What Is Tendonitis and How Do You Prevent It?

Tendonitis is a common physical ailment from which millions of people suffer. A report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that nearly 70,000 U.S. workers miss work due to tendonitis is any given year. Regardless of your profession, you may be at risk for tendonitis. What is tendonitis exactly, and how do you prevent it?

What Is Tendonitis?

Tendonitis is a medical condition that's characterized by inflammation of the tendons. In the human body, tendons are responsible for connecting muscles to adjacent bones. Tendons are thick, fibrous strands of tissue that stabilize muscles by securing them to bones. But like muscles, however, tendons can become inflamed. The term "tendonitis" refers to inflammation of one or more tendons.

Common Symptoms of Tendonitis

One of the most common symptoms of tendonitis is localized pain. You may feel a dull aching sensation originating around the inflamed tendon. There are over 4,000 tendons in the human body. Tendonitis can occur in just about all of them. Regardless of which tendon is inflamed, you may experience pain in the form of an aching sensation.

Tendonitis can restrict your range of movement. If it occurs in your elbow, for instance, you may not be able to fully extend your arm. If it occurs in your knee, you may not be able to fully extend your leg. The inflamed tendon or tendons will restrict your range of movement.

Tips to Prevent Tendonitis

There are several things you can do to lower your risk of tendonitis. Many instances of tendonitis involve repetitive strain injuries (RSIs). If you perform the same physical task over and over, it may take a toll on your body -- specifically the tendons in your body.

You can lower your risk of tendonitis by warming up before performing physical activities. Whether you're preparing to exercise or lift a heavy load a work, you should stretch your body beforehand. Focus on stretching your joints so that your muckles and the tendons to which they are connected become more flexible. By stretching beforehand, you'll be less likely to succumb to tendonitis.

The right posture can minimize your risk of tendonitis. Attempting to lift weights or heavy objects with the wrong posture may strain the soft tissue in your body. Your muscles and tendons will be exposed to more stress. And too much stress on your tendons can lead to tendonitis-causing inflammation.