Tendinitis in TEOTWAWKI

As I go through the tail end of middle age and hasten toward old age at light speed, I sometimes feel as if I’m experiencing TEOTWAWKI in slow motion.  The old body is falling apart.

Trigger finger is one ailment currently afflicting me.  The risk for it increases with age and overuse of the affected fingers.  Tendinitis is another cruddy affliction whose risk increases with age and overuse.  And I can’t help but believe that none of us are getting any younger, and future societal challenges will entail overworking our joints as we maintain gardens and engage in repetitive actions or sports and exercise.

So what exactly is tendinitis?  Tendons connect muscles to bones.  When a tendon is irritated, inflammation sets in, causing acute pain when using the joint.  Any tendon can be affected, but the most common are the elbow (tennis elbow), shoulder, knee, wrist, and heel.  Symptoms can develop suddenly, like they did for me when I decided to scrub the kitchen floor by hand about 22 years ago.  That was some intense pain.  Back then I got two cortisone shots, one of which made me really happy, and the other had me cursing that doctor and all his posterity and ancestors.  Of course, steroid injections are difficult to source in a collapse.

Other signs and symptoms of tendinitis include:

• Tenderness when touched
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• “Popping” when using the joint
• Pain when moving the affected joint[1]

Unresolved tendinitis may progress into tendinosis, which weakens the tendon and increases the risk of rupture.[2]  

Treatment

• Tendinitis treatment at a minimum should include RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation).[3]  
• Rest is essential for treating tendinitis, but total inactivity may cause joints to stiffen.[4]   
• Splinting may help.[5]  
• For the first two days, apply cold packs for 20 minutes at a time as needed.[6] [7]
• After the first 2 days, apply moist heat (a warm, wet towel) for 20 minutes, 4 times per day. [8] Begin gentle movement of the affected joint after a few days of complete rest.[9]   Other physicians recommend a longer rest period and indicate that if the condition is improved in 6 weeks, then begin range of motion exercises.[10]
• Physicians will also recommend an anti-inflammatory such as naproxen or ibuprofen and topical anesthetic creams for pain relief.[11]   Others recommend aspirin.[12]
• Avoid the activity that caused the problem.[13]  

Herbal treatments abound: 

• Willow bark tea.[14]   
• Comfrey oil applied topically.[15]

Other anti-inflammatory herbs used topically or internally include:

• Calendula
• Chrysanthemum
• Dandelion 
• Echinacea
• German chamomile
• Goldenrod 
• Hollyhock 
• Mallow 
• Nasturtium
• Peony
• Plantain
• Purslane 
• Sunflower
• Sweet alyssum

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[1] Dr Joseph Alton, et al., Survival Medicine Handbook, 4^th Edition, 2021, 332.

[2] Alton.

[3] Alton.

[4] Alton.

[5] Dr Robert Burgess, Community Health Aide/Practitioner Manual, 1987, 248.

[6] Alton.

[7] Dr Robert Burgess, Community Health Aide/Practitioner Manual, 1987, 248.

[8] Dr Robert Burgess, Community Health Aide/Practitioner Manual, 1987, 248.

[9] Alton.

[10] Dr Robert Burgess, Community Health Aide/Practitioner Manual, 1987, 248.

[11] Alton.

[12] Dr Robert Burgess, Community Health Aide/Practitioner Manual, 1987, 248.

[13] Dr Robert Burgess, Community Health Aide/Practitioner Manual, 1987, 248.

[14] Alton.

[15] Alton.