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Orthopedics => Tendinitis
Tendinitis
Tendinitis, inflammation of a tendon (the point of attachment of a muscle to a bone). Tendinitis usually occurs in the Achilles tendon and the bicepital tendon. In the case of the Achilles tendon, tendinitis causes pain in the heel, and often the tendon can be seen and felt to be swollen and the area of skin covering it may be reddened. This form of tendinitis is normally caused by overuse and is aggravated by local pressure on the tendon. Treatment is by rest and sometimes corticosteroid injection. It may also be necessary to modify footwear in order to prevent the condition recurring. The tab on the heel of some running shoes may cause the problem, although these tabs are actually designed to protect the Achilles tendon.
In the case of the bicepital tendon, the symptoms produced by tendinitis are local tenderness in the elbow at the site of insertion of the long head of the biceps. Pain is felt when the arm is bent (flexed) against resistance. This type of tendinitis also occurs following overuse of the arm, and is known as repetitive strain injury. Treatment occasionally involves splinting the adjacent joint, or local injection of corticosteroids.
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