Tendinitis: Reduce Your Risk

Working on your laptop for hours together? Is this causing severe pain and swelling in your shoulder. This may be due to inflammation of the 'tendon' a thick cord of soft connective tissue that joins bone and muscles. This condition known as 'tendinitis' occurs due to the overuse of tendon from a sudden high impact jerk or gradual low force activity. Though anyone can get tendinitis but those above 40 years of age are at higher risk. Causes of tendinitis There are a variety of causes of tendinitis. Most people fall prey due to their extreme exercise routine like jumping or running for longer periods while others get tendinitis by running on hard surfaces. It has been found that many professionals are also being diagnosed with tendinitis in their shoulders due to improper posture or long working hours. If you have ever bypassed stretching or warm up before exercise, you would have surely felt an aching pain in some part of your body, particularly knees and arms. Lifting heavy objects also causes tendinitis. Symptoms of tendinitis Tendinitis commonly occurs in wrist, elbow, shoulders, knees, shin, heel or base of the thumb. Symptoms appear to be similar to arthritis. You will feel pain, swelling, tenderness and stiffness in the affected area. As the condition progresses, the muscle becomes weak leading to reduction or loss in movement. If tendinitis is caused by any infection, it will be accompanied by fever and redness. In extreme cases, permanent rupture of tendon may occur causing a deformity or a permanent damage. Reduce the risk The best way to reduce your risk of tendinitis is to avoid putting too much strain on your tendons. Here are some tips to shun tendinitis:

1. Gradually intensify your exercise routine - start slow and then increase over a period of time.
2. If you experience any pain, stop the activity immediately and take rest.
3. Apply ice packs on the affected area to alleviate pain and swelling
4. Maintain a healthy weight
5. Go for strength training to build-up muscles
6. Always do warm up before exercise and cool down after exercise
7. Wear appropriate footwear
8. If you work long hours sitting or standing in the same position, then take breaks in between to relax your muscles