Oct 23, 2006, 5:03 GMT
Munich - Tendinitis and tendovaginitis are relatively common among schoolchildren.
Repetitive stress is the cause, according to the Association of Paediatrics and Adolescent-Medicine Professionals (BVKJ) in Munich.
The wrist is often affected by these conditions, be it from using a computer mouse, playing the piano or violin. BVKJ's vice president, Professor Hans-Juergen Nentwich, recommends that children who perform repetitive movements take frequent breaks to do limbering-up exercises.
Heat and cold application can help when the first symptoms appear. Rubbing the painful area with preparations containing arnica extracts also brings relief. Parents should only use them when the child is not allergic to plants in the daisy family, however.
Tendinitis and tendovaginitis are caused when tendons and tendon sheathes are strained and become inflamed. At first, the child feels pain after putting the area in question under heavy stress. The symptoms later appear at the start and after the end of the physical activity, and worsen at night.
Calcium deposits may form along the tendons with time.
'When pain is strong and constant, parents should take their child to a paediatrician/adolescent medicine specialist or orthopaedic surgeon specialising in children to prevent the inflammation from becoming chronic,' Nentwich advised.
In difficult cases, a bandage or splint could help keep the tendons immobile, he said.
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