What is tendonitis?
Tendon injuries, also known as tendonitis, occurs when a tendon is inflamed, causing swelling, pain, and discomfort. This is different than tenosynovitis , which is the inflammation of the tendon sheath. Common types of these tendon problems include:
- Lateral epicondylitis – often known as tennis elbow. This causes pain to the side of the elbow and forearm, along the thumb side of the arm.
- Medial epicondylitis – also known as golfer’s or baseball elbow. This causes pain from the elbow to the wrist on the palm side of the forearm.
- DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis – swelling in the tendon sheath of the tendons in the thumb.
- Trigger finger or trigger thumb – tendon sheath becomes inflamed which makes it hard to extend or flex the finger or thumb.
What causes tendonitis?
Because tendonitis can affect anyone it is caused by a variety of issues and conditions. However, you are more likely to develop if you have:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Diabetes
- Hand infections
- Gout
- COPD
- Thyroid disease
- Dupuytren’s disease
- Certain cancer treatments
Specific causes can include:
- Autoimmune diseases
- Repeated motion or movement over a long period of time.
- Infections
- Trauma
What are symptoms of tendonitis?
Tendonitis pain can appear gradually or suddenly and travel to other areas of the wrist or hand. Movement of these areas may be limited due to pain and swelling. Other common symptoms you may experience include:
- Weak grip
- Tenderness on side of wrist.
- Swelling in wrist.
- Pain when moving thumb and wrist.
- Squeaking or creaking sound when tendons move in wrist.
How is tendonitis diagnosed and treated?
Tendonitis will not always go away on its own. If left untreated, it can cause long term damage to your tendons. Your provider will perform a physical exam and review your medical history. Diagnostic images, such as X-ray or MRI, as well as blood work may be needed to diagnose further.
The treatment for tendonitis will vary depending on the cause. Your provider will likely recommend nonsurgical treatment options first, such as:
- Resting and stopping the activity causing it.
- Wearing a brace or splint.
- Applying heat or cold to the area.
- Steroid injections.
If the nonsurgical treatment options do not improve pain, your provider may recommend surgery. It is typically needed if your tendonitis is caused by an infection, if the inflammation is so severe it is on the verge of permanent damage, or conservative treatments have failed to work.
During surgery, your surgeon will make incisions around the affected tendon to reduce the pressure on it and clear out the dead tissue. In some cases, they may clear out the tendon sheath to clean out the infection.
Recovery time will depend on what caused your tendonitis and what treatments were used to treat it. You should expect to make a full recovery from tendonitis in a few weeks to a few months. If it was caused by infection, you may have a higher risk of complications and longer recovery time.
What are risk factors for tendonitis surgery?
As with any procedure, the treatment of tendonitis comes with certain risks, such as:
- Stiffness in the affected body part
- Deformed tendons
- Spread of the infection to other parts of the body.
- Scarring