The libraryStrength
Fix Your Tendon Pain
Tendonitis
Also called Tendinopathy, Tendon pain, Tennis elbow, Achilles tendonitis, Jumper's knee
Who it's forA man aged 18 to 45 whose Achilles, knee or elbow tendon hurts when he loads it.
When to see a doctor
- Urgent care the same day: a sudden pop or snap, then you cannot push off, stand on tiptoe, straighten the knee or bend the elbow with force.
- The same day: a hot, red, swollen joint, most of all with a fever or feeling shivery and unwell. It can be a joint infection.
- The same day: tendon pain on a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, or in the months after one. Stop it and call the prescriber.
- Your doctor: a knee that gives way or will not straighten, a tendon lump, or sore attachments in several places with a stiff back or psoriasis.
- Your doctor or a physical therapist: pain that has not improved after a few weeks of home care. Elbow pain after at least 2 weeks of self-care.
- A specialist: a tendon still sore after 6 to 12 months of proper loading, to talk about surgery.
I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. This is self-education. Every dose on this page is the one a trial or a label used, quoted from it. It is not a prescription. Talk to a physician who has your history before any medicine or procedure. A sudden pop with lost strength, or tendon pain on an antibiotic: see a doctor the same day.