Is It Appropriate to See a Chiropractor for Tendonitis?
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By Butler Family Health Center · Published 2026-10-16 · Last updated 2026-10-16
Yes, it is appropriate to see a chiropractor for tendonitis in most cases, as long as the pain comes from an irritated or overused tendon and none of the warning signs that call for a medical doctor are present. Tendonitis is inflammation or irritation of a tendon that makes it swell. It can be short term or chronic. Butler Family Health Center is a chiropractor in Centennial in Peakview Center on S Quebec St, where Dr. Chris Butler has practiced since 1996.
How much care can help depends on which tendon hurts, how long it has hurt and what keeps loading it. A DTC office worker with a sore wrist and a runner who logs miles on the High Line Canal Trail need different plans. This article covers what a chiropractor can do for a tendon, what a visit looks like, the symptoms that need a medical doctor first, typical timelines, our shockwave and laser options and insurance.
What a Chiropractor in Centennial Can Do for Tendonitis
A chiropractor in Centennial can help with tendonitis by examining the painful tendon and treating it along with the joints and soft tissue around it. Colorado's definition of chiropractic is not limited to the spine. Under C.R.S. 12-215-103, chiropractic includes "the adjustment or manipulation, by hand or instrument, of the articulations and adjacent tissue of the human body, particularly the spinal column." That wording reaches the joints and tissue well beyond the back.
MedlinePlus names injury and overuse as the main causes of tendonitis, with sports a common source. It also lists aging and systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. For a desk worker along DTC Parkway or a weekend player at DeKoevend Park, the exam looks for the repeated motion that keeps irritating the tendon.
When overuse caused the problem, MedlinePlus notes that changing work habits may be needed to keep it from returning. So a plan here pairs hands-on care with practical changes to how you work and train.
What Happens at a Tendonitis Visit in Centennial?
A tendonitis visit at our Centennial office starts with an exam, and treatment begins only when the findings support it. You can find us in Peakview Center at 6500 S Quebec St, Suite 250.
- History. We ask when the pain started, what makes it worse, what your job and sports involve and which health conditions you have.
- Hands-on exam. Dr. Butler checks the sore tendon, how the nearby joints move and which motions bring on the pain. Tendonitis is diagnosed with a physical exam, sometimes with an X-ray, ultrasound or MRI.
- Your findings. You learn what the exam found before treatment starts.
- Your plan. You learn which treatments fit, what to change at work or in training and how progress will be checked.
Same-day appointments and walk-ins mean a flare-up does not have to wait a week for that exam.
Common Tendon Problems a Centennial Chiropractor Treats
The tendon problems a Centennial chiropractor treats most often sit at the elbow, shoulder, wrist, heel and knee. Our shockwave page lists tennis elbow, rotator cuff issues, Achilles tendon problems and chronic tendon injuries, and our Class IV laser page lists tendonitis.
| Tendon area | Often called | Activities that commonly load it | Care options at Butler Family Health Center |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outer elbow | Tennis elbow | Gripping, racquet sports, mouse work | Hands-on care, Class IV laser, shockwave |
| Shoulder | Rotator cuff tendonitis | Overhead reaching, throwing, lifting | Rotator cuff and shoulder care, laser, shockwave |
| Wrist and forearm | Wrist tendonitis | Keyboard work, lifting, gripping a club | Adjustments, laser, shockwave |
| Back of the heel | Achilles tendonitis | Running, hill walking, jumping | Laser, shockwave |
| Front of the knee | Jumper's knee | Jumping, running, stairs | Knee pain care, laser |
Picture an analyst on DTC Parkway, a golfer at Cherry Hills Country Club and a runner on Willow Creek Trail or Big Dry Creek Trail training for the Cherry Creek Sneak (the 5-mile race held the last Sunday in April, except Easter). Each one strains a different tendon, so the plan follows the activity.
When to See a Chiropractor for Tendonitis and When to See a Medical Doctor First
You can see a chiropractor for tendonitis with most symptoms, but a few need a medical doctor first. Typical tendonitis brings pain at and around the tendon, stiff joints, a cracking or popping feeling with movement and sometimes swelling. MedlinePlus adds pain at night or with movement, and morning stiffness.
Cleveland Clinic advises seeing a healthcare provider for any of these:
- A fever over 100 degrees F (38 C)
- Swelling with redness and warmth
- General illness
- Pain in several places at once
- Being unable to move the affected area
Say a student athlete in the Cherry Creek School District or Littleton Public Schools cannot move a joint after practice. Or a walker on Englewood's South Platte River trail system develops a hot, red, swollen tendon with a fever. Get a medical evaluation first in either case. Once that is cleared, call us to plan the rest of the recovery.
Is Long-Lasting Tendon Pain Still Tendonitis?
Long-lasting tendon pain is often still called tendonitis, but it can involve more than inflammation. Cleveland Clinic explains that chronic tendonitis can cause a constant dull pain with movement. MedlinePlus notes that tendonitis often comes with tendon degeneration, called tendinosis. A tendon that has hurt for months may need a longer plan than a fresh flare-up.
How Long Tendonitis Takes to Settle With Chiropractic Care
Tendonitis can take two to three weeks to heal once treatment begins, and a severe case can take a few months, according to Cleveland Clinic. Your own timeline depends on your exam, how long the tendon has hurt and how much load it keeps taking. Cleveland Clinic also advises avoiding activities that cause symptoms while the tendon recovers.
Evidence on chiropractic care for tendon pain is limited, so no one can promise a set result. One published example is a 2014 case report in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. A 48-year-old man with about two years of outer elbow pain received active release technique, a hands-on soft tissue method, five times over about two and a half weeks. His pain fell from 7 out of 10 at the start to 1 out of 10 when the movement was provoked at the fifth visit. The authors note that one case cannot separate the treatment from natural recovery and may not apply to others.
That is why we track progress at each visit. A Southglenn parent with a shoulder sore from lifting kids and a Castlewood homeowner whose elbow flared after yard work each get a plan adjusted to how the tendon responds.
Shockwave and Class IV Laser for Stubborn Tendon Pain
Shockwave and Class IV laser therapy give Butler Family Health Center two in-office options for tendon pain that has not settled with hands-on care alone. Our shockwave therapy creates small micro-injuries in the tissue that trigger a healing response. For the Remy Class IV laser, most treatments take no more than ten minutes, and typically no fewer than six sessions are recommended for long-term effects.
Neither one is a quick fix, and results differ from person to person. Dr. Butler decides after the exam whether either suits your tendon. A cyclist on the Cherry Creek bike path with a sore Achilles or a regular at Belleview Park in Englewood with a nagging elbow may be a candidate. A tendon that is calming down quickly may never need either.
Why Centennial Patients Book Tendonitis Care With Butler Family Health Center
Butler Family Health Center is a practical first call for tendonitis in Centennial because the exam, the hands-on care and the laser and shockwave therapies all happen in one office. Dr. Chris Butler treats patients from newborns to seniors, with same-day appointments and walk-ins. Patients rate the practice 4.9 stars on Google across more than 70 reviews and often mention that he listens and never rushes. Max M. wrote that "the Shockwave therapy has been really helpful for my wrists!" We also see patients from Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, Englewood and Littleton.
- If a tendon has hurt for more than a few days and you have none of the red flags above, then book an exam with Dr. Butler.
- If your wrist or elbow aches after long days at a keyboard, then book a visit so the plan covers treatment and your workstation.
- If a running, golf or tennis tendon keeps flaring, then ask about Class IV laser or shockwave at your exam.
- If you have a fever, hot red swelling or cannot move the area, then see a medical doctor first and call us once it is cleared.
Will Insurance or Medicare Pay for Tendonitis Care in Centennial?
Insurance often pays for chiropractic care for tendonitis in Centennial, depending on your plan and what the exam finds. Butler Family Health Center is a preferred provider for Anthem, Blue Cross, Aetna, Cofinity, Humana, Cigna, United Healthcare and others, and accepts auto accident, personal injury and workers' compensation cases. Cash plans help patients without insurance or with high deductibles.
Medicare is narrower. CMS limits chiropractic coverage to manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation, and maintenance care is not covered.
The Bottom Line
It is appropriate to see a chiropractor for tendonitis in most cases. First rule out fever, hot red swelling, pain in several places or a joint you cannot move, which need a medical doctor. After that, a careful exam, hands-on care, laser or shockwave when they fit and changes to how you work and train give a sore tendon its best chance to settle. To see a chiropractor in Centennial this week, call or text Butler Family Health Center at (303) 741-2444 or walk in.