Going too hard, too fast with exercise? You could be giving yourself tendinopathy.
Have you ever become a little overzealous when exercising and pushed your body too far?
One of the most common injuries we see every day is tendinopathy. Tendinopathy is simply an injury to the tendon. The tendons in our body are tissues that attach muscles to bones and help transfer the forces that help us move.
Tendons are a common source of pain experienced by many of our patients. This is often caused by ‘overload’ –when the load exerted on the tendon has exceeded its capacity. The pain is often sharp during specific activities, then eases to a dull ache at rest.
The two most common causes of tendinopathy are:
Getting back into exercise too fast after a period of inactivity. E.g.: you haven’t been exercising for a while, and when you do get back into it, you go straight back to the heavy sessions you were doing before. In this case, your tendons have become deconditioned and are not ready to deal with the same load as before. As a result, the tendon becomes painful and inflamed.
A sudden increasing activity, load and/or weight. E.g., An increase in running time, weight at the gym or simply the start of a completely new activity can aggravate your tendons.
Your tendons may not be used to the new forces/load that you are suddenly subjecting them to. This can also cause a cycle of inflammation.
The resulting tendinopathies can be painful and long-lasting if not appropriately managed. This can happen to any tendon in the upper or lower limbs. The most common locations are the rotator cuff (shoulder muscles), the tendons around your elbow, the Achilles tendon and the patellar tendon (at the knee).
How to get back to being pain-free?
Manage the Load: It is critical to allow the tendon to rest and heal. The load can then slowly be re-introduced; however, it is essential to do so gradually and allow for the tendon to adapt. Tendons take some time to react to load, therefore it is encouraged to take one day of rest between exercises, to avoid overload.
Expert Care: Consulting your practitioner at Spine & Sports Centre will allow you to develop a customised rehabilitation and loading program to help your tendon heal and adapt. In addition, your practitioner can provide soft tissue therapy and strapping for much-needed pain relief.
Give it Time: Slow down and allow the tendon to heal. A tendon can take between 3 to 6 months to improve; patience is the key to a good recovery.
Key takeaway: listen to your body, do not push it past what feels like too much or causes pain that is more than you usually handle with exercise.
References
Cook, J. L., & Purdam, C. R. (2009). Is tendon pathology a continuum? A pathology model to explain the clinical presentation of load-induced tendinopathy. British journal of sports medicine,43(6), 409-416.
Wilson, J. J., & Best, T. M. (2005). Common overuse tendon problems: a review and recommendations for treatment.American family physician,72(5), 811-818.
Elsa de Froberville
Student Clinician
Murdoch University School of Chiropractic
