Tendonitis is a painful condition caused by the inflammation of the cords that attach muscles to bones.

Over 30% of all medical visits for musculoskeletal issues are for conditions that affect the tendons.

It has been reported that tendon damage accounts for over 50% of all sports injuries.

In this blog you'll learn how you can alleviate the discomfort of tendonitis and reduce its reoccurrence.

Tendons are thick rope-like cords that are responsible for your bones and muscles working together to perform a movement.

Although tendonitis can occur at any age, people over the age of 40 years old are at the greatest risk of developing tendonitis.

This is because as tendons age, they tolerate less stress and become less flexible.

Tendonitis is also commonly caused by overuse, especially for individuals that are very active.

This condition is most common in the shoulders, wrists, elbows, knees and heels.

• Pain and swelling in the area

• Difficulty moving the joint

• Cracking or grating sensation when moving the joint

• Muscle weakness or loss of strength

• Mild tendonitis can generally be treated with rest, ice, and painkillers

• Trigger point therapy can also be effective in some cases of tendonitis

• Physical therapy can strengthen the muscles around the tendons– preventing damage from occurring

• Surgery (in the case of fully torn tendons)

• Red light therapy...

Red light therapy leads to increased blood flow to damaged tissues, which increases your body’s antioxidant defenses.

The energy captured in the wavelengths of light also lead to increased energy (ATP) and nitric oxide production.

All this helps your body to drastically reduce inflammation in the targeted tendon(s).

Red light therapy also aids in promoting collagen production – which can improve the strength and flexibility of your tendons.

(1) A study performed by Dr Hamblin at Harvard Medical School on the effect of red light therapy and inflammation concluded that the best results were noted specifically in improving joint disorders and traumatic musculoskeletal injuries.

(2) A meta-analysis study looked into 12 studies recently conducted on the effect of red light therapy for tendonitis and concluded that this type of therapy is proven to be highly effective.

(3) A pilot study performed on injured athletes with pain, swelling and inflammation around their joints was conducted over four weeks.

It was concluded in this study that red light therapy exhibited a substantial improvement, pain alleviation and faster recovery time than the placebo light.

Researchers noted that red light therapy was the most effective treatment for treating acute tendonitis. All of this was achieved with no adverse side effects.

You can replicate these protocols in as little as 8 – 12 minutes per affected area each day, at a distance of 12 inches from the skin using your MyLight device.

If you're not sure which device would suit your needs, simply take the Red Light Therapy Quiz here.