Tendon
health and treatment of injury by
Ray
Sahelian, M.D.
March 12 2016
A tendon is the
fibrous tissue that attaches muscle to bone in the human body. The forces
applied to a tendon may be more than 5 times your body weight. In some rare
instances, tendons can snap or rupture. Conditions that make a rupture more
likely include the injection of steroids into a tendon, certain diseases such
as gout or hyperparathyroidism, and having type O blood.
Being physically active outside of work protects against
work-related repetitive strain injury. Leisure-time physical activity improves
balance and nutrition to the musculoskeletal system which counters the
repetitive or sedentary effects of many jobs. For more information on
soft tissue.
Reduce
inflammation
High cholesterol levels and high levels of inflammation in the body may
increase your risk of tendon problems and pain, . Tendons are the tough fibers
connecting the body's muscles and bones. High cholesterol buildup in immune
cells can lead to chronic low-level inflammation, prompting tendon abnormalities
and pain.
Natural
supplements for tendonitis
Curcumin prevents interleukins from promoting inflammation. Tendons, the tough
cords of fibrous connective tissue that join muscles to bones, are essential for
movement because they transfer the force of muscle contraction to bones.
However, they are prone to injury, particularly in athletes who overstretch
themselves and overuse their joints. Tendinitis is a form of tendon inflammation
that causes pain and tenderness close to the joints, and it is particularly
common in the shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, heels, and wrists. Examples of
common tendon disease include tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, and Achilles tendon
injury.
Breast J. 2014. Hypovitaminosis D is a Predictor of Aromatase Inhibitor Musculoskeletal Symptoms. The aromatase inhibitor (AI)-associated musculoskeletal pain symptoms are often debilitating and limit compliance with this important hormonal breast cancer therapy. The cause of this syndrome is unknown. Our findings suggest low vitamin D levels in the body may be contributing to the AI-associated musculoskeletal pain syndrome and in particular to the development of tendonitis.
Heat treatment for tendon Injury
Deep heat treatment can help relieve shoulder pain due to inflammation or
tearing of rotator cuff tendon. There is currently no agreed-upon treatment for
patients with inflammation or tears in the tendons that make up the rotator cuff
of the shoulder. Hyperthermia, in which the surface of the skin is kept cool
while tissues deep in the affected area are heated with microwaves to about 110
degrees F, has recently been introduced as a physical therapy and rehabilitation
technique. After having success with hyperthermia for treatment of tendon and
muscle injuries in athletes, researchers tested the approach in a pilot study of
patients with a type of rotator cuff injury known as supraspinatus tendinopathy.
The supraspinatus muscle is located on the top of the shoulder blade and is
joined to the humerus bone at the top of the arm by a tendon. Hyperthermia was
found to be effective in the short-term for treating supraspinatus tendinopathy.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2006.
Achilles tendon inflammation
The Achilles tendon, named after the legendary warrior and hero of
Homer's Iliad, extends from the back of the heel into the calf and is the
thickest and strongest tendon in the human body.
Achilles tendinopathy is caused by chronic use may arise after a
particularly arduous training session or competition. Pain is the most common
first symptom, especially among distance runners. People can stay active while
undergoing rehabilitation for Achilles tendinopathy, as long as they keep an eye
on their pain, Swedish researchers report. Karin Gravare Silbernagel of Goteborg
University had 38 patients with achilles tendon injury undergo physical therapy
to strengthen their Achilles tendon for 12 weeks to 6 months. Half were
instructed to continue with their normal workout routine, but to monitor their
pain and reduce their activity if they rated their pain above "5" on a scale
from 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain at all and 10 being excruciating pain. The
other half were told to avoid tendon-loading activities such as running and fast
walking for the first six weeks of rehab. One year after the rehab program
began, there was no significant difference between levels of pain and functional
ability between the two groups. People with Achilles tendon injuries have
previously been instructed to rest and avoid all activity, Karin Gravare
Silbernagel has said, while within the past 5 to 10 years exercise to strengthen
the tendon has become standard therapy. American Journal of Sports Medicine, May
2007.
If you rupture your Achilles you need to consider nonoperative treatment, because it's safer than surgical treatment, as long as you do functional rehabilitation you will have an outcome just as good as surgery and you almost eliminate the absolute risk for surgical complications.
Questions
Q. I'd like to know if are aware of any particular foods or nutrients or supplements that are effective in aiding healing and repair/rebuilding of ligaments and tendons. I ask this as a Physical Therapist (intern) who's particularly interested in Sports medicine and sports injuries. I'm aware of glucosamine and chondroitn and the nutrient MSM for healing of cartilage in joint structures, but are there nutrients that enhance healing of tendons and ligaments? Would glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM also play a role in healing of these structures?
A. We have not seen any specific studies addressing the issue of tendons and ligaments in terms of nutritional supplements, but this is a good question and we will keep this in mind.
Fluoroquinolones are antibiotics than can cause tendonitis or tendon rupture and peripheral neuropathy.I took it a month ago. I am in a lot of pain not just in my ankles but in different parts of my body all over (calves, crease of legs, inside of upper arm, elbows, neck, lower back, spine, feet, it seems to have effected my ligaments as well . If you do get tendonitis and pain from fluoroquinolones would Collagen 1 help? I did some research and fluoroquinolones bind to protein and can effect the cellular matrix and the enzymes that lead to collagen development. Studies show an increase in metelloproteinases in the cellular matrix and a decrease in type 1 collagen elastin fibro nectin. It binds to the gopoisomerase enzyme to prevent DNA replication in the bacteria it is suppose to kill. I am currently taking Vitamin D3, CoQ 10, liver cleanse with milk thistle, B complex (with methylcobalamine), Omega 3 EPA / DHA, magnesium malate, and serrapeptase. The serrapeptase is the only thing that has seemed to help some.
I was wondering if you could explain why patients experience a burning sensation
when their tendons are in the process of healing. I asked my DPM, but he didn't
really explain why this occurs and I really want to understand it.[2 weeks post
op on a re-connection of a severed extensor hallucis longus EHL tendon. The
burning sensation is so bad at times, that I look down and totally expect to see
my foot afire] Anyway, I found your articles on tendons and collagen most
informative.
I have not studied this topic in enough detail to know. Perhaps
regenerating nerves may cause certain sensations but I am not sure.