The Truth About Tendons

Anyone who has sprained an ankle knows that even though years have passed since that injury, the ankle is still weak and prone to further damage. Tendons are finicky, especially once they’ve been pulled or torn, and it takes a lot to convince them to heal. On top of this, they play a very important role in the body – holding your joints together, which means that you need to find the best method of repairing them.

As such, it’s important to really example the best possible ways to keep these tendons strong after injury, optimize the most healing and create an effective pain management process.

Let’s discuss some of the best options available for tendon pain treatments.

1. I.C.E.

The second a tendon becomes injured your best treatment is called R.I.C.E.

This stands for:

• Rest
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation

Your pain will begin to go away, and as long as you can take it easy and not use the injured joint too much, it might start to heal. Having said that, the main problem people often experience is that they don’t put in the time needed for this process to fully be taken advantage of. Given that the sprained tendon is already a bit weaker than other parts of the body, if this method is not done fully, you can risk further injury.

2. Physical Therapy

If you pull, twist, or tear a tendon, once you’re done with the RICE stage of treatment, your doctor might send you into physical therapy.

This involves doing a number of very specific exercises designed to prompt that tendon to heal, but also to strengthen all of the tendons and muscles around it. Doing so can act like a stabilizer and prevent further injury. While this is often recommended, it doesn’t always work for all, and heavily relies on succession which is hard to predict. One must continue to go to therapy to benefit from the results, which are hard to predict the outcome for.

3. Surgery

For tendons that simply won’t heal or those that are permanently torn and stretched out, some doctors will send you right into surgery. Once in the operating room, your injured leg or arm will be opened up and the tendon will be resewn back together or replaced with donor tissue. While this solves the problem on a permanent basis, it’s very invasive and comes with a number of anesthesia-related risks. Surgery is also not a guarantee, nor is it an end to a mean. You will still have to undergo physical therapy after surgery is done.

4. Regenerative Medicine

This one is non-surgical and much less invasive option. Regenerative medicine works by helping your body heal itself using various techniques and treatments. There is no surgical portion, no anesthesia, and no medication needed.

If you are suffering from tendon pain, give Progressive Rehabilitation Medicine a call. Dr. Sunny Kim is Cedar Rapids known pain specialist. Him and his team are dedicated to finding the best course of action for your recovery.

Contact us today.