Tendon and Ligament Micro Evulsion

Tendon and Ligament Micro Evulsion, Natural Cure Doctor, Costa Mesa, Orange County, California, Dr. Robert Janda, Chiropractor, Natural Healing, Traditional Naturopath, Naturopathic Healing.

All muscles have a connective tissue sheath that surrounds the muscle and thickens at either end to form a tendon that attaches to a bone. Tendons attach muscles to bones. Ligaments, on the other hand, do not involve muscles, but directly attach bone to bone. In both ligaments and tendons the attachment is not directly on to the bone, but to the periosteum, a fibrous sheath surrounding the bone. The periosteum is attached to the bone by microfilaments called Sharpey’s Fibers.  These attachments can become disrupted. When this happens the microfilaments attaching the periosteum to the bone are pulled loose and a micro-bubble of fluid forms in place of the attachment. The periosteum is full of nerve fibers and can sense the weakness at the attachment. It then sends signals to the muscle to inhibit its function in order to protect the attachment from further disruption.

Micro-evulsions can occur with any use of a muscle or joint, and most commonly occur with sudden movements or with movements where the function is inhibited by inappropriate reflexes. This jerks on the attachment when it is not pre paired for stress, causing the injury. The individual experiences an evulsion as a ‘muscle strain’ or ‘pulled muscle’, although these are vague terms that refer to more than evulsions.  Usually the symptoms will be a focal pain at the periosteal attachment and a muscle weakness. They often occur with athletic activity. When this occurs at he elbow it is called Tennis Elbow or Golfer’s Elbow.

Treatment for this involves correcting any inhibiting reflexes to the muscle then compressing the evulsion to give it a chance to heal. Most of them do. We also use Laser Therapy to facilitate healing. Applied Kenisiology is the most effective and quickest way to assess this problem.

The small percent of cases that do not respond to Chiropractic Care are referred for Prolotherapy. This is a medical procedure in which sclerosing agents are injected along side injured ligaments and tendons. This attracts fibroblasts which lay down new connective tissue. This reinforces the injured ligaments to restore normal function.