Triceps Tendonitis – Causes, Preventions, and Effective Treatments to Recover your Injuries

Are you facing discomfort in your upper arm after lifting heavy bags, work-related activities, playing baseball or lifting dumbbells in the gym?

Then you have landed at the right place!

Triceps tendonitis is an inflammation around the triceps. It is a large band of connective tissue that runs from the back of your elbow to your upper arm muscle. After bending your arm, you straighten it again by contracting your triceps muscle.

Roughly using your arm frequently can result in triceps tendonitis. It might also happen as a result of a sudden tendon injury. The recovery of your condition depends on the severity of your injury.

In this blog we will talk about the causes of tricep tendonitis, effective treatments for it, and some ways to prevent it in future.

Now that we have got a fair idea of what tricep and its tendonitis is, let us go over the causes, treatments, and preventive measures of it!

Causes of Tricep Tendonitis

People who regularly lift weights or play active sports are more likely to get tricep tendonitis. This condition is also frequently acquired by those who start a fitness regimen and engage in excessive exercise too soon.

It’s your body’s way of alerting you that a muscle has been overworked. Tricep tendonitis develops gradually; it does not occur suddenly.

Among the things that frequently lead to tricep tendonitis, some of them we have jotted below: ‌

• Overextending or overusing the tricep tendon repeatedly
• Strong activities such as bench pressing or pounding
• Movements made by the body that isn’t natural, like an overextended arm
• Using improper form or technique when exercising
• Quick and sudden motions

Apart from these causes, tendonitis can also be brought on by other medical conditions like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

5 Effective Treatments for Triceps Tendonitis

1) First-line treatments

The primary goals of triceps tendonitis treatments are to lessen discomfort and inflammation while averting future damages.

When beginning treatment for triceps tendonitis, it’s crucial to keep in mind the acronym RICE:

• R – Rest – Avoid actions or movements that could aggravate or harm your triceps tendon further.
• I – Ice – To reduce discomfort and swelling, apply ice to the affected area for about 20 minutes several times a day.
• C – Compression – Compress and support the region with bandages or wraps until the swelling subsides.
• E – Elevate – To reduce swelling, keep the affected area elevated above the level of your heart.

To relieve pain or swelling, you can also consider consuming anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen, Naproxen Sodium, or Aspirin.

Note: It should only be consumed on the prescription of a professional doctor.

2) Non-Surgical Treatments

During the first two days of treatment, the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) should be used.

Stopping all actions that worsen the area is necessary. The affected arm can get a cold compress several times every day for roughly 15 to 20 minutes at a time.

To lessen swelling and pain, elevate the elbow above the level of the heart and provide light compression with a bandage. You can take some medicines to aid inflammation and pain. Your doctor may suggest specific activities to stretch and strengthen the tendon once the irritation has subsided. To prevent a recurrence of Triceps Tendonitis, it is critical to anticipate a full recovery.

3) Surgical Treatments

If the elbow does not improve with non-operative or non surgical treatments, surgery is necessary.

The triceps tendon may be repaired or replaced during the surgery, and the tendon’s connection to the bone may also be restored. After surgery, the arm is immobilized in a cast or splint to preserve the wound and promote appropriate healing. Post surgery you can surely consider Physiotherapist Manchester based for speedy recovery.

4) Physiotherapy

If not surgery, your triceps tendonitis can also be treated with physical therapy. It focuses on using a regimen of carefully chosen workouts to assist your triceps tendon to become more flexible.

Here are a few points how physiotherapy can help aid:

• Modalities:

Pain, inflammation, and stiffness are reduced with modalities in physical therapy. Ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and light therapy are some of the examples.

• Manual therapy:

Joint mobilization, soft tissue massage, Deep Tissue Massage Stockport (not too stern), friction massage, and stretching are all manual therapies for tendonitis.

• Exercise:

As part of physiotherapy, you can be asked to do triceps-specific stretching and strengthening exercises that help you regain your flexibility.

• Activity modification:

Your therapist will assess the activities that caused your tendonitis and check to see that you’re employing the right form and body mechanics. A physical therapist might be able to alter your workplace on-site in some circumstances to assist you to avoid further injuries.

5) Medications

Several drugs can be used to treat triceps tendonitis.

Some of them are:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs):

These drugs are frequently used to treat tendonitis. Many are sold without a prescription. Your healthcare professional may also recommend these drugs in larger dosages as per your condition.

• Painkillers:

Additional over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol (acetaminophen) can aid in easing the discomfort brought on by tendonitis.

• Injections of corticosteroids:

It can be routinely used to treat tendonitis and reduce inflammation. However, repeated injections in the same location might progressively weaken tendons.

• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP):

PRP is created by extracting the platelets from a small sample of your blood (cells that release growth factors to promote healing). Your tendon is then injected with this platelet-rich fluid.

Now, let us just quickly have a look at a few of the preventive measures you can consider.

Prevention to take into consideration

There are various precautions you may do to lower the risk of having triceps tendonitis, even though there is no guarantee that you won’t ever get this ailment.

Warm-up:

Before you work out or play a sport, spend a few minutes warming up with low-intensity exercises like arm circles (hold your arms out straight at your sides and make short revolutions in both directions).

Stretch it out:

After your workout, extend your triceps. Place your hand on the base of your neck while raising your arm upward. With your opposing hand, gently pull your elbow backwards until you feel a pull along your triceps, but no pain. Hold for a minute.

Lift weights mindfully:

If you’re just starting, get a personal trainer to examine your form and give you exercise recommendations so you can progress steadily and with the appropriate form. As your strength develops, gradually increase the weights.

Respect your body:

Stop doing whatever it is that hurts. A quick path to tendinitis and other problems is “no pain, no gain.”

Moderate to severe cases of tendonitis can take weeks or even months to recover. A very mild case may improve over several days of at-home therapy. It’s critical to adhere strictly to your treatment plan and to keep in mind that everyone heals in their own way.

With this, let’s wind up and move towards the conclusion.

Conclusion

We hope this blog helps you understand your tricep tendonitis more closely.

At CT CLinic, our professional practitioners and Chronic Pain Specialists are trained to treat your any and every bodily concern. We also have our very own COPA Therapy treatment that can aid to the quality of your life.

To discuss your problem and how to manage it more successfully, book an appointment with us now!