Tendinitis Help

Since we touched on tendinitis in the last article with curcumin, lets go ahead and look at it a little further. This article came from healthwwweb.com which can be found here. It gives an overview and some common things you can do to help yourself.

Tendinitis
Home Care Tendinitis and Bursitis, including Tennis Elbow and Rotator Cuff Tendinitis

Tendinitis (or tendinitis) is an inflammation of a tendon. The bursa is a fluid-filled sac that surrounds a joint such as a shoulder or hip joint. When inflamed, the condition is called bursitis. The causes for tendinitis and bursitis are the same: sudden or repeated trauma, overuse, or infection.

The nutritional status of your body can make a difference on whether you develop these conditions. Some vitamins and minerals, when properly added to the diet, may help prevent inflammation and stimulate the rate of healing.

THE FOLLOWING SUPPLEMENTS CAN BE TAKEN UNTIL SYMPTOMS IMPROVE:

1. Vitamin C – 1,000 milligrams every 2 hours the first few days of an injury. If you suffer from kidney disease or kidney stones, do not take more than 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day in divided doses.
2. Bioflavonoids – 1,000 milligrams per day.
3. Beta-carotene – 100,000 Units per day. Caution: Pregnant women (or women who may become pregnant) should not take more than 15,000 Units of Beta-carotene a day.
4. Vitamin E – 400 Units per day.
5. Zinc – 15 milligrams per day.
6. Bromelain – 500 milligrams 4 times a day. This is an enzyme with anti-inflammatory activity.

HERBS FOR Tendinitis AND BURSITIS:
1. Curcumen – 500 milligrams 2 times per day. Curcumen is the active ingredient in the herb tumeric and also has anti-inflammatory activity. Both Bromelain and Curcumen work best when taken between meals.
2. Arnica oil can be applied topically, twice a day.

ANOTHER COURSE OF ACTION FOR TENDINITIS AND BURSITIS IS:
The RICE treatment – R-I-C-E stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

• Rest the joint as much as possible for 24 to 48 hours after the injury. This means no weight bearing on an injured ankle and even bed rest if the condition is severe.

• Ice should be applied as soon as possible, within minutes. Protect the skin with a towel and apply ice packs 20 minutes at a time throughout the first 24 hours.

• Compression – Wrap with an ace bandage to prevent swelling. Make sure it is not so tight as to turn the ends of the fingers or toes blue. The bandage can be removed every few hours for icing.

• Elevate the injured limb while resting. After 48 hours if symptoms are still present, alternate hot compresses with ice – 3 minutes hot, 1 minute cold for 15 to 20 minutes. Do this once or twice a day for as long as discomfort persists.

HOMEOPATHY:
From the following homeopathic remedies, choose the one that best matches your symptoms. Dissolve 3 pellets under the tongue 3 times a day.

• Rhus tox 12C: For stiffness and pain that feels a little better with moving or limbering up.

• Bryonia 12C: Use if the injured area is very painful, worse with any motion, and a bit better with external pressure.

Note: A wide range of homeopathic medicines can be helpful for individuals with these conditions. Consultation with a health care professional trained in homeopathic prescribing will usually be the best way to select the correct medicine.

ADDITIONAL MEASURES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
1. Before exercising, remember to warm up and stretch to prevent further injury.
2. If you suffer from tennis elbow, use a special arm band that is worn just below the elbow. This is available from a pharmacy.

Footnotes BarShalom R, Soileau J. (eds.) Natural Health Hotline. Beaverton, OR: Integrative Medical Arts, 1991-1999