When patients go to their rheumatologist or orthopedist with aches or pains, they are often told they have tendonitis.
The term 0tendonitis0 means inflammation of a tendon. Tendons are tough fibrous cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. When muscles contract (tighten) the tendon attachment makes the bone the tendon is attached to move in the direction of the contracted muscle. When the muscle relaxes the bone moves back to its original position.
To picture this, imagine tying a rope (0the tendon0) to a piece of wood that is lying on the floor. When you pull on the rope (contract the muscle), the piece of wood moves up into the air. When you let go (muscle relaxation) the piece of wood drops back to the floor.
Most tendons move inside a sheath that is lined with synovial tissue (the same kind of tissue that lines the inside of joints) and which contains a small amount of lubricating fluid that allows the tendon to glide easily.
Since tendons are made of relatively inelastic tissue, they do not stretch. While this property is good for movement, it makes tendons susceptible to injury. Tendonitis can also occur from overuse. When this situation occurs, the synovial lining […]
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The diagnosis of heel pain is best done by looking at the location of the pain0 0where does it hurt?0
Heel pain can occur in two major locations: the back of the heel and the bottom of the heel.
Pain at the back of the heel has three major causes.
Achilles tendonitis is the most common. It is usually the result of injury or overuse. An example is the weekend warrior who decides to go out and run 4 or 5 miles going up hills0 or a person who goes on a long walk in flat shoes, shoes with little or no heel. In both cases, stress is placed on the Achilles tendon- the large thick cord located in the back of the heel.
This tendon- the largest in the body- connects the gastrocnemius (calf) muscle to the back of the heel.
The likelihood of Achilles tendonitis developing is increased if a person has flat feet. Older patients taking corticosteroid medications and people treated wtih quinolone antibiotics like ciprofloxacin (Cipro) also are at increased risk of Achilles tendonitis and even Achilles tendon rupture.
Haglunds syndrome presents with a bony bump located at the back of the heel. A bursa (small sack of fluid) located near the […]
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Myositis is the medical term for inflammation of muscle tissue and one type of muscle arthritis is dermatomyositis. (Without the rash, the condition is called polymyositis.) In this form, there is soreness and inflammation and pain in the muscles but there is also an accompanying dry rash affecting the skin. This rash is commonly seen on the face and neck, chest and back and the shoulders. Heart muscle may also be affected as well as the lung tissues. It is usually dusky and a purplish red color. This is an autoimmune condition and is treated with anti-inflammatory medications including steroids.Another disease that can be considered muscle arthritis is called fibromyalgia. Along with muscle pain and aches, fibromyalgia can produce pain in the joints and other connective tissue like tendon and ligaments, as well as fatigue, depression, headache, anxiety, sleep problems and numbness in the extremities. To have this diagnosis, symptoms must last at least three months and at least 11 of the 18 trigger points associated with FM must be tender to the touch.Treatment for FM has until very recently been simply medications directed at relieving pain and specifics for other symptoms, but now medications specifically for fibromyalgia have reached […]
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