Have you ever suffered from a nagging tendon problem that won't go away?
Is it a tendonitis, tenosynovitis, tendonosis, oh my!
We have so many technical terms to talk about tendon pain that its no wonder my patients are confused when they come in to see me. All you need to know is that the tendon is irritated and that's why it hurts when you do X.
The part no one likes to hear, is that the reason you have tendon pain is YOU! That's right, it's your training that is the direct correlation for why you have tendon pain.
Despite the fact that you are the reason, I don't blame you at all. Most people don't really know how to train tendons. However, I will hold you responsible now that I am giving you my top strategies to fix tendon pain. It is up to you to alter your and your clients training programs to stop tendon pain in its tracks.
Here are the top two ways I make sure that nagging tendon pain never comes back:
1. Isometrics:
Despite how many people train, the human body is designed for endurance. When we compare human skeletons and muscle fiber orientation to other species it is clear that we are NOT designed to be fast, strong, or powerful. It has even been shown that spine strength does not have any correlation to decreases in back pain. This is why people who have amazingly strong back squats and deadlifts still get back pain.
So if getting stronger does not make tendon pain better, what does? The answer is slowing things down. We always try to rush through a workout or complete a set as fast as possible. This is great for building muscular strength and speed, but tendons require a much longer and sustained load in order to get adequate stimulation AND blood flow. Otherwise, you are constantly abusing the tendon without any chance for it to recover or become stronger.
One of my favorite things for knee pain is wall sits. If you have true patellar tendonitis and have not tried this (and I mean hold it for a while), you are missing out on an easy fix.
2. Tempo Training:
Another variation (or flavor) of tendon training is using slower tempos. Utilizing a variety of slower eccentric and concentric tempos can allow us to build up the tendon and increase the stress exerted on to the tendon while increasing blood flow to the area.
A great way to work on bicep tendonitis is simply to perform dumbbell curls with a 3 second up and 3 second down movement. Bonus tip: give reverse dumbbell or barbell curls a try as well (it shifts pressure off the biceps to the brachialis).
No matter which way you try, it's important to understand why the tendon pain began in the first place. Whether it was a programming issue, a movement compensation somewhere else in the body, or limited mobility in that area, we have helped tons of patients find the root cause of their tendon pain and eliminate it once and for all.
As a tendon expert, I have given presentations on tendon training at several colleges, with the most recent one being at the University of Mississippi. If you would like more information on tendon training, I would be more than happy to share my slide deck with you! Just shoot me an email and I'd be happy to send it your way.
If you have been struggling with tendon pain for some time know, don't wait to schedule a call with us today!
You can tell us everything thats been going on and we'll see if we're fit to help you - and give you all of the information you need to make the best decisions for your health.
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