Tenosynovitis

A case of inflammation in the Tendon sheath

Tendons are a type of fibrous tissue that connects the muscles to the bones

without tendons we would have no control of the body movements

There is different types of Tenosynovitis :

• De Quervain's (wrist)
• Stenosing (trigger fingers)
• Radial (affecting the radial side, thumb)

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Protective Sheath or Synovium

The sheath produces synovial fluid, which keeps the tendon lubricated

Injury to the tendon may result in the malfunction of the sheath

When sheath fails to make synovial fluid or not make enough fluid, inflammation or swelling may occur, also known as Tenosynovitis.

Not limited to athletes and appears in people who perform a variety of repetitive-motion activities, and also as a consequence of repetitive strain injuries, and repetitive stress activities.

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Tenosynovitis VS underlying health conditions

Medical history of diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory conditions can increase the tendency of this inflammatory condition on tendons, also a wound that did not heal correctly locally and sometimes got infected

The Diagnosis

A precise diagnosis will require a physical examination of the affected area by a professional and in some cases only after a MRI scan or ultrasound will confirm.

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Symptoms

• Joint stiffness with difficulty to move
• Joint swelling
• Joint pain
• Joint tenderness
• Redness of the skin or change of colour locally
• Thicker skin on the inflamed area

Chinese Medicine approach and Treatment

In Chinese Medicine, all the issues related to tendons cannot be separate from the quality of Jing, an essential substance of the body that determines the quality of the joints, bones and muscles.

The quality of the Jing will determine the quality of the synovial fluid present in all joints , that is responsible for maintaining a good motion,  works as a lubricant for our joints

To maintain a good Jing quality, a revision on the function of the Kindey, liver and spleen channels needs to be considered for prevention, treatment and post injury.

Treatment

The best proven treatment for this condition in Chinese Medicine is acupuncture for the acute stage (till the patient gets more mobility and less acute symptoms) , combined or followed by herbal supplements , and topic ointments.

Check this link where we captured the significant improvements after the 1st treatment and after the 2nd treatment https://www.instagram.com/reel/CIl4x-3FizG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Analysis of the patient journey:

Patient did Martial arts professionally, at this point trains everyday, pain in the joints generally indicated that there is presence of Inflammation, and possibly an arthritic condition, further investigation was advised, but patient was a bit discouraged in pursue more defined diagnosis as he had surgery and the symptoms started to aggravate after that, and he tried to seek for help for many other professionals but his body response was not significant, after years with this symptoms the results he had with our treatment was so far the best option for him

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