What Is Extensor Tendonitis And What Should You Know About It?
Extensor tendons are in two parts of your body, your hands and your feet. The fingers, thumb, and wrists in your hand can move with the help of the extensor tendons in your hands. The extensor tendons in your feet connect your legs’ front muscles to the toes and are spread across your feet to protect them from various injuries. The task these tendons have is essential, but they are also located in very vulnerable locations.
When your doctor tells you that you are suffering from extensor tendonitis, this means that your feet’ tendons are inflamed due to wearing tight shoes or standing for long hours. If you are suffering from extensor tendonitis in your hands, this means extensive sports activity that uses the wrists.
What Are Some Symptoms Of Extensor Tendonitis?
If it is in your feet, the main symptom will be pain on the top of your foot. You can experience extensor tendonitis in both feet, but it is usually is only in one. As you use the injured feet more and more, you will feel a gradual increase in pain. If your tendons get weak, it can affect your movement when you jump, dance, or run.
If it is in your hand, it causes pain and stiffness in the top of your hand. The pain is usually in the wrist, and you may also feel numbness or tingling in this area.
What Are Some Causes of Extensor Tendonitis?
In most cases, foot tendons are a result of you wearing shoes that are too tight. At the same time, inflammation in the hand is a result of the overuse of your wrist.
What Is the Treatment For Extensor Tendonitis
The best and most recommended treatment is giving your body a proper amount of rest and regular icing on the affected area, which may ease the pain of inflammation. You can also use inflammatory medicines, which will help relieve the pain. For some patients, your doctor may suggest some stretching and strengthening exercises to strengthen the tendon.
You may require physical therapy depending on the severity of the Tendonitis. Physical therapy will help you learn the best types of stretches and strengthening exercises to heal your tendons.
In some cases, you may also require steroid injections if the situation is very serious. These injections weaken the tendons and put them at higher risk for injury term. Sometimes, these injections lead to less use of the hand or foot.
If you are experiencing pain in your feet or wrists and are assuming it is Tendonitis, you are in the right place. Book an appointment with one of our doctors at Rheumatology Care Of North Houston. For more information, call us at 832.532.9779.