Tendonitis vs Tendonopathy
Many people are familiar with the term “tendinitis” and have an idea of what it is. Quite often, my patients will use it to describe their symptoms. However, let me ask you this. Have you ever heard the word tendinopathy? Do you know what it means? Do you know if there is a difference between the two terms?
Well, let’s dive into some anatomy real quick. I am not going to get too technical here; however, I want you to know that a tendon is a basically a bunch of collagen fibers that connect our muscles to bone. Common sites of tendon pain are the elbows and knees. I’m sure you’ve heard of golfers or tennis elbow and jumper’s knee. These ailments all involve tendons and are some of the more common injuries we physical therapists see.
Tendon injuries typically occur during the eccentric phase of an exercise or activity, which is when the muscle fibers lengthen. Injuries tend to occur during this phase because the tendons experience increased loads and forces. Tendon injuries are most often caused by repetitive movements, such as jumping. Factors such inflexibility, weakness and increased compression forces increase the likelihood of developing a tendon related injury.
Ok, now back to the difference between tendinitis and tendinopathy. Let’s break it down a bit…
Tendinitis is an acute (recent) injury that means that there is an inflammatory reaction of the tendon tissue. This is a result of tissue fatigue rather than direct trauma to the tendon. There are also multiple grades of tendinitis which depict the degree to which they interfere with your daily functioning.
Grade 1: Pain experienced only after exercise and is gone before your next exercise session.
Grade 2: Minimal Pain during your activity but does not increase throughout your activities.
Grade 3: Pain that is strong and interferes with your activity; can go away afterwards.
Grade 4: Pain that does not disappear after your exercise routine and interferes with your training routine.
Grade 5: pain that interferes with sports, exercise and activities of daily living.
Now that you know a bit more about tendinitis, let’s discuss tendinopathy. Tendinopathy is a chronic (long term) condition and can be caused by impact to the tendon itself or repetitive loading that damages the tendon over time. Grade 5 tendinitis can develop into tendinopathy as it usually presents itself with high levels of pain with resistance. This can happen if tendinitis symptoms aren’t treated soon enough. Therefore, it is important to not ignore your symptoms!
If you are experiencing pain with activities, exercises, and/or sports, be honest with yourself and seek help as soon as you notice the pain. Although it should be noted that tendinitis has the potential to go away on its own, it’s best to seek out the help of a professional to know for sure that your symptoms aren’t too serious. Don’t forget that tendinitis can develop into a more severe condition, aka tendinopathy! As previously mentioned, both can be caused by something as simple as a muscle imbalance or decreased flexibility. If you get these symptoms checked out earlier rather than later, you will be back to doing what you love before you know it!
