Although tendinitis can be caused by a sudden injury, the condition is much more likely to stem from the repetition of a particular movement over time. Most people develop tendinitis because their jobs or hobbies involve repetitive motions, which put stress on the tendons.

Treating tendonitis Apply ice packs. Compress the area with an elastic bandage to ease soreness and inflammation. Keep the joint elevated. Your healthcare provider may recommend taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin (in adults), naproxen, or ibuprofen.

Mild tendonitis pain can be effectively managed with topical NSAID creams such as Myoflex or Aspercreme.

Initial treatment of tendinitis includes:

1. Avoiding activities that aggravate the problem.
2. Resting the injured area.
3. Icing the area the day of the injury.
4. Taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs or using topical anti-inflammatory gels.

Some of the symptoms of tendonitis include wrist pain, hand pain, swelling, stiffness and tenderness near a joint. The most common cause of tendonitis is a repetitive motion that causes damage to the tendon over time. Examples include tennis, scrubbing, raking and carpentry.

The pain of tendinitis can be significant and worsens if damage progresses because of continued use of the joint. Most damage heals in about two to four weeks, but chronic tendinitis can take more than six weeks, often because the sufferer doesn’t give the tendon time to heal.

When you’re first injured, ice is a better choice than heat — especially for about the first three days or so. Ice numbs pain and causes blood vessels to constrict, which helps reduce swelling.

For years, we have been managing insertional tendinopathy through stretches and exercises, often with varied results. The more severe the tendinopathy, the less likely stretching would help. In fact, stretching results in further compression of the tendon at the irritation point, which actually worsens the pain.

Ice works for healing because it constricts the blood vessels that carry these harmful chemicals (the cytokines) to the injury, which in turn slows down the inflammatory process.

To sum things up, inflammation is a normal thing and we need it to heal an injury. However, ice does not reduce inflammation, it actually makes it worse by creating a back flow of fluid in the lymphatic system. The only thing that ice is useful for is numbing a painful area, or keeping a drink cold.

Ice feels good on a new injury because it temporarily decreases the amount of blood flow to the injured area. This can significantly reduce inflammation, pain and swelling.

When it’s good, it fights off foreign invaders, heals injuries and mops up debris. But when it’s bad, inflammation ignites a long list of disorders: arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, blindness, cancer, diabetes and, quite possibly, autism and mental illness.

As a general rule of thumb, use ice for acute injuries or pain, along with inflammation and swelling. Use heat for muscle pain or stiffness.