Tendinitis is one of those injuries athletes love to hate. It often starts as a mild ache, then lingers. It can show up during training, competition, or even everyday movement.
No sport is immune. Tendinitis can affect runners, golfers, tennis players, basketball players, and even swimmers and weightlifters. In fact, about 30% of athletes experience tendinitis at some point, and the risk rises to over 36% among athletes who train intensively.
Whether you’re a runner, weightlifter, or weekend warrior, tendinitis can limit your performance if not addressed properly, and if you suspect you have a sports injury, you’re in the right place.
Our team at International Spine, Pain & Performance Center focuses on helping athletes like you recover, manage pain, and return to activity safely.
In the meantime, here are five ways to ease your tendinitis pain as an athlete.
Pain isn’t a badge of honor when it comes to tendinitis. A tendon is tissue that attaches a muscle to bone, and tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon. Left untreated, this inflammation increases your risk of a tendon tear.
In other words, continuing to train through the pain can worsen inflammation and delay healing.
Instead, reduce the volume, intensity, or frequency of your training. Temporarily avoiding aggravating movements gives irritated tendons the chance to recover.
This doesn’t always mean stopping all activity. You might try cross-training instead. For example, if you’re dealing with Achilles tendinitis, you could swap high-impact running for swimming or cycling, which keeps you active without aggravating your injured tendon.
Ice can calm inflammation and reduce pain, especially after activity. Applying ice for 15-20 minutes after training or competition may ease symptoms and limit flare-ups.
Always place a barrier between the ice and your skin to avoid irritation. A tea towel, for example, can help protect your skin from the cold temperatures.
Tight muscles place extra strain on tendons, so never go into a game or workout with cold muscles. Doing so increases your risk of many types of injuries and can exacerbate tendinitis.
Try dynamic warmups before activity and gentle stretching afterward. Dynamic stretches involve controlled movements that warm up your muscles and tendons and prepare them for activity. Static stretches are held positions that help reduce tightness and support recovery after exercise.
Your tendon is the problem, but don’t forget to give your muscles a little attention. In fact, not strengthening your muscles can make tendinitis worse. That’s because weak or imbalanced muscles can overload your tendons.
Strengthening the muscles around the affected joint helps distribute forces more evenly and reduces strain on the tendon itself.
For example, if you have tendinitis in your elbow, you might focus on forearm, wrist, and grip-strengthening exercises to take stress off the irritated tendon.
A guided strengthening program, often through physical therapy, can be especially helpful for long-term recovery and injury prevention. If you have recommended exercises for tendinitis, stick with them.
Tip: Set a reminder on your phone and do your exercises at the same time every day.
Sometimes, at-home care isn’t enough to heal a sports injury. If tendinitis pain persists, worsens, or keeps returning, it’s time for a professional evaluation. The good news? We offer comprehensive sports medicine care at all our locations: Arlington and Pulaski, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
Our team offers advanced, performance-focused care that may include:
As sports medicine specialists, our goal is twofold: to ease your pain and help you return to your sport safely. For this reason, we may also recommend activity modifications to prevent recurrences.
Tendinitis doesn’t have to be a long-term setback, and our team is here to make sure you get back in the game safely. Schedule a consultation at one of our locations and learn more about your tendinitis treatment options.
