A tendon is a cord of strong, flexible tissue, similar to a rope. Tendons connect your muscles to your bones. Tendons let us move our limbs. They also help prevent muscle injury by absorbing some of the impact your muscles take when you run, jump or do other movements. There is about 4000 tendons in one standard human body.
Tendons connect bone to muscles and help to transmit forces. This connection allows tendons to passively modulate forces during locomotion, providing additional stability. However, over the past two decades, much research has focused on the elastic properties of some tendons and their ability to function as springs.
Not all tendons are required to perform the same functional role, with some predominantly positioning limbs, such as the fingers when writing (positional tendons) and others acting as springs to make locomotion more efficient (energy storing tendons). Energy storing tendons can store and recover energy at high efficiency. For example, during a human stride, the Achilles tendon stretches as the ankle joint dorsiflexes. During the last portion of the stride, as the foot plantar-flexes (pointing the toes down), the stored elastic energy is released.
The Achilles tendon is one of the strongest tendons in our body. It helps in walking and running. It’s named like this because famous warrior god Achilles was defeated by injuring this tendon.
WHAT IS TENDINOPATHY
Any chronic injury to tendon causes tendinopathy. These are very common conditions. Achilles tendinopathy is a prominent tendinopathy. Tennis elbow, golfers elbow etc are other common tendinopathies. It causes severe pain in the local area. The pain increases with motion.
R.I.C.E. THERAPY IN TENDINOPATHY
REST
Give rest to the affected tendon. Limit it’s mobility.
ICE
Ice compression helps in reducing inflammation. Many people think hot compression works. But it will give momentary relief. But it has no role in decreasing the inflammation.
COMPRESSION
Use splint for compression of the affected part. It will help in rapid healing of the injured tendon.
ELEVATION
Elevate the limb. It will decrease the edema of the limb and will help in early recovery.
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