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Tendonitis & Tendinopathy
Clients often call persistent tendon pain “tendonitis.” Longer-lasting tendon problems are often described as tendinopathy because ongoing pain is not always simply an inflammatory process.
Common areas
Shoulder and rotator-cuff region, elbow and forearm, patellar tendon, Achilles tendon, wrist, and other areas exposed to repeated load.
What it may feel like
Localized pain with loading, gripping, lifting, stairs, running, jumping, or repeated work; stiffness after rest; or a tendon region that repeatedly becomes irritated with activity.
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We look at the tissues loading the tendon
The tendon may be where you feel the pain, but the surrounding muscular system determines how force is transmitted into it.
What an LMT may assess
Muscular tone, tenderness, trigger points, restriction above and below the painful area, recent changes in training or work, and the movements that reproduce the complaint.
Why this matters
An Achilles complaint may involve the calf; elbow tendinopathy may involve the forearm; patellar tendon pain may involve quadriceps loading; shoulder tendon pain may include scapular and rotator-cuff mechanics.
Massage can help. Load still matters.
Clinical Massage may reduce pain and muscular guarding around an irritated tendon and improve comfort in the tissues transmitting load into it.
What massage may do
Address muscular restriction, trigger-point referral, compensatory tension, and soft-tissue sensitivity around the tendon region.
What massage does not replace
For many tendinopathies, progressive loading, strengthening, and rehabilitation are central to recovery. Massage can support that process but is not a substitute for appropriate rehabilitation when loading capacity is the primary issue.
When another provider should be involved
Some tendon injuries need diagnosis and rehabilitation rather than more pressure.
Refer first
Sudden loss of strength, a suspected rupture, significant swelling after acute injury, inability to bear weight or use the limb normally, or pain that is steadily worsening despite appropriate care.
Not sure where to start?
Start with the concern, not the technique. Clinical Massage is booked by time; we assess first and adapt the session around what you are experiencing.