chronic tendinitis, however, can lead to tendinosis, which can take up to several months to treat. When tendinosis is left untreated and unresolved, it can deteriorate into a more severe condition called tendinopathy: the breakdown or tearing of the tendon. When tendinopathy occurs, there is a strong chance the best solution is surgical intervention to repair the broken tissue.

If you have suffered a sprain or strain and are somewhere along the process to recovery, or if the problem has been becoming more painful, we can help you get back to full mobility and function.