Injure a tendon and you might not notice right away, but beware: These injuries often fail to heal properly, putting everyday activities at risk.
"No matter how strong your muscle is, you're not going to be able to have the functionality and the stability you need if a tendon is impaired," Nelly Andarawis-Puri, a bioengineering researcher at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., told NIH News in Health.
Tendons connect your muscles and your bones. Your ability to move your body is at risk when tendon tissue becomes inflamed, ruptures or breaks down. You might experience pain or stiffness, swelling and weakness.
A sudden awkward movement is sometimes to blame -- but everyday activities that require repetitive movements pose particular risks. For example, spending long hours typing at the office, which may make your hands hurt, or doing repeated jumping exercises that cause knee problems.
"The most common type of tendon injury is an overuse, or wear-and-tear, injury," Andarawis-Puri said. "It's not necessarily painful once it starts and can be silent for a long time."
