Joint Pain, Tendinitis, and Reducing Pain

Along with back pain, inflammation of a tendon causing joint soreness may be one of the most common ailments affecting the human body. Almost everyone has experienced pain in a joint after physical activity or serious illness, such as bicep discomfort, Achilles tendon inflammation, or shoulder pain. All of these conditions may be a result of tendinitis, a potentially very painful swelling of a tendon leading to a restricted range of motion in a muscle or joint.

If tendinitis lasts for too long, the tendon can actually begin to change its shape. This leads to a chronic condition called tendinosis, where the soft tissues begin to alter their shape and functioning in response to the demands placed on the body. Long term inflammation can also lead to scars forming on the soft tissue. In either case of tendinosis or scar tissue formation, the person's range of motion at the joint can be seriously compromised and reduced, along with painful movements throughout the natural range of motion.

Some of the most common places that people experience tendon swelling is at the shoulder, wrists or hands, biceps, and Achilles tendons. In the case of the shoulder, the smaller muscles making up the rotator cuff may become painful during movement. Furthermore, rotator cuff pain is the number one cause of shoulder pain. And many runners have experienced the enormous pain of attempting to continue running with Achilles tendon pain -- it is almost impossible to keep placing one foot in front of the other when the ankles and calves are in such pain.

Most causes of tendinitis go unsolved. As people age, the vascularity of their tendons decreases, which may put them at greater risk of developing inflammation if something else goes wrong. Trauma of a joint due to ta fall or sprain can easily cause the body to react by isolating the injured tendon through the use of the body's inflammation response. Microtrauma due to overuse of a muscle may also cause swelling and pain. And a final cause of tendinitis can be systemic conditions like diabetes, arthritis, or gout.

Wherever tendinitis occurs, the treatments are usually the same. In the case of local swelling and mild discomfort, rest and immobilization of the area may be best. Ice can be used to reduce inflammation during the early stages of healing, but should not be used on a long term basis. Application of heat is a better treatment for chronic tendon and joint pain which may be caused by tendinosis. Oral or topical pain relievers may also help reduce the pain and swelling.

Once the inflammation is lowered, it is also important to start reeducating the joint and building up the strength and stability of the muscles. Various exercises to test and increase the range of motion and re-pattern the nervous system to function without the pain can help prevent future injury. In some extreme cases, it may be necessary to undergo surgery to remove scar tissue or repair a tendon, but these may only be for very severe cases that are not helped by anything else.