Fitness Blurbs » Joints

Tendinitis Causes Joint Pain and Tenderness Symptoms for Joint Pain Relief Treatment

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:20:42 +0000

Tendinitis means inflammation or irritation of a tendon. Excessive repetitive movement, or overuse, is a primary instigator for its development, along with a direct sports type injury.

Tendons are dense fibrous cords attaching muscle to bone. Tendinitis most often ignites in tendons that crossover a joint, such as the shoulder, elbow, wrist and heel areas. But it can flare-up in any tendon.

Tendinitis causes you to experience your pain and tenderness symptoms around the outer portion of the irritated joint. Your pain is aptly the consequence of small tendon tears or motion aggravated caused inflammation.

Determining whether your joint pain and tenderness symptoms are actually tendinitis or some other cause can be difficult. Various tendon locations will exhibit specific types of tendinitis pain, for example:

groin pang ~ adductor tendinitis
shoulder ache ~ rotator cuff tendinitis
painful just above your heel ~ Achilles tendinitis
stab on the inner part of your elbow ~ golfer’s elbow
soreness just below your kneecap ~ patellar tendinitis
rotate or grip action pain in your upper outer side forearm ~ tennis elbow

Your occurrences of tendinitis may escalate as you age because of a diminished elasticity in your muscles and tendons.

Other issues associated with joint pain and tenderness of tendinitis include:

sheath surrounding tendons subject to wear & tear of aging
severe tendinitis leads to its rupture ~ surgical repair may be necessary
tendinitis can also be involved with inflammatory diseases ~ rheumatoid arthritis
improper sports and fitness technique overloads tendons, contributing to tendinitis
tendon lock, aka trigger finger ~ sheath of tissue surrounding tendon scars and narrows

Most often tendinitis does not require a trip to your doc. At home treatment for this type of joint pain, tenderness and inflammation involve rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers.

If the tendinitis is such that it interferes with your daily life, paying a visit to your health care provider may yield you a corticosteroid injection treatment. Injections of cortisone reduce inflammation and help ease unmanageable pain.

Sometimes tendinitis pain and tenderness hangs around for months. If you continue to use your painful joint in the repetitive manner that caused your tendinitis, then expect slower healing. Or possibly a physical structural change to this tendon, ending up with a weaker one.

Repetitive Stress Cause for Ganglion Cysts Treatment of Sac Filled Pain

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:21:29 +0000

A ganglion cyst can occur as a result of repetitive stress. It is like a sac filled with thick, sticky, clear, colorless, jellylike substance. These cysts build up on top of a joint or tendon, oftentimes on the wrist. Its consistency may be hard or cushiony. A ganglion cyst may show up suddenly or build up over time. It can get smaller or larger, and in some cases disappear all together.

You may not feel pain from a ganglion cyst, and only know its there because you can see it. Or you may feel a continuous aching pain, made worse with repetitive movement.

Since nearly half of all ganglion cysts disappear on their own, watch and wait is usually the initial course of treatment. A wrist brace may help relieve your symptoms while you give it the opportunity to resolve itself.

However, in severe cases, aspiration, using a needle to remove the cyst’s contents, or surgery may be necessary.

No reason to let your fitness regime suffer, brace it and go.

Causes for Ankle Joint Pain and Stiffness by Sprains, Fractures and Arthritis

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:42:10 +0000

Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes">Ankle sprains and fractures are common sports injuries, or a result of inattentive walking. Missing a curb or small rock in your path can put an end to your mobility, at least temporarily.

Your ankle joint consists of your ankle bone and two lower leg bones. Ligaments stabilize and support this joint in the connection of these bones to each other. Surrounding muscles and tendons give the joint its movement.

A sprain is an injury to the ligaments, and complete joint healing may take anywhere from a few weeks to months. R.I.C.E. method for healing should be applied as soon as possible.

A fracture is a break in a bone, and you should seek medical attention if you experience:

suspect you broke a bone
non-weight bearing sharp pain
your ankle joint doesn’t appears right
hearing popping and difficulty moving the joint

You can also injure your ankle joint’s:

cartilage ~ which cushions this joints
tendons ~ which join muscles to bone

Additional acute or chronic causes for ankle pain and stiffness are:

gout
infection
osteoarthritis
rheumatoid arthritis
pseudogout ~ similar to gout, except calcium deposits are the cause for the pain, redness, and swelling

If your ankle is unstable, especially during standing or walking, you will need to offer it some support. ACE bandage, ankle brace or use of a cane are good methods to assist with your ankle’s instability.

Take walking and running precautions to keep your ankle joint fit for your mobility.

What is Trochanteric (Hip) Bursitis and Its Pain and Tenderness Treatment

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:15:29 +0000

Trochanteric Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa that covers your pointed hip bone, called the trochanter.

Bursa is a jelly-like sac that cushions and protects all your major friction producing joints in your body.

A bursa’s inflammation produces pain and tenderness, that can result in limiting your ability to move your hip joint, and this situation makes walking very difficult.

Bursitis is commonly caused by overuse or direct trauma to a joint. However, arthritis or gout may also be the cause of your bursitis induced painful hip.

Bursitis is usually treated with rest, ice, along with pain and swelling relievers, such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

When rest, ice and pain relief medicines don’t work, there are additional pain relief treatment options. These other treatments include ultrasound, physical therapy and steroid injections. And your last resort would be hip bursa removal surgery.

Stretching and strengthening your surrounding hip muscles is an important preventative measure. For those doing repetitive tasks that requires hip movement, routine periodic rest of this joint is vital.

Arthritis Hot and Cold Therapy Treatment for Joint Pain Relief

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 01:38:39 +0000

Arthritis literally means joint inflammation. It is that swelling, redness, heat, and pain caused by tissue injury or disease in the joint.

There are many different kinds of arthritis, from rheumatic to autoimmune diseases.

Hot and cold therapy treatments can be used to reduce the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Studies show that both therapies can be equally effective for reducing pain, except in the case of acute gout.

Applying heat increases your blood flow, tolerance for pain, and flexibility. Heat therapy can involve treatment with:

moist heat
ultrasound
microwaves
paraffin wax

Physical therapists are needed for all but the application of moist heat. Some ways to apply moist heat include:

moist heating pad
taking a warm bath or shower
placing warm towels or hot packs on the inflamed joint

Cold application numbs the nerves around the joint, which reduces pain, inflammation and muscle spasms. Examples of cold therapy include:

cold packs
ice massage
soaking in cold water
OTC sprays, ointments that cool skin & joints

In addition to hot and cold application for joint pain relief, your lifestyle must also include consuming a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, plenty of rest and exercise.

Carpal Tunnel Cause of Tingling and Numbness in Your Wrist

Healthy Lifestyle Geek — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 23:55:16 +0000

If you are experiencing tingling or numbness in your hand and wrist you most likely have carpal tunnel syndrome. It is a painful progressive condition caused by compression of a key nerve in the wrist.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. This nerve runs from the forearm into the hand, and it controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and fingers, as well as impulses to some small muscles in the hand that allow the fingers and thumb to move.

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage at the base of your hand. Sometimes irritated tendons or other swelling narrows the tunnel and causes the median nerve to be compressed.

Although your painful sensation may be something else, carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common cause. Symptoms usually start gradually, with frequent burning, tingling, or itching numbness.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that increase pressure on the median nerve and tendons in the carpal tunnel, rather than a problem with the nerve itself.

Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, perhaps because the carpal tunnel itself may be smaller in women than in men. The dominant hand is usually affected first and produces the most severe pain.

Treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome should begin as early as possible, generally involves resting the affected hand and wrist for at least 2 weeks. If there is inflammation, applying cool packs can help reduce swelling.

Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonprescription pain relievers may ease pain. Wrist braces immobilizes to allow for healing and preventing further injury.

There are additional remedies available for those who do not get restful relief. Visit your health care professional for those opportunities.