The understanding of tendinopathy has evolved over the past several decades. Thought at first to be a primarily inflammatory process, histologic evaluation has shown that there is an absence of inflammatory cells, and rather, tendinopathy is more of a degenerative process. Various types of medications, rehabilitation, modalities, injections, and minimally invasive procedures have been described as treatment for this condition. The aim of this article is to describe the pathophysiology of tendinopathy as understood at this time and the evidence for the various available treatments. The authors conducted a literature search to determine the types of reviews that have been performed previously regarding treatment for tendinopathy, and summarized these reviews. They then conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials for treating patients with tendinopathy.
It is the authors’ hope that their review of trial data will assist providers in determining optimal management for their patients with tendinopathy.