Anyone who has suffered from tendonitis will know how debilitating the pain can be. If proper interventions are not administered when the pain starts, the problem might exacerbate over time and even cause ruptures, which might need surgery.
What is tendonitis?
Also known as tendinitis, it is the inflammation of the tissues that fixes the muscles to bones (known as tendons). This is usually a result of the overuse of a particular area, for example, while participating in sports. The body parts that are usually associated with this condition are the elbows, wrists, fingers, thighs, lower back, jaw, and shoulders to name a few.
While old people are at a higher risk of developing this condition because their tendons tend to become less elastic, people can get tendonitis at any age. People who play sports are also equally susceptible to it, since they tend to overuse a certain body part more than others. For instance, a golfer might suffer from what is known as ‘golfer’s elbow’ or a tennis player might suffer from tendonitis of the wrist because of repetitive wrist movements. IT professionals might also be affected by this condition if they are hunched over and typing away on their laptops all day.
Symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- Pain which gets worse when the affected region is moved.
- A feeling that the tendon is twitching
- Inflammation, hot to touch, and tenderness
Treatment
In addition to wrapping up the affected joint, having adequate rest, and taking medication, you might be wondering whether to apply a warm compress or an ice pack on the area to speed up recovery and for pain relief. Here is a guide to help you:
Hot or Cold?
People reach for ice packs automatically if they are injured while playing sports. However, tendonitis caused by repetitive movement of the body part might confuse you. For instance, Temporal tendonitis, i.e. tendonitis of the jaw often feels like a migraine because it causes pain around your jaw as well as near your ears. So, many ends up opting for a warm compress or hot oil massage instead of a shoulder ice pack.
However, there is a wide consensus that when you first experience pain from tendonitis, applying an ice pack is what will actually help. This should be your go-to option for pain relief for the first 72 hours.
Icing helps to numb the area and constricts blood flow to the region, which would have otherwise have led to instant inflammation. Doing this for 10 minutes every 5 hours will help to manage the pain and also enable you to get better soon. However, don’t forget to wrap up the ice in a towel or use a shoulder ice wraps or a pack suited for the affected body part to protect your skin.
Once the pain goes down after the initial 3 days, you can shift to warm compresses as it will facilitate better blood flow to the region. The heat from the compress will relax the muscles and eliminate stiffness as the tendon heals itself.
Being aware of when to use heat and when to go for ice packs will help you to alleviate pain and get better fast. If you are looking for hot/cold gel packs, neck ice wraps, flexible shoulder ice wraps, and more shop from our collection today.