How long does it take for tendonitis to heal?

Written by Dai Ru
Orthopedics
Updated on March 14, 2025
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Tendons are a type of tough connective tissue that connects muscles to bones. When tendons are subjected to repeated excessive stretching, excessive stimulation, or injury, it can lead to localized pathological changes, causing pain, swelling, and dysfunction at the affected site. This may also involve the tendon sheath that envelopes the tendon, leading to a series of aseptic inflammatory responses, thereby causing dysfunction and a range of symptoms in the affected area. Generally, after sufficient rest, avoiding intense activities, and the appropriate use of anti-inflammatory analgesic drugs, recovery can be achieved in about two weeks.

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Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
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What should be paid attention to for tendinitis?

Things to pay attention to for tendinitis, which occurs due to overuse of muscle fibers or repeated intense pulling. It involves internal factors, which are your own factors, and external factors. This includes the incorrect intensity of training increase, which not only brings about technical fatigue, but the training environment is also very important. Therefore, after getting tendinitis, you need to start addressing both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors mean finding a suitable exercise method based on your own situation, and not doing things you are incapable of. Extrinsic factors mean that you must pay attention to your exercise intensity, and specifically, the techniques and training environment, mainly to prevent injuries during training.

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Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
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What is tendinitis?

Tendonitis refers to an inflammatory reaction caused by various factors such as over-fatigue, fiber tearing, or other injuries to the tendon and its surrounding tissues. Therefore, tendonitis usually has a cause, commonly seen in acute injuries or chronic strain. The main symptoms are: first, pain, which is often related to movement, intensifies during physical activity and alleviates during rest. Second, there is occasional slight swelling of the joint. Third, persistent pain occurs in bouts. This indicates that after the tendon recovers from an initial injury, persistent pain appears, which eases after rest or treatment but is prone to recurrence. Thus, tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon and its surrounding tissues, usually a non-bacterial inflammation. If conservative treatment does not improve the condition after 7-10 days, it is recommended to seek medical treatment at a hospital.

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Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
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How to relieve tendonitis pain?

Tendonitis pain can usually be alleviated through the following methods: First, during the acute strain period, the RICE principle can be applied, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation of the affected limb. Second, you can take some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers. Third, you can consider undergoing injection therapy. Fourth, treatment with traditional Chinese medicine can also be considered, as it is very effective in treating tendonitis. Fifth, some physical therapies can also be considered, such as heat therapy, microwave therapy, and transdermal drug delivery. It is worth mentioning shockwave therapy, which has been extensively verified clinically and is very effective in treating tendonitis. Therefore, tendonitis pain is not to be feared, as the above methods can be tried for treatment.

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Written by Na Hong Wei
Orthopedics
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How to treat tendonitis and strains?

How to treat tendinitis and strain? That is, in cases with tendinitis that have also resulted in acute injury, the approach should align with treating acute injuries associated with tendinitis. Firstly, rest and immobilization. Resting helps to prevent further injury, and immobilization allows joints or tendons time to relax, rest, and repair. Secondly, apply ice. Ice should be applied to the injured area immediately after the injury. Typically, the first icing lasts for half an hour, followed by subsequent half-hour sessions every three hours, continuing up to 48 hours, after which it should switch to heat application. Thirdly, immobilize the joint or tendon. Immobilization serves two purposes: first, to prevent the injury from worsening; second, to help prevent further swelling. Fourthly, the injured limb should be elevated, raised above the level of the heart by 30 degrees. This is the internationally renowned RICE principle for treating tendon strains and injuries, focusing primarily on four aspects: rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

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Can tendinitis be treated with moxibustion?

Tendonitis occurs commonly due to two reasons: overuse, which means excessive local activity, and trauma. Both causes lead to local aseptic inflammation of the tendon, resulting in edema, exudation, swelling, and pain. Moxibustion can be effective in this situation because it helps in activating blood circulation, reducing stasis, relieving swelling, and alleviating pain. The specific locations for applying moxibustion include the painful tendon area, and since the tendon is an extension of the muscle, not only the painful tendon area should be treated with moxibustion, but the entire muscle bundle can also be treated to help relieve overall muscle and tendon spasms and reduce pain.