5 Ways to Ease Your Tendonitis Pain 

Tendonitis can hijack your day. When even lifting a coffee mug makes you pause, it’s time to find ways to better manage your pain and get to the bottom of it, so you can enjoy everyday activities once again.  

At Spine & Pain Center of San Antonio in San Antonio and Live Oak, Texas, Sergio Alvarado, MD, and our team can evaluate your symptoms to diagnose tendonitis — and craft an individualized treatment plan to help you heal and find long-lasting relief. 

What is tendonitis? 

Tendonitis is an irritated or inflamed tendon. Tendons are thick tissues that connect muscles to bone around a joint. They help your body move, but they’re also vulnerable to overuse. 

Repetitive movements, sudden increases in activity, and poor mechanics can damage tendon tissues and lead to chronic pain.  

Tendonitis can occur anywhere, but most commonly affects the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and knee. Conditions like rotator cuff injuries and tennis elbow are forms of tendonitis, but any form of repetitive strain can cause tendon overuse or overload that leads to injury. 

5 ways to ease tendonitis pain

It’s possible to find pain relief for tendonitis with conservative care. These steps can help relieve your tendon pain, and when you find the source, prevent it from returning. 

1. Rest 

Rest is one of the best things you can do for a painful tendonitis injury. Since overuse is the primary culprit, rest or modifying your activity gives your tendons a chance to heal and recover. 

2. Ice 

Focus on calming inflammation with ice. Ice the sore area two or three times a day for 15-20 minutes at a time. Use cold therapy after activity when you experience tendon pain to reduce swelling and inflammation-related pain. 

3. Gentle stretching 

From light stretching to basic strengthening exercises, gentle exercise can reduce your tendonitis symptoms and lay the foundation for tendon recovery. Our team can teach you slow, controlled strengthening and stretching movements so you recover safely. 

4. Anti-inflammatory support 

Short-term pain relief can help you stay functional when necessary. Over-the-counter options like ibuprofen and topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can reduce pain and inflammation. This short-term approach is best when combined with rehabilitation exercises. 

5. Get to the root cause

Find relief by getting to the source of your tendonitis so it can’t continue to affect your life. 

Poor ergonomics, repetitive strain, and weak supporting muscles are among the common “reasons why” tendon injuries occur. For example, if typing triggers your symptoms, check your workspace and make it more ergonomic to reduce stress on your tendons.

You can also build muscle strength around the affected joint to better support your body’s movements. 

When to seek care for tendonitis

You can try these at-home care remedies, but if your pain doesn’t improve after a few weeks, we can help. Tendonitis is your body’s way of telling you something’s wrong; it’s not something to simply “push through” or ignore. 

At Spine & Pain Center of San Antonio, we evaluate your symptoms and build a targeted treatment plan to help you get lasting relief and avoid long-term issues. Call or click online to schedule an evaluation at your nearest office in San Antonio or Live Oak, Texas, today.