Has anyone had tendonitis surgery?

[kau826]

I never heard of it, either, but it would be reasonable if the pain is so excruciating and it lasted for a very long time (at least 6 months). Tennis elbow is basically a field that 90% or so could be dealed with medication and rehabilitation. But sometimes a severely calcified tendon or profound fibrosis that affects the limb function or quality of life may require surgical repair. The point is that a thorough exam should be done first, including ultrasound or MRI, to investigate the cause and ensure the necessity of operation. Besides, the patient's will should be taken into consideration. After all, a surgery can bring about another damage and create potential ailment in the future. Few could bear a new pain after the old one is totally/partially relieved. So discussion with the doctor about reason of failure by conservative treatment, the success rate of surgery and the possible complications is mandatory.

My personal opinion is, if the pain is still tolerable and the worry about the risk of surgery is impossible to get rid of, then prolonged rehabilitation and proper ergonomic adjustment may ease the pain eventually, even though it takes (a long) time.

[Mother Theresa]

I've had tendonitis in my shoulder for the past 3 months, or so, and as you've all noted it is a bitch.

I'm not sure how I first got it. Perhaps from impulsively doing chinups or dips in the park one day, after having not exercised my arms in ages. For a couple of months I couldn't sleep on that side (or last night for that matter). Now I sometimes have trouble raising that arm above shoulder height and may encounter a stabbing pain, like a knife, in my shoulder. Strangely enough, I'm slightly comforted to learn it takes so long to recover, because it helps me to believe the diagnosis must be correct and things are proceeding as should be expected.

I finally went to the hospital a few weeks ago and saw a doc who diagnosed tendonitis and adhesive encapsulitis. She also instructed me to do some gentle stretching exercises very regularly and to go back to the hospital twice a week for deep heat treatment. I'm confident the diagnosis and treatment are correct and confident after a few months this damned nuisance will subside, but presently it really sucks. I think the stretching will be very helpful, but if I overdo it I'll get those knives stabbing in my shoulder, like a very sudden painful muscle cramp, till I can coax it to relax.

And this morning I went in for a sonogram and the doc seemed to clearly see the inflamed and injured areas. He also confirmed that it will likely take several months to heal. As I said, strangely enough those statements are a little comforting, because at least I know what's the problem, but now it's that long road of taking it easy and doing gentle therapy for the next few months.

[GuyInTaiwan]

MT: I find this area to be one of the few areas of the Taiwanese health system to be slightly lacking. One a number of occasions, I've seen physiotherapists or osteopaths in Australia who have solved problems in a few sessions that have plagued me in Taiwan for months (even with regular treatment in the therapy sections of hospitals here). My experiences here have been that they've either prescribed complete rest or they've given me a series of largely ineffective treatments (hot packs, electrical pulses, some occasional ultrasound), perhaps because those departments seem to be understaffed. Sure, it was 50NTD a session (plus a doctor's consultation every couple of weeks), but I spent months and months (and hours at hospitals) making no progress. It cost me significantly more in money, but less in time, in Australia.

Earlier this year, I developed a tendonitis in my left Achilles'. I didn't even bother seeking out treatment here, but instead tried (fairly irregularly and unsuccessfully) to self massage. The osteopath I saw in Australia recently told me that basically, it had developed from a sprain into tendonitis because there was scar tissue on the tendon (there was actually a small lump/nodule). The first priority was getting rid of the scar tissue, which was done by a combination of massage and anti-inflammatory tablets. In my case, he told me that any stretching would only continue to aggravate the problem (and thus, promote inflammation and the development of scar tissue) until after the scar tissue had been broken down. Stretching and really gentle strengthening exercises were only be performed later.

Maybe that's completely irrelevant to your situation, but I'd have a look at actual sports medical practitioners if possible, though I don't fancy your chances in finding those guys around (or cheaply).