The human body is an incredibly complex and integrated system that relies on soft, connective tissues to keep your bones together and moving. For example, the 4,000 tendons in your body connect your muscles to your bones, which enables you to move around.
In the course of their duties, tendons can, and do, become damaged all the time. From tendonitis to tendon ruptures, which occur in 6-7 million people around the globe each year, tendon issues can wreak havoc on your ability to move comfortably.
Over his decades of practice, board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. William Schell has seen his fair share of tendon issues. The one aspect that truly stands out when it comes to tendon damage is that early intervention is key to preventing bigger problems.
With that in mind, we want to review some telltale signs of tendon damage so you seek our help sooner rather than later.
The first thing most people notice when they have tendon damage is pain. This pain can come and go — it flares during and after activity, but quiets down while you’re at rest. Or, the pain can become constant and nagging, even keeping you at night.
Patients often describe the pain as burning, though adjectives like throbbing and aching are also common.
Another common issue when it comes to tendinopathy is tenderness around the damaged tendon.
For example, the largest tendon in your body is your Achilles tendon, which connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. About 10% of runners will develop Achilles damage, though Achilles tendon issues can affect athletes and non-athletes alike.
Many people with Achilles tendonitis report tenderness around the connective tissue — simply put, it hurts when you press on the area. And this can occur in other tendons, such as the rotator cuff in your shoulder or the patellar tendon in your knee.
When you damage a tendon, it leads to an inflammatory response as your body tries to heal the damage. This inflammation can lead to swelling around the tendons, and the swelling can lead to stiffness in the associated joint, which takes some time to work out.
As a result of the swelling and stiffness, you can lose mobility, as moving the damaged tendon becomes harder.
Another common sign of tendon damage is crackling, grating, or popping sensations that you feel, and sometimes hear, inside your joint. This typically occurs when the damaged tendon slides across your bone, and thanks to the tiny tears that are the hallmarks of most tendon injuries, the gliding motion isn't as smooth.
As we mentioned in the beginning of this blog, early intervention for tendon damage can save a lot of discomfort, as well as bigger problems, down the road.
For example, inflammation and damage in your rotator cuff or Achilles tendon can leave you far more vulnerable to partial or full tears of the connective tissue. And full tendon ruptures often require surgery.
So, if you’re feeling any of the symptoms we describe above, we recommend that you come see us as soon as possible so we can assess the extent of the tendon damage. In many cases, nonsurgical treatments during the early stages of tendinopathies are solutions that set you on a better path and away from surgical tears.
If there is tearing or a full rupture in your tendon, you’re in excellent hands, as Dr. Schell excels in surgical repair of tendons.
To get to the bottom of your tendon damage, a great first step is to contact our New York City office, which is located on Columbus Circle on the Upper West Side, to schedule an appointment.
