Massage for tendinitis
Massage can help this injury
Tendinitis can affect everyone from tennis players and golfers to warehouse and office workers. Known for painful inflammation (‘itis’ refers to inflammation), scarring of tendons, swelling, and a feeling of weakness, tendinitis inhibits proper muscle function. The tendon is the tissue at the end of the muscle that connects to the bone.
Tendinitis is sometimes confused with or occurs with a condition called ‘tendonosis,’ a degenerative condition of the tendon, which also causes pain and dysfunction. The most common sites for both are the shoulder, arms, hip, hamstrings and the Achilles tendon. You may experience pain at the site of the injury or pain can be referred, or radiated, to areas distant from the injury.
The role of repetitive actions
Repetitive strain injuries (RSI’s) develop from repeated movements and are characterized by pain, stiffness and tissue scarring. They often involve tendons that cannot adapt to forces placed upon them. Unless you’ve suddenly whacked your tendon, pain and dysfunction usually occur gradually through repeated trauma to the tendon. A thorough assessment will help determine the cause of your specific problem.
Massage therapy for tendinitis
Massage is very effective in treating both acute and chronic tendon conditions. Massage therapists draw from an extensive background in clinical anatomy, and hands-on assessment and treatment skills. Massage relaxes and lengthens muscle groups in the area of injury and dysfunction. Massage also helps to ensure that the joint areas above and below the injury site stay relaxed and mobile.
Cross-fiber friction
Cross-fiber friction reduces pain, and helps heal muscles and tendons of the forearm. In cross-fiber friction, pressure is applied crosswise to the affected tissues for 2-5 minutes. The sensation can be numbing and uncomfortable. However, any pain should subside within minutes, and massage therapists make it a point to work within pain tolerance levels.
Scarring of the tendons means that tissue fibers are laid down randomly, limiting movement. To help heal the condition, deep friction is applied across the length of the forearm at the site of the injury. Realigning the tissues with cross-fiber friction often requires a series of treatments. The goal is to reduce and mobilize areas of scar-like tissue, reduce pain, improve the overall function of the tendon, and restore muscle length and strength.
Massage & Wellness – Bradenton, Florida