Chiropractic care for the treatment of tendonitis
What is Tendonitis, and how can a Chiropractor help?
Tendonitis is a condition in which the tendon that attaches a muscle to a bone in your body becomes painful and inflamed. This often occurs in the shoulder, knee, elbow, or wrist, but any area of the body where tendons attach can develop tendonitis as well. A Doctor of Chiropractic is trained in the diagnosis and treatment of muscle, tendon and skeletal injuries, and can identify which type of chiropractic treatment plan is most appropriate for your injury.
Our office is an In- Network provider for Personal Choice PPO, Aetna PPO, Amerihealth PPO, and Blue Cross PPO insurance plans. Having the availability to accept the major local health insurance plans as an In- Network provider allows the patient the best health insurance coverage. Dr. Conrad has been helping the Montgomery County and North Wales community for over 23 years.
What causes tendonitis?
The most common cause of tendonitis is from a repetitive motion performed over and over which puts extra stress on a specific tendon over a period of time. Other causes of tendon injuries can be from a fall or trauma. Some cases may remain symptom free for a while, but will become aggravated when a specific motion or activity is resumed, such as someone beginning to work out after not exercising for a few months.
Can computer work cause tendonitis?
Yes, prolonged computer typing can lead to a painful tendon. Our Office has been helping patients with shoulder, arm pain and carpal tunnel syndrome for many years. I believe that a combination of chiropractic care, stretching and exercise will help tendonitis. Certainly, if you sit all day hunched forward you will have shoulder and back problems. Our team helps relieve spasm and stress caused by arm and shoulder pain and teach you ways to prevent it again.
Repetitive motions like typing irritate the tendon, leading to pain and inflammation. Proper chiropractic care and strength exercises can reduce the inflammation, and help with the pain. We can also help with an ergonomic computer workspace desk set up for you. By doing this, you can try to identify any complicating factors for your tendonitis. If you take some pressure off of the tendon with chiropractic adjustments, you will feel looser and better range of motion. Many patients who are on the computer a lot are please with our results in reducing pain from tendonitis.
Signs and symptoms of tendonitis?
Tendonitis is not always the same for each individual, and can feel different for each case. Some cases are sudden onset of sharp pain, others can be a more gradual pain with motion which is not improving, and depends on the severity of the condition. Most people with tendonitis usually described it as:
- Painful
- Swollen
- Localized tenderness
- Sharp pain on motion
- Loss of strength
What are commonly associated terms with tendonitis?
Pain can occur in different areas of the body, but some more commonly known types of tendonitis include the area of the body in which it is located, including:
- Tennis elbow
- Golfers elbow
- Runner’s knee
- Pitcher’s shoulder
- There are three Grades of Tendon injuries, Grade 1, 2 and 3
- Grade 1: Mild to moderate, intermittent pain and swelling,
- Grade 2: Moderate to severe, sharp pain, swelling
- Grade 3: Severe pain and swelling, immediate surgical consult
Risk Factors for Tendonitis:
There are many risk factors for developing muscle and tendon pain. We tell our patients that early detection can help prevent future problems. On the contrary, if you ignore the signs of pain, it will lead to more problems. We recommend making an appointment as soon as the injury happens. By waiting, we believe the injury may get worse without immediate treatment. Some of the more common factors may include:
- Repetitive activities or trauma
- Abnormalities of muscle, bone or joint conditions
- Types of work that require manual repetitive activities, including sports athletes, construction workers, and assembly line workers.
- Advanced Age (>45 years old)
- Carrying Children for prolonged time
- Prolonged computer work (More common for wrist and elbow tendonitis)
- Poor posture
- What is the recommended Treatment of a tendon problem through Chiropractic care?
Most cases of Grade 1 or Grade 2 respond well to a conservative treatment plan. This plan may consist of chiropractic adjustments, electrical muscle stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, massage therapy and therapeutic exercises. Your Doctor of Chiropractic will design a treatment plan appropriate for your injury, discuss treatment goals, and instruct you how it will get you back to improved health. We believe that chiropractic and exercise for tendons is a safe alternative to drugs or surgery, and we are confident that we can help you too. Shoulder, wrist, elbow or knee pain can be very frustrating, and trying to find a local chiropractor that treats these injuries may be difficult.
Where should I go to get treated in North Wales PA?
Montgomery County Chiropractic Center has been helping people get back to their daily life for many years, and we are confident that we can help you as well. The faster you address your problem, the quicker we can get you back to where you need to be. Whether your goals include getting back into a regular exercise program, doing things around the house, or simply walking the dog with less pain, our dedicated staff is here to answer your questions and point you in the right direction. Our office has been serving patients in the North Wales, Blue Bell and Lansdale community with tendonitis for over 17 years, and we are open 7 days a week to match a busy schedule. If you suffer from a tendon injury, give our office a call today to schedule a chiropractic appointment.
