How To Treat and Cure Tendonitis Once And For All

Tendonitis, or an inflammation and degradation of the tendon, happens to every third athlete (dedicated lifters included) due to overuse of the tendons during repetitive physical activity. In other words, constant and repetitive motion that pulls on the tendons eventually tightens them and makes them susceptible to microscopic tearing. At the first sign of serious pain, athletes try to ease their mind with some popular quick fixes – taking some time off the gym or the favorite running route, form improvements, longer warm-ups and massages. But in most cases, the issue progresses and soon enough, you’re not able to move your legs without your tendons hurting like hell and stretches can’t relieve the pain anymore. And that’s when you understand the potential severity of this ailment and start searching for ways to heal. If you think you’ve tried it all and nothing really works, read the rest of this article to learn a few sure-fire methods to treat tendonitis that you probably didn’t know before. Tendonitis, what is it actually ? Tendonitis usually refers to an inflammation of the tendon, which is often accompanied by a breakdown of the tissue. In official medical terminology, ‘tendonitis’ is the term used to describe a case of inflammation only, while the term ‘tendinosis’ includes the degradation of the collagen fibers within the tendon without the presence of inflammatory cells. And finally, the general term ‘tendinopathy’ combines both of them and refers to a disease of the tendon. Tendon pain can occur in any part of the body, but it’s most common in the Achilles, patellar, elbow and shoulder tendons. Tendonitis treatments The common sense approach of getting plenty of rest and icing to treat tendonitis is effective only in cases of inflammation without any further damage of the tissue. In cases of a broken tendon that needs to be remodeled and strengthened, icing, anti-inflammatories and pain-killers don’t really solve the problem which can get worse over time. In fact, it’s best not to use anti-inflammatories at all because they obstruct the he aling process – inflammation is the body’s attempt at self-protection and removing harmful stimuli, irritants, pathogens and damaged cells. In short, inflammation is a necessary part of the recovery process. To enable proper recovery, you must address the core issue instead of the symptoms on the surface, and this can be done only by remodeling, stabilizing and strengthening of the given tendon. It’s worth noting that typically, tendons heal by going through an inflammatory (1-7 days of injury), proliferative (7-21 days) and remodeling (3 weeks to 1 year) phase. Let’s take a look at two highly effective ways to help your tendons heal the right way: #1. Cell stimulation These techniques work by telling your brain that your tendon is in distress and needs some extra attention. The two most commonly used and simplest techniques to treat tendonitis are: Voodoo Flossing – Voodoo flossing helps break up intramuscular junk in order to allow for greater blood supply to an area, which then results with improved mobility. It’s done by squeezing the muscle in a very tight wrap and then forcing it through a full range of motion (on basic movements) for about two minutes. By doing this, the created friction between muscle fibers helps break up scar tissue, dead cells, lactic acid and similar junk in the tiny places that foam rolling can’t reach. The strong elastic compression will also take some tension out of some areas of the fascia and significantly change the neural input by altering the mechanical transmission of the fascial system. After you release the band, a rush of blood will enter the muscle, bringing nutrients crucial for healing and clearing out all the junk that just got broken up. Gua Sha – Gua Sha translates directly from Chinese as “to scrape away fever”, and it’s a very convenient tool for increasing blood flow and enhancing cell activity in a hurt tendon. However, you won’t have to find a witch doctor from a Chinese village to get this treatment – all you need to do is order a Gua Sha tool online together with a jar of cocoa butter. Performing the Gua Sha treatment involves taking the Gua Sha tool (or a regular spoon) and repeatedly rubbing or scraping the skin over the sore area with it. This will stimulate greater blood flow, thus eliminating the pain and soreness. #2. Slow tempo strength exercises Many studies have shown that certain types of exercises and stretches can help you regain functionality and relieve chronic tendonitis pain, as long as you remain careful and try to progress gradually. Since one of the most common ways the tendon gets broken down is by applying too much load or too much speed on it, you should use slow tempo exercises to treat tendonitis. Best results can be achieved by performing slow eccentric-only strength training protocols or heavy and slow concentric/eccentric strength training protocols. A

How To Treat and Cure Tendonitis Once And For All

Tendonitis, or an inflammation and degradation of the tendon, happens to every third athlete (dedicated lifters included) due to overuse of the tendons during repetitive physical activity. In other words, constant and repetitive motion that pulls on the tendons eventually tightens them and makes them susceptible to microscopic tearing.

At the first sign of serious pain, athletes try to ease their mind with some popular quick fixes – taking some time off the gym or the favorite running route, form improvements, longer warm-ups and massages.

But in most cases, the issue progresses and soon enough, you’re not able to move your legs without your tendons hurting like hell and stretches can’t relieve the pain anymore. And that’s when you understand the potential severity of this ailment and start searching for ways to heal.

If you think you’ve tried it all and nothing really works, read the rest of this article to learn a few sure-fire methods to treat tendonitis that you probably didn’t know before.

Tendonitis, what is it actually ?

Tendonitis usually refers to an inflammation of the tendon, which is often accompanied by a breakdown of the tissue. In official medical terminology, ‘tendonitis’ is the term used to describe a case of inflammation only, while the term ‘tendinosis’ includes the degradation of the collagen fibers within the tendon without the presence of inflammatory cells.

And finally, the general term ‘tendinopathy’ combines both of them and refers to a disease of the tendon. Tendon pain can occur in any part of the body, but it’s most common in the Achilles, patellar, elbow and shoulder tendons.

Tendonitis treatments

The common sense approach of getting plenty of rest and icing to treat tendonitis is effective only in cases of inflammation without any further damage of the tissue. In cases of a broken tendon that needs to be remodeled and strengthened, icing, anti-inflammatories and pain-killers don’t really solve the problem which can get worse over time.

In fact, it’s best not to use anti-inflammatories at all because they obstruct the he

aling process – inflammation is the body’s attempt at self-protection and removing harmful stimuli, irritants, pathogens and damaged cells. In short, inflammation is a necessary part of the recovery process.

To enable proper recovery, you must address the core issue instead of the symptoms on the surface, and this can be done only by remodeling, stabilizing and strengthening of the given tendon. It’s worth noting that typically, tendons heal by going through an inflammatory (1-7 days of injury), proliferative (7-21 days) and remodeling (3 weeks to 1 year) phase. Let’s take a look at two highly effective ways to help your tendons heal the right way:

#1. Cell stimulation

These techniques work by telling your brain that your tendon is in distress and needs some extra attention. The two most commonly used and simplest techniques to treat tendonitis are:

  • Voodoo Flossing – Voodoo flossing helps break up intramuscular junk in order to allow for greater blood supply to an area, which then results with improved mobility. It’s done by squeezing the muscle in a very tight wrap and then forcing it through a full range of motion (on basic movements) for about two minutes.

    By doing this, the created friction between muscle fibers helps break up scar tissue, dead cells, lactic acid and similar junk in the tiny places that foam rolling can’t reach. The strong elastic compression will also take some tension out of some areas of the fascia and significantly change the neural input by altering the mechanical transmission of the fascial system. After you release the band, a rush of blood will enter the muscle, bringing nutrients crucial for healing and clearing out all the junk that just got broken up.

  • Gua Sha – Gua Sha translates directly from Chinese as “to scrape away fever”, and it’s a very convenient tool for increasing blood flow and enhancing cell activity in a hurt tendon. However, you won’t have to find a witch doctor from a Chinese village to get this treatment – all you need to do is order a Gua Sha tool online together with a jar of cocoa butter.

    Performing the Gua Sha treatment involves taking the Gua Sha tool (or a regular spoon) and repeatedly rubbing or scraping the skin over the sore area with it. This will stimulate greater blood flow, thus eliminating the pain and soreness.

#2. Slow tempo strength exercises

Many studies have shown that certain types of exercises and stretches can help you regain functionality and relieve chronic tendonitis pain, as long as you remain careful and try to progress gradually. Since one of the most common ways the tendon gets broken down is by applying too much load or too much speed on it, you should use slow tempo exercises to treat tendonitis.

Best results can be achieved by performing slow eccentric-only strength training protocols or heavy and slow concentric/eccentric strength training protocols. An eccentric muscle contraction is generated when the fibers of the given muscle lengthen as they lower a load, which is often referred to as the down phase of the movement.

A study in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery found that six weeks of eccentric exercise improved strength and reduced pain and disability in people with chronic elbow tendonitis better than traditional treatments such as icing, stretching and massage, while another study found that eccentric strength training significantly reduced the symptoms of Achilles tendonitis and tendonopathy of the knee.

Keep in mind that it’s normal to experience a certain degree of soreness and pain while performing eccentric exercise as a remedy for chronic tendon injuries, and with regular daily performance, the pain should dissipate after about 10 weeks of training. However, if the pain is sharp and persists long after you finish your workout, take that as a sign to take things a bit slower.

The Full Tendonitis Recovery Program

The harsh truth is that tendons heal very slowly. It will take several months for a satisfying amount of repair to occur and perhaps a year before they’re completely healed. So first of all, have patience when you treat tendonitis, and don’t get discouraged if your progress is slow.

As we mentioned earlier, the healing process usually has three distinct phases: inflammation, regeneration (also known as proliferation) and remodeling. In general, during the inflammation phase, it’s normal for pain to occur even when at rest; during the regeneration phase it will commonly occur under normal loading, and during the remodeling phase it should occur only in cases of extreme loading. Don’t forget, the final phase of recovery takes about a year.

The above discussed treatments for tendon injuries focus on promoting greater blood flow, better healing of collagen and realigning of the collagen fibers, which are the most effective ways to enhance the healing process. But how should you integrate them into a routine and how often should they be performed for optimal results?

We propose the following: a six week hypertrophy phase including heavy, slow eccentric protocols with strength exercises, three times per week, combined with Gua Sha and Voodoo flossing. This type of routine will enable a maximum speed of recovery while lessening the pain and soreness within the tendon, and it’s very similar in all cases of tendonitis as you will notice by reading the programs below.

Here’s how your routine should look like in the case of elbow, Achilles and patellar tendonitis, respectively.

How to treat elbow tendonitis

1. Cell stimulation

Perform cell stimulation techniques three times per week before performing the recommended exercises listed below in phase 1 and 2.

2. Gua Sha

Watch this video to learn how to do it properly:

[embedded content]

3. Voodoo flossing

Watch this video to learn how to do it properly:

[embedded content]

4. Phase 1: six weeks of eccentric hypertrophy

This phase should be applied to the first 1-6 weeks of injury. First, perform cell stimulation exercises as a warm up. Then, do full stretches of the forearm with the help of a TheraBand FlexBar (you will have to purchase this tool, but believe us, it will be well worth your money).

  • For the medial elbow, perform 3 sets of 15 reps on a daily basis. The movement should be slow, with a 3-second long eccentric portion and 2 minutes of rest between sets. As you strengthen, add more load by increasing the resistance of the FlexBar. Here’s a helpful video:
[embedded content]
  • For the lateral elbow, perform the same routine – 3 sets of 15 reps every day with a 3-second long eccentric portion and 2 minutes of rest between sets. As your mobility increases, add more load by increasing the resistance of the FlexBar. Here’s a helpful video:
[embedded content]

5. Phase 2: six weeks of strength training

This phase should be applied during the period between 7 and 12 weeks of injury. First, perform cell stimulation techniques as a warm up. Then, continue with EZ bar curls and EZ bar reverse curls as described below:

  EZ-Bar Curl EZ-Bar Reverse Curl
Week 7 3 x 15 RM 3 x 15 RM
Week 8-9 3 x 10 RM 3 x 10 RM
Week 10-11 4 x 8 RM 4 x 8 RM
Week 12 4 x 6 RM 4 x 6 RM

Use a strict 303 tempo (3 seconds up, 0 seconds pause in the contracted position, 3 seconds down) and allow 2 minutes of rest between sets. Perform the routine three times per week.

How to treat Achilles tendonitis

1.Cell stimulation

Perform cell stimulation techniques three times per week before the recommended exercises that you’ll find below in phase 1 and 2.

2. Gua Sha

Here’s how to perform Gua Sha for Achilles tendonitis properly:

[embedded content]

3. Voodoo flossing

Here’s how to perform voodoo flossing for Achilles tendonitis properly:

[embedded content]

4. Phase 1: six weeks of eccentric hypertrophy

This phase should be applied to the first 1-6 weeks of injury. First, perform cell stimulation exercises as a warm up. Then, perform eccentric calf raises by pressing up with both legs but a bit lower with the leg that hurts. In order to perform it properly, watch this video first:

[embedded content]

Perform 3 sets of 15 reps on a daily basis, with a 3-second long eccentric portion and 2 minutes of rest between sets. As you get stronger, add more weight.

5. Phase 2: six weeks of strength training

This phase should be applied during the period between 7 and 12 weeks of injury. First, perform cell stimulation techniques as a warm up. If the pain is low, it’s safe to start slowly adding in plyometric exercises or running. Then, continue by performing standing calf raises and seated calf raises as described below:

  Standing Calf Raises Seated Calf Raise
Week 7 3 x 15 RM 3 x 15 RM
Week 8-9 3 x 10 RM 3 x 10 RM
Week 10-11 4 x 8 RM 4 x 8 RM
Week 12 4 x 6 RM 4 x 6 RM

Use a strict 303 tempo and allow 2 minutes of rest between sets. Perform the routine three times per week.

How to treat patellar tendonitis

1. Cell stimulation

Perform cell stimulation techniques three times per week before the recommended exercises that you’ll find below in phase 1 and 2.

2. Gua Sha

Perform it as shown in this video:

[embedded content]

3. Voodoo flossing

Perform it as shown in this video:

[embedded content]

4. Phase 1: six weeks of eccentric hypertrophy

This phase should be applied to the first 1-6 weeks of injury. First, perform cell stimulation exercises as a warm up. Then, perform eccentric single leg squats with an elevated heel and make sure to let the knee come as far forward over the toe as possible for optimal tendon stimulation.

Perform 3 sets of 15 reps on a daily basis, with a 3-second long eccentric portion and 2 minutes of rest between sets. As you get stronger, add more weight.

5. Phase 2: six weeks of strength training

This phase should be applied during the period between 7 and 12 weeks of injury. First, perform cell stimulation techniques as a warm up. If the pain is low, it’s safe to start slowly adding in plyometric exercises or running. Then, continue by performing back squats and leg presses as described below:

  Back Squats Leg Presses
Week 7 3 x 15 RM 3 x 15 RM
Week 8-9 3 x 10 RM 3 x 10 RM
Week 10-11 4 x 8 RM 4 x 8 RM
Week 12 4 x 6 RM 4 x 6 RM

Use a strict 303 tempo and allow 2 minutes of rest between sets. Perform the routine three times per week.