Tendinopathy vs. Tendinitis: What’s the Difference?

If you’ve been struggling with tendon pain, you might’ve heard two common terms thrown around — tendinitis and tendinopathy. While they sound similar, they’re actually quite different in what’s going on inside the body and, more importantly, how we treat them.

🔥 Tendinitis = Inflammation

Tendinitis is acute inflammation of a tendon. It usually develops after a sudden spike in activity — like a weekend of overdoing it at the gym or an intense training session — and tends to settle fairly quickly if managed well.

Signs of tendinitis:

• Sharp or throbbing pain with activity

• Swelling or warmth in the area

• Usually responds to rest and anti-inflammatories

  
  

🌀 Tendinopathy = Degeneration

Tendinopathy is a more chronic and degenerative condition. Instead of inflammation, the tendon has undergone changes over time — often due to repetitive overload without enough recovery.

Signs of tendinopathy:

• Dull, nagging pain (especially in the morning or after rest)

• Pain at the start of activity that sometimes eases as you warm up

• Doesn’t respond well to rest or anti-inflammatory meds

  
  

🧠 Why It Matters

Rest helps tendinitis, but it can make tendinopathy worse. If you’re dealing with tendinopathy, the key isn’t rest — it’s controlled, progressive loading.

Here’s a quick comparison:

	Tendinitis	Tendinopathy
Cause	Acute overload / strain	Long-term overuse
Treatment	Rest, ice, NSAIDs	Load management & rehab
Rehab focus	Temporary deloading	Strength + tendon loading
Timeline	Days to a couple weeks	Several weeks/months

✅ How to Manage Each

Tendinitis

• Relative rest (not complete immobilisation)

• Ice and anti-inflammatories

• Avoid aggravating movements

• Gradual reintroduction of load once symptoms ease

Tendinopathy

• Don’t completely rest — modify instead

• Start with isometrics to reduce pain

• Progress to eccentric and heavy slow resistance training

• Strengthen surrounding areas (hips, glutes, etc.)

Final Thoughts

Getting the diagnosis right is half the battle. Treating tendinopathy like tendinitis (or vice versa) can delay your recovery or even make symptoms worse.

If you're unsure which you’re dealing with, chat to a clinician — we can guide you through the right rehab at the right pace.