Tendinitis or tendinosis? There’s a difference

Editor's note: Cody Scharf is owner of Thrive Spine and Sport, a chiropractic and soft tissue clinic in Cedar Rapids focusing on sport and overuse injuries. Scharf is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic and certified by Integrative Diagnosis for diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue injuries.

By Cody Scharf, community contributor

Tendinitis is the most misdiagnosed condition of the human body.

What's worse? When you're trying to do to fix your tendinitis, it actually is making you worse.

Tendinitis (yes, I am spelling it right. I'm not sure why the spelling of tendon gets changed when used in this context) is characterized as an inflammatory condition of a tendon. Rest, ice and NSAIDS (anti-inflammatory medicine) are prescribed for treatment. Cortisone injections also are frequently used. Typically, tendinitis gets worse with activity. Most people suffering with true tendinitis recover within a few weeks.

Tendinosis probably is a term you haven't heard before. Tendinosis is a degenerative condition of the tendon which produces similar symptoms to tendinitis. Treatment of tendinosis includes manual therapy for degenerative tissue removal and eccentric exercise to strengthen and repair the damaged tendon. Symptoms usually will go away with activity. While you may not have heard of tendinosis, it is far more common than its counterpart tendinitis.

I wish I could say this is a new discovery, but we have known about tendinosis since the 1940s. Most of the research shows almost all tendinitis cases actually are degenerative - meaning its tendinosis.

Unfortunately, this also means the drugs, ice, rest and cortisone injections you have been using to get better actually are making you worse. You see, rest, ice and NSAIDS all aim to prevent inflammation and restrict blood flow to the painful area to heal you. This accelerates the degenerative process. So do cortisone injections.

Since we know 'tendinitis” is degenerative, this leads to the worsening of the condition. This is why you have been struggling with your pain for longer than just a few weeks.

If you have been struggling to fix your 'tendinitis” you need to get a better diagnosis. You deserve better answers. You deserve a better solution.

l For more information, email Scharf at dr.cody@thrivespineandsport.com or visit www.thrivespineandsport.com