The most common form of tendinopathy is tendinosis – a chronic injury that occurs gradually due to degeneration of the collagen fibres in the tendon. This damage gets repaired imperfectly, resulting in a build-up of scar tissue due to the disrupted tendon structure. On the other hand, tendinitis refers to acute tendon injuries that appear quickly, characterised by inflammation of the tendon. It’s important to distinguish between chronic or acute tendinopathy, as this can affect the choice of treatment. Your doctor should be able to detect this using an ultrasound.