Managing Tendon Injuries: The Basics

Tendons are the muscular attachments to bones and joints that facilitate movements.  Irritation, inflammation, and tears of these tendons can cause significant pain and morbidity.

Most tendonitis and partial tendon tears do not require surgery. The initial management of these tendon injuries typically includes rest, activity modifications, anti-inflammatory medications, and then a graduated return to activity.  Beyond this regimen, various modalities and treatments can be helpful.  Ultrasound and massage can improve local blood flow and promote a healing response, while corticosteroid injections can minimize inflammation.  In some conditions, platelet-rich plasma therapy has been promoted as a means to deliver faster healing to these injuries by delivering healing factors to the zone of injury.  However, many of these studies lack the rigors of controlled randomized trials to definitively prove or disprove their efficacies.

It is widely agreed that recovery from tendon injuries requires a multi-disciplinary approach.  A stretching and strengthening program often forms the base of the treatment pyramid.