Tendonitis Specialist

Woodlands Center For Special Surgery

Top Hand Surgeon, Foot and Ankle Surgeon, and Trusted Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Specialists, including expert Podiatrists, located in The Woodlands and Willis, TX.

Tendonitis often affects your hands and arms, but it can develop in any tendon, making this one condition you don’t want to ignore as untreated tendon inflammation eventually weakens the tendon and leads to a tear. Dr. Mark Ciaglia, DO, Dr. William J. Jordan, MD, Dr. Hemali Patel, DPM, and the team at the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery in The Woodlands and Willis, Texas, develop customized treatments for each patient, helping the tendonitis heal and rehabilitating the area to restore strength and motion. To schedule an appointment, call the office or book an appointment online today.

Tendonitis Q & A

What causes tendonitis?

Tendonitis refers to inflammation of any tendon in your body. Since tendons connect muscles to bones, tendonitis can seriously impact your ability to move the bone associated with the irritated tendon.

A similar problem, tenosynovitis, develops when the sheath around a tendon is inflamed. In some cases, both the tendon and the sheath can be inflamed at the same time.

Tendonitis has numerous causes, including:

Strain
Overuse or repetitive stress injury
Too much exercise or overtraining
Calcium deposits
Diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis

No matter what causes your tendonitis, it’s important to have it treated. Ongoing inflammation weakens the tendon and increases your risk of a tendon rupture.

What are the symptoms of tendonitis?

The primary symptom of tendonitis is a pain when you move the tendon. You may also develop a buildup of fluid and swelling.

The fact that these symptoms are generic and could be caused by any number of health problems only reinforces the importance of having your doctor at the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery evaluate your pain.

What are the most common types of tendonitis?

Tendonitis is one of the most common hand problems, as well as one that often becomes debilitating. A few examples of the most common forms of tendonitis are:

Trigger finger
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
Intersection syndrome
Tennis and golfer’s elbow
Biceps tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis
Rotator cuff tendonitis

Another form of tendonitis, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, leads to adult-onset flatfeet.

How is tendonitis treated?

The first line of treatment for tendonitis is the RICE protocol: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. This strategy relieves inflammation and, in mild or early cases of tendonitis, may be enough to restore health to the tendon.

Ongoing or recurring tendonitis may require immobilization, physical therapy, and a corticosteroid injection to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. The doctors at the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery also offer platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, which are widely used to treat tendon problems.

To make your PRP injection, the doctors take a sample of your blood and separate and concentrate the platelets. Then they inject it into the damaged area. Growth factors in platelets trigger cell growth that helps repair the tendon and promote faster healing.

In severe cases of tendonitis, or when it doesn’t respond to conservative treatment, your doctor may recommend surgery to realign and repair the tendon and remove bone spurs.

Pain, swelling, and limited motion are all signs to seek professional attention from the team at the Woodlands Center for Special Surgery. Call or use online booking to schedule an appointment today.