How to prevent and treat tendonitis?

Following a significant increase in their training load or repeated intense efforts, some people develop tendonitis, also known as tendinopathy. These pains can occur anywhere on the body (arms, shoulders, knees, etc.) and are actually signals sent by our body that we may bae doing too much.

What is tendonitis?

Tendons are a kind of cord that have the role of attaching our muscles to our bones. They therefore have a very important role in sports. It is when the tendons are inflamed that we start talking about tendonitis. The latter often occurs following similar efforts repeated for too long.

Tendinitis is therefore very recurrent in sportsmen and women, and particularly in endurance sportsmen and women. Runners, being required to reproduce a single movement throughout their session, are very likely to develop leg tendonitis during their training, as are footballers. Tennis players, on the other hand, are more likely to develop tendonitis in their shoulders and elbows.

Tendonitis can therefore be noticed by pain during movement of the affected joints or even at rest. Sometimes there is also swelling in the painful area.

How can it be treated?

There is no need to consult your doctor straight away, unless the tendonitis is very painful, lasts an abnormally long time (more than a week) or you have repeated pain in the same area, it should not be difficult to treat.

To relieve the pain, cold can be very effective. An ice pack placed daily on the affected area may, in time, ease the symptoms. A daily massage with an anti-inflammatory cream should also prove effective. Be aware that tendonitis that is not properly treated can become recurrent and really handicap your future activities.

Continue the sport?

Beware, however, that tendonitis is not a reason to stop all activity. On the contrary, a competent doctor will always advise to continue one's practice but to decrease the intensity consistently.

So, in the case of a runner for example, the ideal would be to run more slowly and over a shorter distance. There is no question of leaving too much room for pride, you will have to stop as soon as you start to feel discomfort. Another idea would be to take up another sport that does not directly involve your joints, such as cycling or swimming.

How can it be prevented?

It can't be said enough, but warming up properly before each sports session is essential for the good of your joints. The warm-up should be gradual and specifically targeted at the areas of your body affected by the upcoming exercise.

Good hydration should also be incorporated into your daily routine to prevent inflammation. For those who struggle to stay hydrated throughout the day, simply drinking a glass of water before each meal can already make quite a difference.

In addition to hydration, eating an anti-inflammatory diet will greatly reduce your risk of injury in the future. This will start by incorporating more fruit and vegetables into your plates. Replacing pasta and rice with wholemeal pasta or brown rice will also be an interesting step, looking to consume as little processed food as possible.

It will also be very interesting to look for more regular alternatives for meat. We will start by favouring white meat over red meat and ideally seek to replace it from time to time with legumes or fish. The latter is often eaten too infrequently, creating a deficiency in Omega 3, the benefits of which are no longer in question. Our supplements can help you fill this gap in your diet.

Finally, one of the tasks that may seem the most complicated will be to try to eliminate as much sugar as possible from your daily diet. This is where fruit can play a vital role, replacing the chocolate bar you may have been used to eating at snack time.

Conclusion

Tendinitis is usually easily controlled. By applying these various tips you should be able to greatly reduce your risk of tendon-related injuries in the future, as well as improving your overall health.