Tendonitis Vs Tendinosis

The terms Tendonitis and Tendinosis often gets confused because they both deal with tendons. Although both deal with tendon pain, they are different. It’s important to learn to differentiate between the two so that they are treated and handled accordingly.

Tendons are what attach the muscles to the bones; ligaments are similar, but they attach bones to bones. When the muscles and bones are moving frequently, they are putting stresses on the tendons and ligaments that are attached to them. When you start moving your muscles and bones in different ways because of a new activity or you’re doing more work than you can handle, your muscles and tendons can sustain damage on a cellular scale. Muscle and tendons can eventually heal on it’s own. Athletes use these principles to strengthen their muscles and tendons through good training programs.

However, if you continue to do an activity that is harming the tendon on a microscopic scale, you might end up harming the tendon more before it actually begins to heal. You will gradually accumulate micro-injuries and when enough accumulates, you will begin to feel pain. This chronic injury can come eventually with time. Acute tendon injuries on the other hand, tend to happen right away. They’re sudden tears that cause pain and swelling. Tendons heal much slower than muscles, therefore they require a lot of patience and rehabilitation with physical therapy.

Tendinitis has the suffix “itis” which stands for inflammation. This term is referred to the acute tendon injuries that cause more pain, swelling and inflammation that usually happen right away. Tendinosis, which has the suffix “osis” refers to a more chronic degeneration without inflammation. It’s more of the accumulation over time of the microscopic injuries that don’t heal properly.

At Park Physical Therapy located in Massapequa, New York, we handle both situations whether it’s tendonitis or tendinosis. Physical therapy will help your muscles relax and gain strength so you don’t have to struggle day by day in your daily routines. Contact us today for more information.