How do you fix tendonitis

These may include: X-rays , which can show any bone-related problems or calcification in tendons or joint structures. MRI magnetic resonance imaging , which can show small tears and areas of tendon, ligament , cartilage , and muscle injury. Ultrasound , which can show thickening, swelling, or tears in soft tissues such as the bursae and tendons. Treatment Overview Initial treatment for a tendon injury tendinopathy typically includes rest and pain relievers. The goals of this early treatment are to: Reduce pain and inflammation of the tendon.

Restore normal motion and strength. The goals of ongoing treatment are to: Reduce pain. Avoid further degeneration or tearing of the tendon. Encourage regeneration of the damaged tendon. Treatment for tendinopathies Take the following steps to treat tendinopathies: Rest the affected area, and avoid any activity that may cause pain. Get enough sleep. To keep your overall health and fitness, continue exercising but only in ways that do not stress the affected area.

Do not resume an aggravating activity as soon as the pain stops. Tendons require weeks of additional rest to heal. You may need to make long-term changes in the types of activities you do or how you do them. Apply ice or cold packs as soon as you notice pain and tenderness in your muscles or near a joint. Apply ice 10 to 15 minutes at a time, as often as twice an hour, for 72 hours. Continue applying ice 15 to 20 minutes at a time, 3 times a day as long as it relieves pain.

Although heating pads may feel good, ice will relieve pain and inflammation. Take pain relievers if needed. Use acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs , such as ibuprofen or naproxen, as directed for pain relief. NSAIDs also reduce any inflammation you might have in or around the tendon tendinitis. NSAIDs come in pills and in a cream that you rub over the sore area.

Do not rely on medicine to relieve pain in order to continue overusing a joint. Do range-of-motion exercises each day. Gently move your joint through its full range of motion, even during the time that you are resting the joint area. This will prevent stiffness in your joint. As the pain goes away, continue range-of-motion exercises and add other exercises to strengthen the muscles around your joint.

Gradually resume your activity at a lower intensity than you maintained before your symptoms began. Warm up before and stretch after the activity.

You can also try making some changes. For example, if exercise has caused your tendinopathy, try alternating with another activity.

If using a tool is the problem, try alternating hands or changing your grip. Increase your activity slowly, and stop if it hurts. Avoid tobacco smoke. Tendon injuries heal more slowly in smokers than in nonsmokers.

Smoking delays wound and tissue healing. If these steps do not help to relieve pain, other treatment may be considered. Your doctor may: Prescribe physical therapy. Use a corticosteroid injection to relieve pain and swelling. But corticosteroid treatments usually are not repeated because of the potential for tendon damage.

Prescribe a brace, splint, sling, or crutches for a brief period to allow tendons to rest and heal. Recommend a cast to rest and heal a badly damaged tendon. When to seek medical advice for tendinopathy If your tendinopathy is severe or persistent, see your doctor. Diagnosis of tendinopathy Your doctor may use a variety of tests to diagnose tendinopathy, including: medical history physical examination imaging techniques such as x-rays, ultrasound or MRI.

Treatment for tendinopathy Treatment options for tendinopathy may include: stretching and strengthening exercises weight loss advice, if necessary unloading tendon with, for example, bracing corticosteroid injections if there is associated inflammation in persistent cases despite appropriate rehabilitation, surgery may be discussed as an option. Reducing your risk of tendinopathy To reduce your risk of tendinopathy: Lose excess body fat, if necessary. Make sure to thoroughly warm up and cool down before and after exercising.

Include slow, sustained stretches in your exercise routine. Make sure you maintain good form when participating in your chosen sport or exercise and resist the urge to push yourself too far too fast. Reduce the risk of overtraining by participating in a range of exercises and sports. Wear footwear appropriate to your sport. Strain on tendons caused by bowed legs or flat feet for example can be eased with the use of professionally fitted shoe inserts orthoses — see your podiatrist for further information and advice.

Rearrange your workstation or daily work schedule to avoid long periods of the same manual activity such as typing on a keyboard or using a hammer. Give feedback about this page. Was this page helpful? It should be snug, not tight. It's important to take a bandage or brace off before going to bed. To help prevent further injury or pain, try to avoid: heavy lifting, strong gripping or twisting actions that make the symptoms worse playing sports, until the tendon has recovered A pharmacist may help with tendonitis A pharmacist can recommend the best painkiller for you.

Find a pharmacy. Non-urgent advice: Go to a minor injuries unit or see a GP if:. Find a minor injuries unit. Find a physiotherapist.

Do warm up before exercising and gently stretch afterwards wear supportive shoes for exercise, or insoles take regular breaks from repetitive exercises. Video: what is tendonitis? Give about four to six weeks for these home remedies to help. But if the pain persists, call your doctor. If tendonitis and bursitis are still causing pain after treating them at home, your doctor will often start your treatment with physical therapy.

It can help to alleviate symptoms as well as strengthen the area of injury. Some people think that pain is a sign that something damaging is going on in their bodies. Take tendonitis and bursitis for what they are — overuse injuries that are common and easy to begin treating at home.

Often, this is all they need to resolve. Advertising Policy Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.