Tendinitis and Bursitis

Tendonitis (or tendonopathy) is inflammation (redness, soreness, and swelling) of a tendon. In tendonitis of the shoulder, the rotator cuff and/or biceps tendon become inflamed, usually as a result of being pinched by surrounding structures. The injury may vary from mild inflammation to involvement of most of the rotator cuff. When the rotator cuff tendon becomes inflamed and thickened, it may get trapped under the acromion (the top of your shoulder). Squeezing the rotator cuff is called the impingement syndrome. Repeated motions involving the arms, or the aging process involving shoulder motion over many years, may also irritate and wear down the tendons, muscles, and surrounding structures. Tendonitis is often accompanied by inflammation of the bursa sacs (loose membranes containing a little fluid) that protect the shoulder. An inflamed bursa is called bursitis. Inflammation caused by a disease such as rheumatoid arthritis may cause rotator cuff tendonitis and bursitis. Sports involving overuse of the shoulder and occupations requiring frequent overhead reaching are other potential causes of irritation to the rotator cuff or bursa and may lead to inflammation and impingement. Signs of these conditions include the slow onset of discomfort and pain in the upper shoulder or upper third of the arm and/or difficulty sleeping on the shoulder. Tendonitis and bursitis also cause pain when the arm is lifted away from the body or overhead. If tendonitis involves the biceps tendon (the tendon located in front of the shoulder that helps bend the elbow and turn the forearm), pain will occur in the front or side of the shoulder and may travel down to the elbow and forearm. Pain may also occur when the arm is forcefully pushed upward overhead. Source: http://www.healthandage.com/

I had my article done when I read Dottie's. Knowing when I’m outclassed, I asked permission to pass it on :) However, having sufferred for years, apart from the listed owie-balms and teas on the recipe pages, there are a few more tricks for pain that proved to work for me: Pain Tincture: Cat’s Claw Bathbombs with Epson salts and Celtic sea salt, with essential oils: Birch, Rosemary, Camphor, Cinnamon, Fir needle. Soak hothothot. Inflammations usually want cold (icepacks). Bursitis and tendonitis definately do. WHY my arthritis responds better to heat and goes skyhigh with cold packs I don't know. Don't take my word for it, try out for yourself what eases you best.

Herbal Remedies - Artritis Source: Dottie, tapakey@gte.net Do your hands swell when a storm is approaching? If so, there are pockets of air and gases in the joints, and as a storm comes, the pressure outside drops, causing the trapped air inside the joints to push out with force, pushing on the inflamed tissue and causing pain. According to Bryan Norcross, director of Meteorology, it is the increased electricity in the atmosphere that aggravates arthritis or lumbago, and that some people develop 'a sixth-sense response' to electrical fields. This has been proved to be true in a study by Joseph L. Hollander, M.D., professor of emeritus of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in his climatron. When he made the air pressure drop and humidity rise, as it happens in thunderstorms, arthritis worsened in all but 1 of a dozen subjects. If this applies to you, I would suggest some evening primrose, I have experiemented with it and found that it took about 2 weeks for it to work on me. Check the weather channel and chart the barometric pressure and see if you can correlate the swelling with pressure drops. I would also look at my overall diet: Eat more sulfur-containing foods, such as asparagus eggs, garlic, and onions. Sulfur is needed for the repair and rebuilding of bone, cartilage, and connective tissue, and aids in the absorption of calcium. Other good foods include green leafy vegetables, which supply vitamin K; fresh vegetables; non-acidic fresh fruits; whole grains; oatmeal; brown rice; and fish. Consume foods containing the amino acid histidine, including rice, wheat, and rye. Histidine is good for removing excess metals from the body. Many people with arthritis have high levels of copper and iron in their bodies. Eat fresh pineapple frequently. Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapple, is excellent for reducing inflammation. To be effective, the pineapple must be fresh, as freezing and canning destroy enzymes. Pineapple actually causes me problems, but can help others. Eat some form of fiber, such as ground flaxseeds, oat bran, or rice bran, daily. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet. For relief of pain, try using cold gel packs. These retain cold for long periods when frozen. Place them on inflamed joints. Alternate with applications of heat. Hot tubs and baths may provide relief. Raw lemon rubs and hot castor oil packs are also extremely beneficial. To make a hot castor oil pack, place castor oil in a pan and heat but do not boil it. Dip a piece of cheesecloth or other white cotton material into the oil until the cloth is saturated. Apply the cloth to the affected area and cover it with a piece of plastic that is larger in size than the cotton cloth. Place a heating pad over the plastic and use it to keep the pack warm. Keep the pack in place for one-half to two hours, as needed. Castor oil hot pack works great!! In the morning, take a hot shower or a bath to help relieve morning stiffness. Check for possible food allergies. Many sufferers of neck and shoulder pain have found relief when they eliminate certain foods. Allergies to certain foods appear to be linked to rheumatoid arthritis, particularly those in the night shade family: tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, pimiento, cayenne and chili, red and bell peppers, tobacco. Experiment by removing these foods, one at a time from the diet. If your arthritis worsens and then improves after 5 or 6 days, you may be allergic or sensitive to it. Spend time outdoors for fresh air and sunshine. Exposure to the sun prompts the synthesis of vitamin D, which is needed for proper bone formation. Get regular moderate exercise. Exercise is essential for reducing pain and retarding joint deterioration. Regular activity that does not put stress on affected joints, but that strengthens surrounding bones, muscles, and ligaments, is valuable for many types of arthritis. Bicycle riding, walking, and water exercises are good choices. Avoid weight bearing or impact exercises. If you are overweight, lose the excess pounds. Being overweight can cause and aggravate osteoarthritis. If you use ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), avoid sodium (salt), which causes water retention. Spread doses of these medications out through the day, take them only after eating, and take an antacid an hour after taking the drug. Especially if you are over sixty-five or have had previous gastrointestinal bleeding. If the blood is too acidic, this may cause the cartilage in the joints to dissolve. The joints lose their normal smooth sliding motion, the bones rub together, and the joints become inflamed. This causes pain. . Potato broth works well for this. Acetaminophen (sold as Tylenol, Datril, and others) may be a better medication for osteoarthritis than NSAIDs. In many cases, it may be able to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis as well as ibuprofen. Acetaminophen is relatively safe and inexpensive. However, it is important not to exceed the recommended dose of acetaminophen, and it should not be used by persons who consume alcohol. If taken in excessive amounts or in combination with alcohol, this drug can cause liver damage. I don't use them at all. THINGS TO AVOID: Studies suggest that vegetable oils, which contain omega-6 fatty acids, aggravate arthritis symptoms. Cut back on salad dressings, margarine, fried foods and olive, corn and canola oils. Only take aspirin for arthritis or any non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) for very short periods of time-like Motrin, Advil or Nuprin- they may decrease your pain in the short run, but worsen your condition in the long run by stopping new cartilage formation and increasing cartilage destruction. Worse than that the dosage required to suppress your symptoms can cause life-threatening peptic ulcers. Do not consume milk, dairy products, or red meat. They have a natural occurring substance that involves the inflammatory response in your body. Also avoid caffeine, corn, meats, wheat, oats, rye, eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, nuts and coffee, citrus fruits, paprika, salt, tobacco, and everything that contains sugar. Avoid the nightshade vegetables (peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and white potatoes). These foods contain a substance called solanine, to which some people, particularly those suffering from arthritis, are highly sensitive. Solanine interferes with enzymes in the muscles, and may cause pain and discomfort. This is a personnal thing, what may cause a problem for one person may not for someone else. I can not tolerate citrus, myself. Do not take iron supplements, or a multivitamin containing iron. Iron is suspected of being involved in pain, swelling, and joint destruction. Consume iron in foods instead. Good sources include blackstrap molasses, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, fish, lima beans, and peas. This might sound funny but I have also found that the pH of the body is very important, and in some cases a lipospray is of help. The reason I suggest a lipospray, it that some people have absorption problems, so if a person does-find an alternative way to put nutrients in the body-look for a back door so to speak. People need to realize that when it comes to chronic disorders, especially when the immune system is involved-then tread softy-their systems are just too sensitive to Bombard - a gentle progressive healing I find is best.