Tendons are a band of fibrous connective tissue that connect muscles to bones. Tendons have unique properties and serve important functions:

• Tendons help to move our bones and amplify the effect of muscle contractions
• They also play an important role in attenuating and absorbing shock that is transmitted from bone into muscle
• Tendons are strong but they are not designed to stretch or deform easily
• They can become weaker or stronger/stiffer in response to a training stimulus
• Training can make a tendon more prone to or more resilient against, injury.

Each muscle in the back has a tendon at either end. Some spinal muscles run the entire length of the spine while others are much shorter. Tendonitis could affect any tendon in the back and is often caused by repetitive stress that exceeds the tolerance of the tendon. Causes and contributing factors include ramping up the volume of a new activity too quickly, muscle strength or length impairments, movement pattern inefficiencies and biomechanical errors in spinal or extremity movement. Activities that could cause acute tendonitis include spending all weekend painting ceilings with a long roller or moving boxes. Repetitive athletic and work activities can also cause spinal tendonitis. Signs and symptoms suggestive of spinal tendonitis include:

• Back pain over the involved tendon in the spine when the muscle is contracted
• Back pain over the involved tendon in the spine when the muscle/tendon is stretched
• Swelling or inflammation over the injured tendon
• Stiffness when moving the spine in the affected area
• Numbness, tingling or radiating pain down the back, buttocks or legs caused by the inflamed tendon pressing on the spinal nerves

The suffix “itis” implies that the spinal tendon is inflamed. Inflammation is often present in an acute case of tendonitis. This is why treatments aimed at reducing inflammation can lead to pain reduction. When tendonitis becomes chronic, however, inflammation has typically resolved and ongoing symptoms are caused by degeneration in the fibers of the tendon. This is why it is often more appropriate to use the term tendinopathy which means “disease or disorder of the tendon,” when referring to chronic tendonitis. This also explains why people battling persistent tendonitis find little or only brief relief from using ice and rest. An inflamed tendon can benefit from rest and ice but a tendon that has experienced degeneration actually benefits from careful loading, which improves the strength and stiffness of the tendon. Now is the time to call the physical therapist.

Call to Schedule a Consultation! 1-718-258-3300

If you decide to work with a physical therapist to help correct your spinal tendonitis issues, your entire treatment plan could consist of around 8-20+ different physical therapy sessions that will each last 60-90 minutes. Once you complete your customized physical therapy treatment plan, you will be able to continue to do the prescribed stretches and exercises utilized during your PT sessions yet in the comfort of your own home.

PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR TENDONITIS IN THE SPINE

If you are experiencing persistent spinal tendonitis or find yourself stuck in a cycle of taking a break from your activities only to have symptoms return as soon as you ramp back up, it’s time to see a physical therapist. Full rest may benefit the inflamed and acute case of tendonitis but will actually weaken a tendon that has begun to degenerate.

When you come to Evolve Physical Therapy, my team of physical therapists and I will apply the latest evidence on tendon management to help improve the strength and stiffness of the tendon in your back while addressing other contributing factors like muscle weakness, nonoptimal movement patterns, lack of flexibility and training errors. Manual therapy techniques to promote tendon fiber alignment, address scar tissue, mobilize edema and reduce pain are implemented early in your care. We then use a carefully prescribed, graded loading program to build resilience in the tendon and promote healing of the tissues, therefore increasing its ability to withstand the forces placed on it during sport, exercise and everyday activities.

Spinal tendonitis can certainly put a damper on your favorite activities but physical therapy can help you find a lasting solution. Stop the cycle of rest and repeat and call Evolve Physical Therapy today. Our team of physical therapists is ready to help you heal that tendon and get back to the activities you love.

Call to Schedule a Consultation! 1-718-258-3300