Every year, tens of thousands of people develop tendon pain, limiting their movement and even causing them to miss out on work and social activities. Sometimes, tendon pain is associated with tiny “stress tears” in the tendon tissue. But often, tendon and joint pain is caused by scar tissue that prevents the tendons and muscles from functioning normally.
At Jersey Integrative Health and Wellness, our team helps patients in Pompton Plains, Jersey City, and Boonton, New Jersey, relieve tendon pain with the state-of-the-art TENEX® system, an FDA-approved treatment designed to eliminate restrictive scar tissue without surgery. Here’s how it can help you.
Tendons are strong, fibrous bands that connect muscles to bones. During movement, the tendon goes back and forth to help the muscle flex and stretch.
Because tendons aren’t very “stretchy,” they’re more prone to overuse injuries or strains. Sometimes, an injury causes scar tissue to form in or near a tendon. That means the tendon can no longer move back and forth the way it needs to for normal muscle movement. Scar tissue can cause a lot of discomfort, along with stiffness or reduced range of motion.
TENEX works to treat tendon injuries by gently breaking apart scar tissue, so the area heals normally and function is restored. The TENEX system uses ultrasound energy, the same type of energy used to take images inside your body (and used during pregnancy to monitor a baby’s development).
During the TENEX procedure, that ultrasound energy is targeted directly at the scar tissue. The energy waves break apart tough scars (or adhesions), promoting natural healing responses without the need for invasive surgery.
TENEX is performed at our office on an outpatient basis. At the beginning of the procedure, your doctor uses ultrasound first to pinpoint the precise location of the scar tissue. Then, a local anesthetic numbs the treatment site.
The TENEX device makes a very tiny “microincision” over the injured area to admit the ultrasound probe. In addition to destroying scar tissue, the probe also stimulates natural healing responses.
Once the probe is in position, it emits a precise “dose” of ultrasound energy to gently break apart scar tissue before removing it from your body. Afterward, your doctor places a small bandage over the area to protect the tiny incision while it heals. The tendon itself will need about four to six weeks for complete recovery.
TENEX can be a good solution for people with chronic pain affecting their:
Your doctor will tailor your TENEX treatment to suit your specific needs.
About 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, including tendon pain. If you’re having pain in your joints, or other symptoms like joint stiffness or reduced range of motion, TENEX might be just what you need to feel better. To find out more about TENEX or to have your pain evaluated, call the office or use our online form and schedule an appointment today.
