Conditions

Tendinitis and tendinopathy

A tendinopathy is a painful, weakened tendon that has been asked to carry more load than it could handle. The most common are in the shoulder (rotator cuff), the elbow (tennis and golfer's elbow), the knee (patellar tendon), the Achilles tendon and the plantar fascia. Although usually called tendinitis, in most cases there is no pure inflammation but a tendon that needs to regain its capacity to take load. That is why complete rest rarely cures it. Dr Julio De la Morena examines tendons with ultrasound in the same appointment at Hospital Memorial Publio Cordón (Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid).

Common symptoms

• Pain in the tendon when starting an activity, which sometimes eases once warmed up and gets worse afterwards.
• Morning stiffness, typical of the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia.
• Pain when lifting or twisting the wrist, at the elbow.
• Pain that does not settle after weeks of rest.

Diagnosis with ultrasound

Ultrasound shows the thickness and structure of the tendon, any partial tears, calcifications or increased blood flow, and allows comparison with the healthy side. It is a dynamic test: the tendon can be studied while it moves.

Treatment

• Progressive loading exercise. The treatment with the strongest scientific support: isometric and eccentric exercises adapted to each phase.
• Adjusting activity without complete rest.
• Autologous growth factors (platelet-rich plasma) in selected chronic tendinopathies that have not responded to exercise.
• Ultrasound-guided injections around the tendon when appropriate, avoiding repeated corticosteroids inside the tendon.

Frequently asked questions

Written and reviewed by Dr Julio De la Morena Garzón, specialist in Sport and Exercise Medicine (Madrid Medical Council no. 281903698). Last reviewed: October 2026. General information that does not replace a medical consultation.