Although it is not life threatening, forearm tendinitis can restrict your movement and activities for weeks or months because of pain and discomfort. Without treatment, tendinitis will also increase your risk of suffering from a tendon rupture. This is a more serious condition that requires surgical repair to restore function to the tendon.  If tendinitis persists for several months, you can experience tendinosis, which has a negative effect on the tendon and causes abnormal new blood vessel growth.  Long-term complications of tennis elbow can result in recurrence of the injury, rupture of the tendon and failure to heal with either non-surgical or surgical repair due to a nerve entrapment in the forearm.  Long-term complications for chronic golfer’s elbow can lead to chronic pain, limited range of motion and a lasting or fixed contracture (bend) in the elbow. If you suspect that you have tendinitis, make an appointment with your doctor for evaluation and treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment will lead to more successful outcomes for your forearm tendinitis.  To diagnose your forearm tendinitis, your physician will take a thorough health history and perform a full physical assessment. Your physician may order x-rays if you were injured before the pain started. Following diagnosis, your doctor will recommend treatment to reduce your pain and improve your arm movement. Make sure that you follow your physician’s instructions for treating your forearm and ask any questions that you have about the treatment.  Your physician may prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication to help reduce the inflammation in your forearm, reduce pain, and improve arm function. You may need to wear a brace to support the area and reduce any stress on the muscles and tendons. This brace may immobilize the area or just provide support, depending upon the severity of your condition. Your doctor may inject corticosteroids around the tendon to reduce inflammation and pain; however, if the condition lasts more than 3 months, repeated injections may weaken the tendon and increase the risk of tendon rupture. Platelet rich plasma therapy treatments involve taking your blood, spinning it to separate the platelets and re-injecting those platelets into the tendon area. Although this treatment is still being researched, it has been beneficial in the treatment of some chronic tendon conditions. Talk to your doctor to find out if this treatment is a good option for you. Your physician may recommend physical therapy in conjunction with other treatments for your tendinitis. In physical therapy, you will learn how to do forearm stretches designed to reduce any tightness in your muscles. Knowing how to reduce this tightness is important because it contributes to the micro-tearing associated with tendonitis.  Occupations and recreational activities that require a lot of gripping, force placed against extensor or flexor muscles or repetitive hand or wrist motions can develop tight muscles that contribute to tendinitis. Your physical therapist may recommend deep friction massage to trigger the release of natural stimulants that may help to heal the tendon. This technique is safe, gentle, and easy to learn from your therapist. In some cases, tendinitis may require emergency medical treatment. Learn what the severe symptoms are so that you will know when to get help right away. Seek immediate medical attention if:  Your elbow is hot and inflamed and you have a fever You can’t bend your elbow Your elbow appears to be deformed You suspect you may have cracked or broken a bone from a specific injury to the area Although you should see your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment of your tendinitis, there are some home remedies that may help to alleviate minor pain from tendinitis. Ask your doctor if these remedies are appropriate for your situation. You may be able to relieve some of your tendinitis pain by:  Resting the inflamed joint and stopping the activity that triggered it Icing the joint with a towel-wrapped ice pack three to four times per day for 10 minutes at a time Using over the counter anti-inflammatory medications, such as naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Motrin)

Summary: Get treated right away. Schedule an appointment with your doctor. Discuss treatment options with your doctor. Ask your doctor about plasma therapy. Find out about physical therapy. Watch for severe symptoms. Support your recovery with home remedies.


Accurately budgeting your start-up is crucial to making your business successful.  Precisely itemizing your start-up expenses makes it easier to communicate with banks and investors.  Also, it helps you to correctly forecast your profitability in the first year of your business, which has tax ramifications.  Finally, your start-up expenses and any debt you incur become part of you financial projections for your business plan.  Start-up expenses may differ from business to business, but include the following categories.  Expenses for structuring your business.  If you have to consult a CPA or lawyer, include those expenses.  Include fees for registering your business with your state and for obtaining your tax identification number with the IRS. Cost of obtaining licenses and permits and for complying with state and federal safety and environmental regulations. Purchase or lease of your business location. Purchase or lease of equipment. Purchase of start-up inventory.  Before you ever make a sale, you will need to purchase materials such as wood, glass, metal and textiles to make your initial pieces of furniture. Advertising and marketing expenses. Wages and benefits for your employees. Whether you've been doing woodworking as a hobby in your home or have worked in a more commercial setting, you probably already own some equipment.  However, if you plan to grow your business by offering new products or getting into a new market, you may need to upgrade your equipment.  Don't waste time and money rigging your already-existing equipment to make new pieces. For example, Tom Dolese of Terra Firma Design in Bellingham, WA states that his investment in a horizontal mortise allowed him to do complicated joinery precisely and efficiently. Choose from a variety of methods for funding your business.  You may have enough in personal savings to invest in your business.  Or, you might have friends, family or other business associates who would be willing to invest in your furniture making store.  You would either make plans to pay back their loan or offer them a share in your company, depending on your business structure.  Finally, you can finance your business with a loan.  The Small Business Administration (SBA) partners with banks and lending institutions to offer loans to help business owners. Other funding sources include a personal line of credit from your bank, peer-to-peer lending sites like Prosper, tapping into your retirement account, using credit cards, getting a home equity loan or using a crowdfunding site like Kickstarter or GoFundMe.
Summary: Forecast your start-up expenses. Plan to acquire high-quality equipment. Find funding sources.