More remedies

Walk bowlegged. Okay, maybe you don't have to go that far. But for Achilles tendinitis, wearing cowboy boots or high heels some of the time is a fine idea, according to Dr. Percy. "It lifts the heel off the ground," he says, "and the muscles and tendons don't have to work as hard."

Go over-the-counter. Aspirin and other nonprescription, nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs are effective temporary pain relievers for tendinitis, Dr. Percy says. They also reduce inflammation and swelling.

Strengthen. "When we say strengthen, we're not asking people to be an Arnold Schwarzenegger," Mangine says, "just to get better defined muscles by working out at home with light weights. You can even use pennies in a sock to work arm muscles." And that's a lot cheaper than a set of weights.

Take breaks. This is a simple way to at least temporarily relieve physical stress at work, says Scott Donkin, D.C., a chiropractor in Lincoln, Nebraska, and author of Sitting on the Job. "If you work in an awkward position," he says, "tendinitis can develop quite easily. Especially in the arms or wrists if you're working at a keyboard or typewriter all day.''