Tendon Injury Treatments
Physio Penrith Recommended Treatments
Tendon Injuries Treated at Sydney Muscle & Joint Clinic Physio Penrith
A tendon injury will also be called a tendinopathy and will encompass the terms tendinitis and tendinosis. Generally tendons can be categorised into reactive, degenerative or reactive degenerative and the general course of treatment should be to settle the tendon down and then build it back up. Loading techniques need to be applied as soon as possible and compressive needs to be avoided0 this includes stretching a tendon, massage a tendon and understanding how different postures may compress the tendon.
Sydney Muscle & Joint Physio Penrith has a special interest in tendinopathy, further professional development courses have been attended that look at the best current evidence in the management of tendinopathy. A tendon will respond very well to specific exercises to encourage tissue regeneration, these injuries will include rotator cuff tendinopathy (rotator cuff related shoulder pain), tennis and golfers elbow, gluteal tendinopathy, proximal hamstring and patellar tendinopathy, mid portion and insertional Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciopathy (fasciitis).
Rotator cuff related shoulder pain
Rotator cuff related shoulder pain (RCRSP) is an over-arching term that encompasses a spectrum of shoulder conditions including; subacromial pain (impingement) syndrome, rotator cuff tendinopathy, and symptomatic partial and full thickness rotator cuff tears. For those diagnosed with rotator cuff related shoulder pain one aim of treatment is to achieve symptom free shoulder movement and function. Although people experiencing rotator cuff related shoulder pain should derive considerable confidence that exercise therapy is associated with successful outcomes that are comparable to surgery. Read more.
Proximal hamstring tendinopathy
Proximal hamstring tendinopathy is a disabilitating disease often causing underperformance in the athletically demanding patients. The main symptom of proximal hamstring tendinopathy is lower gluteal pain especially during running or while prolonged sitting and will be aggravated by repetitive stretching. Mainly affecting athletically active individuals, proximal hamstring tendinopathy is a considerable challenge for treating health care professionals. At Sydney Muscle & Joint Clinic our physiotherapists and exercise physiologists use best current evidence to treat proximal hamstring tendinopathy. Read more.
Mid portion Achilles tendinopathy
Mid portion Achilles tendinopathy considers Achilles tendonitis and tendinosis under the one tendinopathy name. Achilles tendinopathy is specific localised pain that limits activity. Irritated tendons then undergo a pathological process that weakens the mechanical and material properties of the tendon, leading to a decrease in tendon stiffness and strength and ineffective force transfer. This may provide a rationale for the use of mechanical loading to potentially increase tendon stiffness. This is an important factor for our physiotherapists at Sydney Muscle & Joint Clinic, because it influences the active interventions that are used in the treatment of mid portion Achilles tendinopathy. Read more.
Plantar fasciitis (fasciopathy)
Plantar fasciopathy involves pain and structural changes at the proximal insertion of the plantar fascia in the heel bone. Thickening and degenerative tissue findings are more common than inflammatory changes, so the term ‘plantar fasciopathy’ should better define the disorder known as ‘plantar fasciitis’. Modifiable risk factors for the development of plantar fasciopathy include limited ankle dorsiflexion and gastrocnemius tightness (weakness?) which increases Achilles tendon tension and dorsiflexion stiffness of the ankle, thus increasing plantar fascia tension during weight-bearing activities.
Diagnosis is clinical and patients suffering from plantar fasciopathy typically present with ‘start-up pain’, a sharp pain at the inside edge of the sole aspect of the heel on first walking in the morning and after a period of rest that gets better after walking for a while. It usually worsens at the end of the day and with impact sports and activities. Peak incidence is between 45 and 65 years of age and one in three patients will present bilateral plantar fasciopathy. Tenderness on examination is located at the plantar aspect of the medial calcaneal tuberosity around the fascia insertion in the heel bone. Read more.