Understanding Tendon Health
The term “Tendonitis” implies inflammation, but most chronic tendon pain is actually “Tendinopathy”—a failure of the tendon to heal from repetitive stress. It is common in the Achilles, patella, and around the shoulder tendons (rotator cuff).
Common Symptom
- Pain that is worse at the start of exercise but “warms up.”
- Morning stiffness in the affected area.
- Thickening or a visible “bump” on the tendon.
The Ashbourne Approach
Tendons love load, but it must be the right load. If the tendon is very sensitive we may need to unload it initially with support/taping. Later in recovery or when symptoms are less severe, we use heavy-slow resistance (HSR) training to stimulate the tendon cells. For stubborn cases, we offer Shockwave Therapy at our Ashbourne clinic (more information here), which uses acoustic pulses to jump-start the healing process in chronic, non-healing tendons.
