Treatment should be given immediately. Initial steps can be nothing more than avoiding any aggravating motion to the particular joint which is involved. Sometimes this means taking a break from your favorite activity but it is definitely necessary to allow the inflamed tendon to heal. (6)
Tendinitis responds well to R.I.C.E., or rest, ice, compression and elevation. Icing the area of inflammation will help decrease the inflammation and control the swelling. By decreasing the amount of swelling around the tendon you can actually decrease the amount of time needed in order to heal. Anti-inflammatory medications may also be used to decrease inflammation. However, they have secondary side effects which ice use does not. If the injury is mild or moderate the athlete may be able to use only ice as long as it is done once every one or two hours.
When the joint is accessible, such as the knee, elbow or wrist, the athlete may choose to use compression and elevation to decrease inflammation, swelling and speed healing. Some joints suffering from tendinitis lend themselves better to splinting, such as the knee, thumb or elbow. This splinting can help decrease the inflammation and swelling as well as allow the joint to rest and heal.
If the symptoms are persistent your physician or orthopedic surgeon may recommend cortisone injections. Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication. When it is given orally it will affect the entire body but when injected directly to the site of inflammation there is less chance of side effects and issues with the liver and kidneys. Not all types of tendinitis are helped by cortisone injections, so consider the recommendations carefully. For example, because cortisone decreases pain so significantly, it is never given to individuals who have Achilles Tendinitis for fear of possible rupture of the tendon when the individual is pain-free but not injury free.
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