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Are you regretting the extra weights that you pulled? Possibly, right? Injury to the tendons, or tendonitis, as it is medically called is a condition that inflicts pain and inflammation. Be it some repetitive movements and actions or even the unnecessary exercise that you did, the causes of this condition are quite extensive. But, there are a few natural remedies for tendonitis that has been proven quite beneficial.
If you have been experiencing a searing pain through the tendons, it is likely going to restrict your movement. It is thus important that you opt for a quick recovery remedy to get some relief.
In here, we have sorted out some of the best home remedies for tendonitis for you to take a look at.
What is Tendonitis?
Tendonitis is a condition which causes inflammation or pain to the tendons because of any injury or repetitive actions. For those wondering, tendons are the thick cord of collagen tissue that attach the bone to the muscle.
Often times, a sudden pull or impact on the tendons or even a serious accident can result in the condition of tendonitis.
What causes tendonitis?
Coming round to the causes of tendonitis, they are not that extensive. It is not necessarily caused because of any underlying health condition and is mainly caused because of a sudden impact or injury inflicted to the tendons.
Some of the common causes behind tendonitis that you can look out for include:
- Improper sleeping position
- Poor posture
- Serious accidents
- Labour intensive work
- Skiing
- Lack of warm up and stretching before workout
- Possible impacts of rheumatoid arthritis
- Overuse of the injured tendon
- Possible infections
Natural remedies for tendonitis
Now that we have shared some of the possible causes of tendonitis and the risk factors, it is time that we do discuss some of the common remedies for tendonitis that you can check out.
Always makes sure that you try these remedies religiously for a few days first and see if it provides any results before switching to something else. If nothing works and the pain and inflammation keeps getting worse, we would suggest that you do see a doctor for this before it gets worse for you.
1. Epsom salt bath
The use of epsom salt bath for treating pain and inflammation (R) doesn’t need further explanations.
The composition of the magnesium sulfate in the salt helps soothe the inflammation and fights the pain that you might have been experiencing.
The best way to experience the benefits of this bath is to ensure that you take a soak in some lukewarm bath with the salt.
What to do?
- Fill up a bath with some lukewarm water
- To that, add half a cup of epsom salt and let it dissolve
- Soak yourself in that for 15 minutes
How often?
- 2-3 times in a week
2. Pineapple
It might come off as a surprise but pineapple is one of the most effective natural remedies for tendonitis because of its active compound, bromelain.
This enzyme has potent benefits in warding off the unnecessary inflammation (R) that you have been complaining about because of the tendonitis.
But, there are some risk factors with the consumption of bromelain. It enhances the risks of bleeding, so if you are consuming anti-coagulants, we would suggest to not go for this.
Also, people struggling with stomach ulcers should avoid its consumption. It is always important that you consult with your doctor before consuming bromelain supplements.
What to do?
- Take bromelain supplements as per doctor’s advice
Or
- Extract the juice of pineapple and add ½ tsp of turmeric powder and drink that
How often?
- Once daily or as per doctor’s advise
3. Acupuncture
Yet another one of the natural treatment for tendonitis is the Chinese treatment of Acupuncture. As per the Chinese folklore behind the treatment, it is said that the pain stems from the blocked energy in the body.
If your pain because of tendonitis has been consistently getting worse, acupuncture can help relieve it.
The only catch here is to go to a certified professional who knows what they are doing and has professional experience in the same.
Insertion of the needles around the pain point is believed to trigger the release of some opiods which in turn relay the signals to the sympathetic nervous system and promote the release of hormones or neurotransmitters inside the brain.
Even a few studies (R) have found the potency of this treatment in helping relieve pain and inflammation. If you are thinking of this treatment, make sure to always consult with your doctor first to get their opinion on it and whether it is safe for you and only then should you proceed with it.
4. Get the much needed rest
One of the most common factors that end up making the condition of tendonitis worse is when you try to impose more pressure on the injury. This is where things take a turn for a worse.
The best way to combat that is by getting the much needed rest that your body needs.
If you want your tendons to heal, it is necessary that you do practice some self-care and the best way to start that is by ensuring that you keep your injured tendon in a state of rest.
Don’t move around or impose excess pressure on the area because that tends to further worsen the pain and the inflammation.
During the time of rest, also take a note of the possible cause behind the tendonitis so you can ensure better precaution the next time you do that activity.
But, during the rest, ensure that you indulge in minimal movements here and there without excess pressure to ensure that the legs or the limbs don’t become stiff.
5. Apple cider vinegar
The benefits of apple cider vinegar for our overall health are quite extensive.
But, to think that it could be one of the best home remedies for tendonitis can be a little questioning, right?
Well, the acetic acid compound (R) present in the apple cider vinegar has been found to have amazing impacts in helping improve the inflammation and even the pain that you may have been experiencing because of tendonitis.
If you have any allergies because of apple cider vinegar or have a sensitive skin, we would always suggest that you consult your doctor first or dilute the vinegar before application.
What to do?
- In a bowl, add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
- Take a thin piece of cloth and soak in the solution
- Wring the excess liquid
- Press it over the affected area of the tendonitis
- Leave it on for half an hour
- Soak it again and repeat for another 30 minutes
How often?
- 1-2 times daily
6. Vitamin C rich fruits
While the use of Vitamin C in this might not necessarily be touted as the direct remedy for tendonitis but it helps quicken the healing process.
Vitamin C has direct impacts on the immune system which plays a very crucial role in relieving the inflammation and the pain that you have been complaining about.
If you are thinking of taking supplements, it is important that you consult your doctor first because the supplements can interfere with the function and impacts of a few medications.
It is always best if you stick to the normal fruits for the first go and see if it helps. If not, consult your doctor to prescribe the supplements based off of your needs.
7. Turmeric
The use of turmeric is touted as one of the best natural remedies for tendonitis and all because of its active compound, Curcumin.
While there has been no concrete clinical trials conducted to find the potency of turmeric on healing the tendonitis, it is believed that the anti-inflammatory (R) and the soothing properties of the Curcumin is what helps heal the pain and inflammation.
Consuming turmeric in its natural form doesn’t impose any noticeable side effects, so try and opt for that, instead of directly trying out the curcumin supplements.
What to do?
- Fill up a cup with some warm milk
- Add 1/4th tsp of turmeric powder to that
- Add 1/4th tsp of black pepper powder to that
- Mix everything to ensure it is completely dissolved
- Drink this milk during bedtime for better results
How often?
- Once before bedtime
8. Calcium and magnesium supplements
Often, the lack of calcium and magnesium in the body poses higher risks of tendonitis.
If that is the case with you, it is important that you supplement the loss. Since calcium and magnesium are often suggested to be taken in supplement form, it is extremely important that you seek professional help.
Talk to your family doctor and they can guide you on the dosage and the frequency of the consumption. These are two important factors that you can’t take lightly, so ensure to keep that in check without fail.
Consulting a doctor before taking these supplements is extremely important when you have an underlying condition related to your heart or even high blood pressure. Keep these in consideration.
9. Boswellia
The use of bosewellia is a very underrated home treatment for tendonitis.
Given the lack of availability of this natural extract all across the world, not everyone uses this remedy.
But, it is believed that the boswellic acid in this has potent anti-inflammatory properties in it which has been found to be quite beneficial in helping reduce the pain and the inflammation that you have been struggling with.
Clinical trials of this natural remedy haven’t been conducted, so the scientists still aren’t sure of the effectiveness of the remedy on humans.
10. Consume an anti-inflammatory diet
You might not realise this but what you eat does impose a lot of impacts on your recovery of the condition of tendonitis.
Eating an anti-inflammatory diet has been found to be quite beneficial in helping reduce the inflammation and even relieve the pain that you have been complaining about.
There are several foods that you can add to your diet that can help with that including green leafy vegetables, low fat protein items, berries and a whole lot of other items.
Fatty fishes like salmon also have a high percentage of omega-3 fatty acids in them which again have an amazing benefit in helping promote better anti-inflammatory impacts on the body.
Ensure to strike a balance between the anti-inflammatory diet and the normal diet that you consume. Don’t gorge down without any control because that won’t help at all.
11. Cold compress
Another effective natural treatment for tendonitis that does have potential impacts in recovery is cold compress.
Ice packs are very effective in helping reduce the unnecessary inflammation and the pain that you are likely experiencing. It also helps soothe the injured area and reduces any blue spots or discolouration on the skin.
It also helps numb the area, further helping you relax and recover from the pain that you are struggling with.
Try and opt for the gel ice packs because they are found to be more effective and help relieve the pain and inflammation uniformly.
12. Cayenne Pepper
Last but not the least on the list of the best remedies for tendonitis that you can check out is cayenne pepper.
The active compound in the cayenne pepper, capsaicin, has been found to have potent impacts in helping relieve the pain and inflammation.
For the cayenne pepper, you do need to be careful with the application. Try and use gloves, so it doesn’t end up affecting your eyes or causes irritation to your skin.
What to do?
- Take 2-3 tbsp of cayenne pepper in a bowl
- To that, add 2-3 tbsp of water
- Make a thick paste out of it
- Apply that as a thick layer over the affected area
- Leave it on for 15 minutes
- You can also massage the area using the paste and add coconut oil instead of water
How often?
- Once or twice daily
How to prevent tendonitis?
When it comes to the preventive tips, we would suggest that you do keep an eye out on your activities. Since you might end up inflicting the injury unknowingly, it is always best that you practice precaution.
Stretch and do proper warm up before your exercise. Try and avoid doing something extremely strenuous.
If you have experienced tendonitis before, know the cause behind it and ensure that you be careful the next time you do the same. These are important factors that you can follow through to prevent the situation from getting worse.
The natural remedies for tendonitis are quite extensive. If you don’t want things getting worse and don’t want to reach out to a doctor directly, these remedies can come in handy. Make sure that you do keep an eye out on the results. If you don’t find these providing results, it is best that you seek medical help before things take a turn for the worse.
