Definition of Tendonitis

Tendonitis is an injury that afflicts many different players from many different sports. Quite simply, it is the inflammation of the tendon anywhere around the body. It is most common in younger people who play a lot of sports.

For some quick information on the human design, a tendon is a tissue that attaches muscle to the bone. These tendons are tough, but soft compared to bones (thus their categorization as "soft muscle"). If such muscles become too inflamed and disconnect, they will need surgery to repair.

Achilles tendonitis is the most common in those who play football. The constant stopping and starting can affect even the most well-built of athletes. Similarly, hamstring and gluteal tendonitis are common experiences thanks to the abundance of sprinting and kicking the ball.

There are signs to identify such an injury. If the point is tender to touch, pain is experienced when moving the muscle area, or even scraping sounds coming from the afflicted area. Athletes heal from these injuries by doing specific strength and conditioning exercises with both passive and active activities. Rest alone will not allow for full recoveries.

Once athletes return to action, they should keep a monitor on how much pain they feel in the afflicted area. If they use that as a measure on how well their recovery is going, then they should be able to get back to playing in the quickest amount of time possible.

Tendonitis is a painfully common problem among athletes. Whether it is tennis elbow, Achilles tendonitis or another type, it is unlikely that young athletes will go through their entire career without encountering it in some way.