Things not to do if you have lower limb tendon pain

Tendons are strong, tough connective tissue that is continuous with the muscles. They cross over joints to anchor the muscles to bones, and thus enabling movement. Since they are sometimes subjected to high forces when you make rapid directional changes like jump, sprint or run, tendons can sometimes become sore or get ruptured.

It is necessary to treat them with care for full recovery. Here are a few things that you should not do if you have lower limb tendon pain:

· Do not rest completely: completely resting your tendons can decrease its ability to take on further load.

· Do not ignore the pain: pain is a warning sign indicating potential harm and therefore we should never ignore this crucial indicator.

· Do not use passive treatments: short term solutions like applying ice, getting a massage, having soft tissue work done and electrotherapy should not be used.

· Do not use injection therapies: in most cases, injection therapies have shown to not be effective in clinical trials.

· Do not stretch the tendons: adding a compressive load to the tendon is detrimental to the area and will make things worse.

· Do not massage the tendon: direct massage to the area will further irritate the already affected tendon. It is better to mobilize the muscles around the area.

· Do not take shortcuts with recovery: symptoms improvement and complete resolution of pain cam take a few weeks or even months and is dependent on your condition. However, dedicating this time for a lifetime of normal activities and lifestyle is always worth it.