Tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, pitcher’s shoulder, jumper’s knee, and swimmer’s shoulder… have you ever heard of any of these? If you have, there’s a good chance you already know what tendonitis is.
If you need a refresher course, it’s an irritation or inflammation of the tendon that is used to attach a specific bone and muscle. When it happens, it can be extremely painful and tender.
Medications are often used to treat symptoms of tendonitis. However, with the addiction to dangerous pharmaceuticals that is so prevalent today, many people are looking to alternative ways to deal with their medical conditions.
One of those ways is through the use of herbal remedies. Find out how you can treat your tendonitis at home effectively without any risks to your health.
How to Recognize if You Have Tendonitis
There are a few different reasons why you may be dealing with tendonitis. One of the reasons is because an accident or injury has damaged the tendon where it attaches to the bone.
More commonly, however, the pain, swelling, and tenderness that comes from the condition is the result of repeating a particular motion over and over again.
The older you get, the greater chance you have at developing tendonitis. Depending on the job that you work, you could be at a greater risk as well.
Anytime you have to do the same motion repetitively, hold unnatural positions, reach over your head a lot, use force in exertion, or if you’re exposed to vibration, you are at risk of causing damage your tendons.
Sports are also a common culprit of the condition forming. As long as you treat the problem as soon as it arises, it should go away fairly quickly, and you won’t require surgery.
How to Treat Tendonitis in the Foot and the Rest of Your Body Naturally with Herbal Remedies
If you are trying to avoid the use of drugs and surgery to take care of your tendonitis pain, you can take a more holistic approach and use herbal remedies at home instead.
Before you use herbs to treat any condition, you should always talk it over with your doctor or other healthcare providers.
If you are taking prescription medications already, there is a possibility of interference and side effects from some herbs.
When it has been determined you can use these natural methods, try any of these three methods to relieve your pain, inflammation, and irritation:
Herbal supplements for tendonitis repair
Two capsules of evening primrose oil at 500 mg each fights inflammation in your body. These can be taken three times a day.
Twice a day 250 mg of bromelain can be consumed. Bromelain is a digestive enzyme obtained from the stem and fruit of pineapples that has anti-inflammatory properties.
Three times a day for four months, 500 mg of glucosamine can be used for its painkilling and anti-inflammatory purposes.
Topical herbal remedies for tendonitis
Use 2 ounces of wheat germ oil on a cotton ball that has been cold-pressed. Before bed, massage the area that is causing discomfort.
Cover it with a protective barrier to keep it on your skin while you sleep. You can repeat this treatment every day to get the greatest relief.
Make a paste with fenugreek seeds and milk. Massage the paste on a daily basis to the area that is being negatively affected by tendonitis.
Herbal tea for tendonitis relief
Add in one teaspoon of burdock root to a cup of water and boil. Allow it to simmer for 15 minutes before drinking.
Burdock root is said to improve circulation and promote healing. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. You can drink the mixture up to three times a day for maximum benefits.
There are a wide variety of herbs that are said to help with inflammation and pain available beyond the ones mentioned here.
If you feel comfortable exploring your options, or if you have an expert you can consult on which ones might work best for you, consider trying these out:
- Turmeric
- White willow bark
- Maritime pine bark
- Capsaicin
- Frankincense
- Black pepper
- Cat’s claw
- Rosemary
- Cloves
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Basil
- Dill
- Lemongrass
- Mint
- Sage
- Tarragon
- Thyme
Prevention is One of the Best Home Remedies for Tendonitis of the Wrist and Anywhere Else It’s Present
If you want to avoid going to the doctor to get treatment for your tendonitis condition, there are several things that you can do to prevent it from ever appearing in the first place.
By following these recommendations, you are going to find that the likelihood of tendon irritation occurring is much lower:
Stop stressing – don’t do anything that puts added stress on your tendons. If you are working or exercising and notice something that upsets the area, stop doing it.
Cross-training – if you’re finding that your tendonitis flares up when you are doing a particular exercise or activity, try and switch your routine up and do different things. You can still keep yourself physically active while doing lower impact activities like swimming or biking.
Check your technique – you might think that you are doing something correctly, but if it’s causing you pain or discomfort, there’s a good chance you aren’t. Ask a professional or at least a friend to see if you’re completing your movements properly.
Don’t forget to stretch – whenever you are going to be putting pressure and stress on your tendons, stretch it out beforehand to increase your range of motion. You might feel a little silly stretching in the lunchroom at work, but you’ll feel better at the end of the day making it all worth it.
Get an ergonomic assessment – your workstation is one of the places that you spend most of your time. If it isn’t set up properly, it could be doing a lot of damage to your body. See if there are any ways that you can make improvements like adjusting a chair or purchasing an ergonomic keyboard.
Make yourself stronger – by strengthening your muscles; you can hold up under more stress and pressure. Don’t forget to include weights in your regular workout routine.
Essential Oils for Tendonitis
The market for essential oils is booming along with the use of holistic treatment methods for various medical conditions.
Many of the oils on the market have properties that aid in reducing both inflammation and swelling. If you want to try something beyond herbs while staying natural, you can experiment with any of these without much risk of side effects.
Again, make sure you talk to your medical care provider before starting any treatment plan, even if it appears to be safe.
- Rose geranium
- Helichrysum
- Clary sage
- Peppermint
- Lavender
- Sweet marjoram
- Chamomile
- Wintergreen
- Lemongrass
Eating the Proper Foods for Tendonitis Relief
You may not consider the foods going into your body when you think about natural ways to treat your tendonitis. However, there are several healthy options that help with reducing inflammation.
Before you reach for fried, processed, sugary foods, think about what they could be doing to cause your flare-ups.
Instead, try more nutritious options like green leafy vegetables, clean proteins, berries, foods that are high in magnesium and potassium, and bone broth. Stay away from alcohol and caffeine, sodium, sugar and refined grains, and hydrogenated oils.
Home Treatment Options To Relieve Tendonitis Right Now
When your tendonitis is aggravated, you just want to make it go away as soon as possible. Sometimes you can ease the swelling and reduce the inflammation simply by applying an ice pack to the area.
Never set the ice pack directly on your skin. Instead, provide a barrier like a towel or piece of clothing to prevent skin irritation and burning.
You can use it on any area for up to 20 minutes at a time a few times a day or until you notice that your pain levels have gone down.
If you have experienced tendonitis before, you may have a brace or splint laying around. If you do, strap in on when you are having issues.
It provides the area of your body with more support and relieves the stress that is causing the pain.
You are isolating the tendon that has been damaged so that no further injury can occur. After some time, healing will start to happen, and you will be on your road to recovery.
Seeking Help from a Qualified Chiropractor for Tendonitis Relief
There are several Anchorage chiropractic offices and plenty of others all around the country that can assist you with your tendonitis pain as well.
When your symptoms don’t go away on their own with rest and your herbal and holistic approaches, you can get help through several different treatment options including rehabilitation therapy and massage.
A chiropractor will also be able to provide you with information on how to do strength-training exercises at home in between visits.
It’s another non-invasive way of getting relief, and you don’t have to take dangerous pharmaceuticals or go under the knife.
Your professional chiropractor will take the time to carefully evaluate your individual situation so that he or she can provide you with the best treatment plan.
Works Cited
1. Ergonomics. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2018, from United States Department of Labor.
2. Grand View Research, Inc. (2015, October 8). Essential Oil Market Size To Reach $11.67 Billion By 2022: Grand View Research, Inc. Retrieved September 13, 2018, from PR Newswire.
3. Maroon, J. C., Bost, J. W., & Maroon, A. (2010, December 13). Natural anti-inflammatory agents for pain relief. Retrieved October 16, 2018, . Retrieved October 16, 2018, from US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.
4. Sports Fitness. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2018, from U.S. National Library of Medicine.
5. The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2018, from National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
Dr. Brent Wells
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- Herbal Remedies and Other Natural Treatment Options for Tendonitis - October 22, 2018
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