Tendonitis can be an increidbly painful and debilitating condition. It occurs when the tendon – the thick fibrous cord attaching your muscles to your bones – becomes swollen and inflamed. When the tendons get swollen and sore, it can cause severe, acute joint pain and stiffness.
Unfortunately, tendonitis is common among active people. If you regularly lift weights, practice martial arts, or do any sport that requires repetitive actions (e.g. tennis, distance running, etc) then it’s highly likely that you will experience tendonitis at some point in your life.
Thankfully, there are natural supplements which can help you deal with the symptoms of tendonitis. The best joint supplements can even help prevent tendonitis and expediate your recovery, allowing you to get back to training and competing as fast as possible.
In this article, we’re going to look at the best joint supplements for tendonitis. We will go through the symptoms and causes of tendonitis, before exploring some natural ways you can reduce joint pain from tendonitis. At the end, we’ll reocmmend you a joint supplement for preventing tendonitis and speeding up recovery.
Tendonitis Signs and Symptoms
What are the main symptoms of tendonitis?
Tendonitis is primarily characterised as acute pain in the area surrounding a particular joint. Many people suffering with tendonitis know exactly when they developed it, as it often results from repetitive strain or a tendon injury in a joint they are using a lot.
The main signs and symptoms of tendonitis are:
- Pain in your joint which gets worse when you move
- Difficulty moving a joint
- A grating or cracking sensation when moving a joint
- Soreness, redness and swelling of the painful joint
- A knotted lump near the tendon
Tendonitis will vary in severity depending on the severity of the damage to the tendon and where the tendonitis is in the body. For example, tendonitis in the knee caused by acute strain can be very painful, and it often results in the knee becoming completely stiff for a period of time. Conversely, tendonitis of the wrist caused by repetitive typing is much less severe.
If you experience any symptoms of tendonitis, it is really important that you go and see a joint specialist or osteopath as soon as possible. While tendonitis usually heals by itself, it can get worse and living with tendonitis can cause damage to other joints.
What Causes Tendonitis?
In almost all cases, tendonitis is caused by sudden, sharp movements or repetitive exercise. In many cases, it will be clear exactly what has caused the tendonitis; it is normally the result of an identifiable repetitive strain using the joint in question (think of tennis elbow or marathon runners with sore knees) or from a specific injury. In a majority of cases, too much exercise is the cause of tendonitis.
However, the exact cause of tendonitis is often not known. In a large number of cases there is no obvious cause of tendon inflammation, and the sufferer has not been repetitively using one joint or placing it under extraordinary strain. In these cases, it is possible that tendonitis is caused by a disease such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or infection. Inflammatory conditions like diabetes will almost always make the management of tendinopathies much more difficult.
Common Types Of Tendonitis
Tendonitis can occur in any tendon in the body. Of course, some types of tendonitis are significantly more common than others since we tend to use some joints much more than others, making them more susceptible to repetitive strain.
Here are the most common types of tendonitis:
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow)
- Rotator cuff tendonitis (often co-occurs with bicep tendonitis)
- DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis
- Trigger finger or trigger thumb
Some cases of tendonitis may also be classified as tenosynovitis; this is where the synovial sheath surrounding the tendon also becomes sore and inflamed.
Again, if you think you have any kind of tendonitis, it is important that you seek the advice of a joint specialist immediately. Tendonitis does typically heal on its own, but joint care specialists can speed up this process and help you avoid placing extra strain on other joints while you compensate for the loss of use of a knee, shoulder or hip.
Treatment Options For Tendonitis
There are lots of treatment options for those suffering with tendonitis. Your first port of call should always be a joint care specialist. If you have any signs or symptoms of tendonitis, bnook an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon or a qualified osteopath immediately. They will be able to advise you on the best course of treatment.
What about natural remedies?
Interestingly, there are quite a few natural remedies you can try while you recover from tendonitis. Let’s take a look at some natural rememdies for tendonitis.
Natural Remedies For Tendonitis
One of the most reliably effective natural remedies for tendonitis is massage therapy. Clinical reviews have found that massage therapies of various kinds are broadly beneficial for the treatment of tendonitis. In particular, transverse friction massage may be highly beneficial for improving blood flow to the affected tendon, reducing inflammation, and thus speeding up recovery.
Another natural remedy recommended for tendonitis is cold treatment. Whether it’s using ice packs applied to the affected area or using a plunge pool to submerge the sore joint in cold water, cold treatment is thought to speed up muscle, joint and tendon repair following exercise. Athletes have used alternating hot and cold treatments to recover from intensive training for years, and studies suggest it is indeed highly beneficial.
Does tendonitis heal on its own?
In normal circumstances, tendonitis does heal on its own. Eventually your body’s own anti-inflammatory response gets to work and reduces tendon swelling. Your body will also slowly repair any damage to the tendon and the nearby joint, which will further reduce pain and stiffness.
That said, there are some cases where tendonitis will heal very slowly. This can be frustrating, especially when an athlete needs to get over tendonitis to get back to training and competing. In these cases, it is advisable to try natural remedies and physiotherapy to speed up recovery.
But by far and away the best natural remedy for tendonitis is to be found in the use of natural dietary supplements. Joint supplements are the most effective way to deal with tendonitis naturally because the most effective joint supplements can make tendonitis much less likely in the first place. With your joints, prevention is the best treatment!
Natural Supplements For Tendonitis
Let’s take a look at some of the most effective tendon supplements you can buy right now. There are dozens of natural substances – vitamins, amino acids, herbal extracts, and so on – that act as potent tendon supplements when used correctly. These are the most effective according to available scientific studies. The top joint supplements for athletes should contain at least some of these natural ingredients.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a unique source of a compound called curcumin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory. This is why turmeric supplements or curcumin supplements are so often prescribed for the treatment of inflammatory conditions. Because it decreases inflammation, turmeric actively fights the cause of tendonitis, reducing the pain of tendonitis while speeding up recovery time. Results from clinical trials suggest that turmeric will be highly effective for the treatment of tendinopathies.
Bromelain
The beneficial effects of bromelain with regards to joint and tendon health are numerous. Bromelain is an enzyme extracted from pineapple stems. It is a digestive enzyme known to reduce joint pain and stiffness. In one study, researchers found that bromelain reduced pain and swelling in acute soft tissue injuries, while another found that bromelain was helpful for reducing tendonitis pain. However, studies are yet to be done on its effect on tendon healing.
The mechanism behind the effects of bromelain isn’t properly understood, but we know that it has potent anti-inflammatory properties.
MSM
MSM, or Methylsulfonylmethane, is one of the best natural substances you can take for joint health. MSM is an organic sulfur compound and a basic structural component of key connective tissues, including collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, and cartilage. All tendon supplements should contain some MSM as its role as a fundamental building block makes it ideal for maintaining healthy connective tissues, including tendons.
Chrondroitin
For optimizing tendon health and reducing healing time from tendonitis, few natural supplements can be better than chondroitin. Chondroitin is a structural component of cartilage; it threads through the extracellular matrix of cartilage and binds to water molecules. This keeps your cartilage lubricated, rigid, and able to absorb impacts. Studies show that supplementing with chrondroitin helps keep cartilage strong, prevents injury and speeds up joint recovery. This makes it a great supplement fro preventing tendonitis.
Glucosamine
For safeguarding tendon health and ligament health over the long-term, there are few supplements as effective as glucosamine. Glucosamine is an amino sugar highly concentrated in your joints and surrounding connective tissues. Glucosamine is vital for the creation and maintenance of your tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and synovial fluid. Clinical trials show that supplementing with glucosamine is an effective treatment for stiff, aching joints, and it may be effective for preventing tendonitis as well as accelerating tendonitis healing.
Selenium
Selenium is a vital ingredient in tendon supplements. Studies show that people with osteoarthritis have low levels of selenium in their blood, and supplementing with selenium has been found to improve flxibility and joint health. How selenium works isn’t clear, but it is likely that it has something to do with selenium’s antioxidant properties. Selenium is also involved in the action of enzymes which are involved in inflammation control, so that is another potential mechanism of action.
A balanced, varied, healthy diet should provide all the selenium you need to maintain health tendons. However, few people eat anywhere near enough selenium for optimal joint health since it is primarily found in Brazil nuts, seafood and organ meats. As a result, supplementing with selenium is usually necessary.
Most Effective Joint Supplement For Tendonitis: Physio Flex Pro
So what is the most effective joint supplement for tendonitis you can buy today?
In our opinion, the best supplement for tendonitis on the market right now is Physio Flex Pro. Of all the tendon supplements out there, this provides the best combination of ingredients which have been clinically proven to help prevent tendonitis, accelerate healing, and support overall joint health.
Physio Flex Pro is the only joint supplement we know of that is physiotherapist approved; it is widely recommended by joint health specialists, physios, and athletics coaches due to both its safety and efficacy. It is a great supplement for both people experiencing joint pain or stiffness and for those looking to guard against joint pain in the future.
We strongly advise you to read our review of Physio Flex Pro before buying this or any other joint supplement. We have reviewed dozens of joint supplements over the years, and we are confident in recommending this stack above all others to our readers because it offers genuine benefits coupled with excellent value for money.