TENDON DISORDERS

TENDON DISORDERS
Tendinitis
Tendinitis is a very common ailment. Pain and inflammation in the arms or elsewhere result from overuse and awkward posture. Tendons can eventually fray and tear. Remember, tendons are like chords that connect muscles and bones. Tendons twist and bend, but do not stretch or shrink.
Epicondylitis
This is also known as "tennis elbow." Pain begins in the elbow and then spreads to the forearm. The main conditions that cause this problem are repetition, rotating the forearm, or force.
Tenosynovitis
Unlike the tendons in the elbows, some are covered with a sheath. The tendons of the fingers, for example, are covered with a synovial sheath. The sheath is filled with a fluid that lubricates the tendon as it slides back and forth through the sheath. This fluid is called synovial fluid.
When workers perform highly repetitive motions too much fluid is produced in the sheath. The extra fluid builds up and the sheath becomes swollen and causes pain. Awkward posture, such as doing intensive keyboard work with the wrists bent backward, is also an important risk factor.
Stenosing tenosynovitis
Stenosing means constriction. The passageway through the sheath becomes smaller. This occurs when tendons become rough or irritated and the tendon sheaths are inflamed. The swollen sheaths then press on the tendons.
DeQuervain's disease
This is a specific example of a stenosing tenosynovitis. In DeQuervain's disease, the tendons at the side of the wrist and the base of the thumb are affected, causing pain and inflammation. These tendons are connected to the muscles on the back of the forearm. When these muscles tighten, the thumb is pulled back away from the hand.
DeQuervain's disease develops with too much friction of the tendons in the thumb and the sheath. The sheath gets thicker because of the friction, which in turn constricts the tendons. The risk factors for this disorder include tight gripping and a clothes-wringing motion.