Finger Tendonitis
Tendonitis is the inflammation and irritation, along with the swelling, of a tendon. A tendon is the fibrous structure that connects the muscle to the bone.
Your finger has two of these tendons. They run along the palm side of your fingers, close to the surface of your skin. These finger tendons are called “flexor tendons.” The longer one of the two, flexor digitorum profundus, attaches to the last bone of your finger – it bends the tip. The shorter tendon, known as flexor digitorum sublimis, bends your fingers’ middle joint.
Symptoms of finger tendonitis include pain while bending, swelling, and the inability to bend one or more of your joints. If you think you have tendonitis in a finger, you can treat it several ways. Beginning treatment for finger tendonitis begins with icing the area. Then, avoid making content with the finger – elevate it. Splint the affected finger or thumb in an extended position for 10-14 days. This should take care of the finger and cure it. If you’d like, you can also check with your doctor to give you medicine for the swelling and pain.
To avoid finger tendonitis in the future, the simple steps of not allowing your finger to jam when playing saxophone or other activities is crucial. This can be achieved using heavy-duty gloves, much like baseball players wear.
Tendonitis treatment is a process of resting and rebuilding the affected area. With the proper care to the area, tendonitis pain should lessen within a 3 week period. But more time is needed before the tendon fully recovers. While the pain may lessen within 3 weeks, the tendon needs at least 6 weeks to form the scar tissue needed to fully repair the affected area.
Scar tissue will continue to form in the affected area long after 6 week period. In severe tendonitis cases, scar tissue will be forming for up to 1 year after treatment commenced.
The key to successful tendonitis treatment is patience. In almost 90% of recurring tendonitis cases the individual did not give the tendon sufficient time to recover before returning to the activity that caused the pain initially. If you do not give the tendon enough time to recover tendonitis will return, it's a simple as that.
Below you will find our steps for tendonitis treatment. You will find more specific area treatments by selecting a body part from the list on the left. If you follow the advice mentioned above and the tendonitis pain persists we advise you to consult your doctor as soon as possible.
If you follow the tendonitis treatment steps mentioned above and your tendonitis pain does not subside you should consult your doctor of physician as soon as possible. Some further treatment methods may need to be used.
Support braces are often used in tendonitis treatment and prevention. The role of the brace is to support the affected area by limiting movement and supporting the tendon. Many tendonitis sufferers use braces as part of rehabilitation of joints. Common braces include knee, wrist, ankle, elbow, neck and heel.
Braces are designed to be used in conjunction with rest and rehabilitation of the tendon. If you feel tendonitis pain, simply applying a brace will not fix the problem. You should follow the steps mentioned above.
Massage therapy is becoming a very popular way to ease the pain of tendonits and aid the tendons in recovery. If possible, choose a masseuse that has qualifications or experience with tendonitis. Be sure to inform the masseuse of your condition before commencing your massage.
Ultrasound is used by doctors and physicians to break down scar tissue around the tendon. Ultrasound uses sound waves that vibrate at a very high level to increase circulation and soften the affected area. Ultrasound can also be used as phonophoresis to help topical pain and nutrient solutions reach further down into the tissues.
In extreme cases where tendonitis cannot be treated using any other method surgery is required. Surgery is only every used as a last resort to treat tendonitis.
