What You Should Know About Receiving a TENEX Procedure in Portland

Every year, millions of Americans see a doctor to get treatment for a shoulder problem. The most common shoulder injuries are caused by the overuse of the muscles when doing sports and recreational activities that call for repetitive movements. However, they can also be the result of trauma from an accident, wear and tear of cartilage from age, and other factors.

Traditionally, a shoulder pain injury treatment center may prescribe medications, physical therapy, and in some cases, surgery. However, breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, such as those offered by Sports Health Northwest in Portland, Oregon, have introduced non-invasive or minimally invasive treatment options that have demonstrated faster and more effective results.

One of these is TENEX, a minimally invasive procedure developed by the prestigious Mayo Clinic. Based on clinical studies, TENEX is 85% to over 90% effective in addressing shoulder pain and other elbow, knee, and ankle injuries in as little as six weeks.

What is TENEX?

TENEX is a trade name for percutaneous tenotomy, a procedure that uses ultrasound guided technology to precisely locate and remove damaged tendon tissue without disturbing the surrounding healthy tissues. Such a procedure may sound like something that can only be performed by traditional surgery, but the advanced technology behind TENEX makes traditional surgery unnecessary, thereby minimizing safety risks and improving recovery time for the patient while costing less.  The percutaneous tenotomy is commonly used to successfully treat tendon problems like tennis elbow.  Another use of the TENEX device is to perform a percutaneous fasciotomy for painful conditions like plantar fasciitis. 

What injuries can be treated with TENEX?

TENEX can be the right solution for any injury or pain caused by tendon damage. This includes shoulder injuries, such as  rotator cuff tendonitis, calcific tendonitis or tendinopathy, and rotator cuff tears.

Pain in other joints may also be treated by TENEX, including elbow injuries like tennis elbow and golfer's elbow, foot injuries like Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis, and knee injuries like patella tendonitis and ligament injuries.

What happens in a TENEX procedure?

TENEX requires only a local anesthesia to be applied in the affected area. Using ultrasound imaging, the doctor will identify the damaged tissue and its precise location within the tendon, then proceed to make a tiny incision at the anesthetized area. The incision is so small that it does not need sutures.

A small proprietary device with a pin-point tip is then inserted into the area near the damaged tissue. The device emits high frequency (ultrasonic) waves that have been designed to break up and remove the damaged tissue without harming healthy tendon tissues. The incision is then closed with an adhesive bandage instead of stitches.

With the targeted procedure, the injury is treated at the pain generating site, allowing the shoulder or other treatment site to heal quickly.  The procedure provides fast relief from chronic pain. Patients also enjoy shorter recovery times, and can typically go back to their normal routine in just a few weeks. Minimal pain is also reported during the procedure.

Who is a good candidate for TENEX?

An athletic person or anyone active in physically demanding activities can suffer from a shoulder or any other joint injury without realizing it until they feel pain and other symptoms. They are the best candidates for treatment at a sports health clinic, where they will be closely examined by a sports doctor. Given the non-invasive and low risk nature of TENEX, doctors can recommend it to patients of any age or physical condition.

Alternatively, patients diagnosed with calcific tendonitis, or joint pains caused by the build-up of small calcium deposits in tendons, can ask a shoulder pain injury treatment center about Ultrasound Guided Calcific Tendonitis Lavage, another minimally invasive procedure that involves flushing out calcium deposit by injecting fluid into the affected area. More information about the procedure can be found here.

If you are in the Portland, Oregon area, find out if TENEX is the right solution for your shoulder pain by calling Sports Health Northwest.

Author

David Westerdahl MD FAAFP RMSK Sports Medicine Physician and owner Sports Health Northwest, Inc.