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The Daily Insight

Why is tendonitis more common in elderly?

Author

Andrew Mclaughlin

Updated on April 27, 2026

Tendinitis can occur at any age, but it is more common among adults who do a lot of sport. Older people are also susceptible, because the tendons tend to lose elasticity and become weaker with age.

Does tendonitis increase with age?

Tendinitis and tendon injuries in active adults around their early to late middle ages. There are several reasons that rates of these injuries increase as people get older, but the good news is that they can usually be prevented.

What does loading the tendon mean?

This is when the tendon is required to store and release energy at the same time as compressing over a boney fulcrum. This is what tendons are designed to do but are also the loads that most commonly cause problems and a clinical presentation of pain.

How is tendon stiffness affected by age?

These results demonstrate that age-related increases in tendon stiffness are largely attributable to increased tendon loading from weight-bearing tasks and increased plantarflexor force production, as well as tendon growth.

Is tendonitis a permanent condition?

Tendinitis may go away over time. If not, the doctor will recommend treatments to reduce pain and inflammation and preserve mobility. Severe symptoms may require specialized treatment from a rheumatologist, an orthopaedic surgeon or a physical therapist.

How many people get tendonitis yearly?

Tendonitis is a fairly common problem. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, tendonitis causes more than 70,000 people to miss work per year. It is important to understand its symptoms and treatment so that you can avoid this painful condition. What is Tendonitis?

Why do we load tendons?

Normal tendon needs load for homeostasis and adaptation. The outer part of the tendon seems to be where most adaptation occurs. Pathological tendon may not ‘heal’ or return to normal. This is ok because structural change is not related to symptom change.

How much force does it take to tear a tendon?

The forces applied to a tendon may be more than 5 times your body weight. In some rare instances, tendons can snap or rupture. Conditions that make a rupture more likely include the injection of steroids into a tendon, certain diseases (such as gout or hyperparathyroidism), and having type O blood.

How do you relieve stiff tendons?

Exercise is at the heart of treatment for tendon tightness and stiffness. If you do not want your muscles to tighten or stiffen, then you must help keep them flexible by stretching them gradually with stretching exercises or yoga. Stretching will help your muscles to relax and loosen and remain flexible.

How do you keep tendons healthy as you age?

Regular physical activity helps keep muscles, bones, and tendons strong, and can lower your risk of injury and tendinitis. But be careful not to overdo it so you don’t injure yourself. “Keep joints limber,” Flatow advises.

Who is David Heinemeier Hansson?

It happened at the online version of the annual SaaStock conference — now renamed SaaStock Remote. For its global community of software as a service founders, the conference organizers arranged a Zoom appearance by David Heinemeier Hansson, creator of Ruby on Rails and co-founder of the Basecamp project management software.

Who is DHH Hansson?

Hansson at the 2006 O’Reilly Emerging Technology Conference. David Heinemeier Hansson (born 15 October 1979; also known to the Ruby programming language and automobile racing communities as DHH) is a Danish programmer and the creator of the popular Ruby on Rails web development framework and the Instiki wiki.

Who is Christian Hansson?

In 1999, Hansson founded and built a Danish online gaming news website and community called Daily Rush, which he ran until 2001.

What did Henrik Hansson do?

In 2005, Hansson was recognized by Google and O’Reilly with the “Hacker of the Year” award for his creation of Ruby on Rails. After graduating from the Copenhagen Business School and receiving his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Business Administration, Hansson moved from Denmark to Chicago, Illinois, U.S. in November 2005.