A tendon rupture is an injury that does not require surgical intervention. This does not mean, however, that it is a minor injury. On the contrary, once a tendon is torn, it is more prone to rupture, so people who have experienced a torn tendon must exercise extreme caution in their daily activities. Find out what are the causes and symptoms of a ruptured tendon. How is this type of injury treated? What is rehabilitation?
A tendon ruptureis a partial rupture of a portion of the tendon fibers that connect the muscle to the bone. The most common diagnosis ishand, wrist tearorAchilles tendon tear , as well asfinger tendon tear .
Tendon rupture - causes
The most common causes of a tendon tear is too much load, which tears apart some of the tendon fibers that connect the muscle to the bone.
Repeating one movement for a long time often contributes to this type of injury.
Tearing a tendon can also occur in people who have decided to take up physical activity without prior preparation (warm-up, appropriate training).
Therefore, a tendon tear can occur all year round, but the risk increases during the holidays. It is during holidays that we often begin to move very actively after months of stillness. Many of us climb, run, jump and put maximum strain on the muscles, which makes it very easy to tear a tendon or other injury.
Tendon rupture - symptoms
Since the tendon is a collagen fiber and is an extension of a muscle, the symptoms of muscle tear are similar to those of a muscle tear (inflammation, pain and swelling), with the swelling usually being less and increasing more slowly. There are also bruises caused by the disruption of the nearby blood vessels and the bleeding into the tissues.
Tendon rupture - treatment and rehabilitation
An ultrasound scan is performed to rule out a tendon rupture. In the case of a tear, it is usually not necessary to perform an operation, so the procedure is similar to that for a muscle tear. For recent injuries: 1.Secure the tendon against undesirable movements or further trauma (preferably by immobilization) 2. Relieve the load: if the damaged tendon cannot be immobilized, make it work without load, e.g. by walking with a cane (e.g. if the Achilles tendon is strained) 3. Cool it down: preferably with an ice pack (you just have to remember not to put it directly on the skin); in addition, inflammation and swelling are reduced by anti-inflammatory ointments, cold compresses (e.g. made of altacet or vinegar) as well as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.
You can also use topical preparations that have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, such as arnica gel. In addition, arnica will accelerate the absorption of bruises, because the substances contained in the extract of arnica flowers have a protective effect on blood vessels, reduce the permeability of the capillary walls, have an anti-swelling effect. It is worth knowing that arnica is a panacea for all kinds of mechanical damage to the body - from minor bruises to more serious wounds, hematomas, injuries, contusions. For this reason, arnica is used in orthopedics and sports medicine. The use of preparations containing arnica (e.g. gels) early enough can prevent or significantly reduce symptoms, accelerate the absorption of petechiae, tissue damage and bruises.
Conservative treatment is also carried out, i.e. putting on a plaster dressing for 6 weeks or the so-called orthoses. After that, physical therapy (laser therapy or cryosurgery) is necessary, which usually lasts another 6 weeks.
ImportantA tendon that is torn once is more likely to break. Therefore, people who have suffered this type of injury should exercise extreme caution when practicing sports to avoid another injury.