S B Coaches College - Tip of the Month July 2004




		S B Coaches College Tip of the Month July 2004

Tendonitis is a very common injury that occurs in athletics. They usually occur as a result of doing too much. The more is better approach usually leads to many repetitive stress injuries, which only hampers training time and causes more frustration in the long run. The types that are that most prevalent are Achilles, patellar, medial and lateral elbow, biceps and rotator cuff tendonitis.

The primary reason tendonitis occurs as a result of excessive loading. The muscle is not able to handle the forces and stresses that are placed upon it, so this extra stress must go somewhere....which is the tendon. If the tendon can not handle this stress, the individual will experience pain and discomfort in that area. Other common symptoms of tendonitis are inflammation, tenderness and swelling.

Tendonitis can also occur as a result muscle weakness. This is usually remedied by specific muscle group strengthening. Another manner in which tendonitis can occur is through excessive torque at the area of tenderness, which is caused by weak musculature up and down the chain, tight musculature up and down the chain, or improper mechanics. This can all be remedied by strengthening, stretching and teaching proper mechanics and technique.

Tendonitis is a frustrating injury to deal with. Most athletes will continue to work through this and will end up causing more damage. If the tendon continues to be stressed and it can no longer handle this stress, the stress will travel to the bone. This can lead to stress fractures and other types of bone breaks. Sometimes this might not happen, but the pain will continue to stick around. Long term tendonitis is known as tendonosis. The same type of pain will be experienced by the athlete, but there is no inflammation.

Treating tendonosis should be different than treatment for tendonitis. Treatment for tendonitis can be accomplished through icing, stretching, rest, eccentric loading, electric stimulation, ultra-sound, and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The primary treatment for tendonosis is rest. It is important to evaluate the athlete for specific tightnesses and weaknesses that may contribute to the pain they are experiencing. This is often attributed to poor posture and repetitive stress.

Knowing the difference between tendonitis and tendonosis will help in giving the proper treatment to a faster recovery. It is important to realize what is actually causing the pain and to treat it properly. Look to treat the cause of the problem and not just relieve the symptoms. Once the cause can be found and treated, the pain will naturally subside. Always have your athletes report pain to a certified athletic trainer so they can provide the proper care. Training smarter will always last longer than training harder.