Is needling good for tendonitis?

What is the Graston technique for tendonitis?

One of my friends got hurt from training.

She's pretty fit and in good shape, but in the end had to cut a bit on speed. After 6 weeks she could barely walk at the gym, because her hamstring was tight. To release it she has tried to use the Graston technique (ie put your hand down). At first it seemed to help, but now she does not feel she can go in the gym and work on hamstring flexibility.

When I asked her what did she feel when she tried this method, she said that she felt like her leg is moving by itself and it's hard for her to control it. I would love to know if there are also athletes who suffered from tendonitis and got released because of using the Graston method? The Graston technique is commonly used for tight tendons (see: video), and is intended to reduce pain during and immediately after exercise. This is a very good thing for active, young people, because it can make workouts more fun, and the risk of muscle damage is reduced.

I'm not saying the Graston technique isn't helpful for injured tendons, but you must not overdo it, and do not apply it for extended periods of time. To be clear, in the Graston technique one uses a graston (a soft, handheld rolling tool) to roll the area of the tendon to be worked. The rationale is that it may make tendons flatter, which prevents them from ballooning out when the athlete goes into certain positions. So, one can get the feeling that the technique works by reducing the stiffness in the tendon so the athlete can easily relax it and elongate it, as if it had never hurt in the first place.

This may or may not be true, but if it is, the question is why not try it before investing time, energy and hope in alternative methods that work. So I asked some experts: Kirstin Gillibrand, co-founder and trainer of CrossFit LA, with whom I've had to dozens of Graston sessions myself.

Is needling good for tendonitis?

I have heard about needling for tendonitis and wonder if it works?

I tried acupuncture but the needles got stuck in my skin and made it very sore. Plus it was expensive, there's no way I can do it again.

Answers. I had a horrible tendonitis in my big toe (one of the big ones) that I didn't know was a tendonitis until I saw an acupuncture clinic. It was driving me crazy because it hurt so much I couldn't even walk or stand. After a couple sessions of acupuncture it was gone and I haven't had any pain there since. The only thing is that I didn't see any noticeable results at first but now after a couple months I can see that it's gotten better.

I think that acupuncture helps to break the cycle of tension and muscle soreness that can make up this kind of pain. I had a horrible tendonitis in my big toe (one of the big ones) that I didn't know was a tendonitis until I saw an acupuncture clinic. I have also had tendonitis in my big toe. I know it hurts. I know it will go away if I stop doing things that aggravate it.

I've used acupuncture to treat it. I started using an acupuncturist last October. I was desperate. She has been wonderful! She helped me get through a month without the pain. But I am not cured yet. I did something that has made it flare up again and I'm afraid it's going to start hurting again. I'm going to try acupuncture again.

Is scraping good for Achilles tendonitis?

I have been told I have severe tennis elbow (or tennis "ball" in your tongue) for the past 10 years or so and can barely play without the pain and numbness to both thumbs, index and middle finger. I see so many people playing without discomfort to those same fingers, it makes me wonder if there is a way to do it. When I play tennis my tennis shoes are worn out as there is so much pressure to my toes and the ball that I'm concerned it will rub/wear away the ligament. As far as this goes, my doctor has put me on flexeril (it's anti inflammatory), bacitracin ointment, rest, icing them at night and I see a chiropractor once per week for back/neck adjustments and exercises. The doctor says I need to change shoes, but I know they're not the problem and he said I can use them, but I don't have any idea if that will work or the cause of the pain. Do you think scraping the calluses and hard skin can help ease the pain? I was going to get a shoe horn to soften the heels, but am I hurting more than what I'd expect out of a person who plays a sport like tennis everyday? Any advice? Thanks

Yes, scraping the hard calluses off the ball of your foot will relieve the pressure to the ball and make you feel less like you're playing with blisters. The problem with using a shoe horn or any of the foot softening methods is it won't solve the problem. I recommend cutting those old tennis shoes loose and buying new ones with a soft leather shoe top and a rubber sole or just buying a pair with no soles. Make sure the shoe has a good arch, the back, front and sides are well cushioned so that it absorbs all the impacts of tennis without allowing your heel to come up. The soles should also be soft enough so the ball does not make a bumpy landing every time you hit it and the area where the ball of your foot touches the top of the shoe should be as snug as possible (this may mean getting some foot massages and stretching). It sounds like the doctor has you on a good dosage of anti-inflammatories which is very good. I'd only go off of those if the pain subsided.

Does scraping help tendonitis?

I have been getting tendonitis in my left index finger for about a month now.

It seems to happen on both index and middle fingers every few weeks, and it's so bad that I'm at the end of the ropes and can barely open the car door because my fingers hurt so badly, even while asleep.

The first time I got tendonitis (one finger at a time) it was my left index finger, and before I knew it, my ring and middle fingers were complaining too. The doctor prescribed NSAIDs for about six months and told me it would go away eventually. The tendonitis never went away, but it was less severe. That is, until recently. It's all coming back.

I had been using a regular metal key to open the car doors on a daily basis, and now I have to use a special plastic key with a smaller opening. The doctor suggested this as a solution, but I have two problems with that. First of all, how many people are using these kinds of keys to start their cars? I doubt very many of them are even aware of these smaller opening keys. Second, how does one take the time to "learn" how to use these keys? I tried to learn how to use them once but I found them nearly impossible to use.

I guess what I'm really asking is: Is tendonitis caused by a lack of proper hand conditioning and training? If so, is that a good reason to stop using the keys and learning how to use the plastic key with a smaller opening? Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendons. How do you know it's causing your pain if you've never had any before? Are there other problems causing your hand pain like arthritis or a fracture? You need to find out more before making changes to your lifestyle.

There's no direct answer to your question. Maybe there is. It depends on how someone defines tendonitis. A simple google search comes up with about 5 million hits. I'm going to take my own advice and say it all depends.

If you get to the end of the road, you may find that your solution is simply to make a new career in something you love, whether that's writing, or cooking, or working with computers, or repairing the family car. I was diagnosed with tendonitis at the age of twenty-six after a few years of chronic, agonizing pain.