Are You Suffering From Tendinitis?
Watch this video to learn how it forms.
Where Tendinitis Commonly Develops
Tendons throughout the body are vulnerable to overuse and repetitive strain.
Shoulder: Rotator cuff tendinitis is one of the most frequently seen forms of shoulder tendinitis. It causes aching pain deep in the shoulder, especially when reaching overhead or lifting. Rotator cuff tendinitis symptoms often include weakness, stiffness after rest, and a sharp catch with certain movements.
Elbow: Lateral epicondylitis, commonly called tennis elbow, develops when the tendons attaching to the outside of the elbow become irritated from repetitive wrist extension. It affects far more people than tennis players, including carpenters, painters, typists, and anyone performing repetitive gripping or lifting.
Wrist: Tendinitis of the wrist causes pain and swelling along the tendons that run across the wrist joint. It is especially common in people who perform repetitive hand movements at work or during sport.
Hip: Gluteal tendinopathy and hip tendinitis cause pain on the outer side of the hip, often described as a deep ache that worsens with sitting, crossing the legs, or climbing stairs. This condition is frequently misdiagnosed and responds very well to targeted rehabilitation.
Knee: Patellar tendinitis, often called jumper's knee, causes pain at the front of the knee just below the kneecap. Knee tendinitis is common in runners, cyclists, and athletes who perform repeated jumping or squatting movements. Quadriceps tendinopathy and hamstring tendinopathy can affect the knee from above and below respectively.
Heel and Ankle: Achilles tendinitis and Achilles tendinopathy cause pain and stiffness at the back of the heel, typically worst first thing in the morning or after periods of rest. It is one of the most common running-related injuries and requires a specific rehabilitation approach to resolve properly.
What Causes Tendinitis?
Tendinitis develops when a tendon is loaded faster than it can adapt.
The most common cause is repetitive motion, where the same movement is performed so often that the tendon never fully recovers between bouts of activity. Sudden increases in training volume, returning to activity after time off, poor movement mechanics, and muscle weakness around the affected joint all contribute. Age plays a role as well, as tendons become less elastic and more susceptible to overload over time.
Occupational factors are significant. Typing, bricklaying, painting, carpentry, and any job involving sustained or repetitive movement can cause tendinitis in the wrist, elbow, or shoulder. Athletes in running, cycling, basketball, volleyball, and racquet sports frequently develop tendinitis in the knee, hip, and heel.
Symptoms of Tendinitis
Recognizing tendinitis early leads to faster, more complete recovery.
The hallmark symptom is pain that is directly over the tendon and worsens with the activity that loads it. Other common signs include:
- Stiffness or aching after rest that loosens up with movement, then worsens again with prolonged activity - Tenderness to touch directly over the tendon - Swelling or a feeling of warmth around the affected area - Weakness in the surrounding muscles - Pain that comes on gradually rather than from a single traumatic event
The location of the symptoms tells us a great deal about which tendon is involved and guides how we structure your care.
Activities That Create Or Aggravate Tennis Elbow.
The most common way for this condition to be created is from an activity that is involving repetitive wrist extension.
Tennis, carpentry, bricklaying, knitting, playing piano, typing, and raising items with your palm facing down are all examples of this. Your dominant arm is far more likely to be affected.
The pain will typically begin as an intermittent or gradual discomfort during activity and then it progresses so that even simple activities, like holding a coffee cup, can become painful. Pain may in some cases increase when you straighten your arm, grip a doorknob or shake hands. The pain can also vary from mild to severe and commonly radiates into the forearm, sometimes to the wrist.
How Should Tendinitis Be Treated?
Without treatment, tendinitis will often linger for months or longer.
Effective tendinitis treatment addresses both the irritated tendon and the underlying factors that caused it to break down in the first place. Activity modification is usually the starting point: reducing or temporarily eliminating the movements that provoke pain gives the tendon a chance to settle. This does not mean complete rest, which can actually delay healing. Controlled, progressive loading of the tendon is central to recovery.
At Evolution Spine and Sports Therapy, our approach to tendinitis combines several treatment methods based on where your tendinitis is located and how far along your recovery is. Our chiropractic care restores proper joint mechanics so that the tendon is no longer working against abnormal movement patterns. Active Release Technique breaks down adhesions within and around the tendon, restoring normal tissue mobility. Dry needling targets trigger points in the surrounding muscles that create excess pull on the tendon and slow healing. Kinesiology taping can provide support and reduce load on the tendon during daily activity while you progress through rehabilitation.
If the situation calls for it, we may also prescribe a supportive brace, sports creams, or home icing protocols. Be patient with your recovery. Tendons respond more slowly than muscles, and consistency with your plan matters far more than speed.
Tendinitis Exercises and Rehabilitation
Progressive loading is the most effective long-term treatment for tendinopathy.
Rehabilitation exercises for tendinitis are structured to gradually reintroduce load to the tendon without provoking a flare-up. The approach differs by location. For patellar tendinitis and knee tendinitis, this typically involves eccentric and isometric quadriceps exercises. For gluteal tendinopathy and hip tendinitis, a careful progression of hip strengthening that avoids hip adduction positions is key. For Achilles tendinitis and Achilles tendinopathy, a heel drop program performed consistently over several weeks is the foundation of recovery. For rotator cuff tendinitis, scapular stability and rotator cuff strengthening are prioritized alongside restoring shoulder mobility.
We build each patient's rehabilitation program around their specific tendon location, activity goals, and current pain levels. If you are also managing a sports injury alongside your tendinitis, we coordinate your care so both issues are addressed without one compromising the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tendinitis refers to active inflammation of a tendon and is more common in acute or early-stage presentations. Tendinopathy is a broader term that includes both inflammatory and degenerative tendon conditions, and is more accurate for chronic cases where the tendon has undergone structural changes over time. Both respond well to the conservative, load-based rehabilitation we provide.
Recovery time depends on the location, how long symptoms have been present, and how consistently treatment and exercise are pursued. Early-stage tendinitis may resolve in a few weeks. Chronic tendinopathy, such as longstanding Achilles tendinopathy, patellar tendinopathy, or gluteal tendinopathy, typically requires 8 to 16 weeks of structured rehabilitation. Starting care sooner consistently leads to faster outcomes.
Yes. Chiropractic care addresses the joint mechanics and movement patterns that place excess stress on tendons. When a joint is not moving efficiently, nearby tendons absorb more load than they should. Restoring proper movement at the hip, knee, or shoulder reduces that burden and creates the conditions for the tendon to heal. Combined with soft tissue work and rehabilitation exercises, this approach is effective for tendinitis throughout the body.
Avoid any activity that consistently reproduces your tendon pain, particularly at higher intensities. This varies by location. With hip tendinitis, crossing your legs and sitting with a forward lean can be aggravating. With knee tendinitis, deep squats and downhill running often worsen symptoms. With Achilles tendinitis, sudden increases in running volume are a common trigger. We help each patient identify their specific aggravating activities and work out how to manage around them during recovery.
Take back your health and your life
Tendinitis is treatable. With the right combination of hands-on care and progressive rehabilitation, most patients return to full activity without surgery. Whether your pain is in your shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, or heel, our Evanston team is ready to help you figure out exactly what is going on and build a clear path forward. Visit our athletic injuries page to learn more about the range of conditions we treat, or book directly below.
