THE
APRIL, 2020
NEWSLETTER
SHOULDER, ELBOW, & WRIST PAIN, WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?
Whether you have pain or have been suffering for a long time, seeing a physical therapist at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers can help you return to a more active
and pain-free life. Give us a call today: • MATTOON OFFICE: (217) 235-1245 • SULLIVAN OFFICE: (217) 728-8100
What is Causing the Pain? Think about the tasks that make up the majority of your day-to-day life. It is often said that life in the 21st century is way easier on the body than life during any other time in human history — and it’s true that there is a fair amount of evidence to support this idea. Rather than spending all of your days working in a factory or on a farm, the vast majority of Americans work indoors, often at a computer for a predetermined number of hours week after week. But this new lifestyle isn’t exactly harmless for the body, either. There are plenty of ways in which the common tasks of 21st-century life put the body under a great deal of stress. Sedentary lifestyles frequently contribute to weight gain, which increases your risk for a long list of obesity-related diseases. This puts additional stress on your body, which could result in pain in crucial joints like your shoulders, elbows and yes, even your wrists. But even aside from that, there are a lot of potential issues that your body can face as a result of sedentary behavior in the workplace — including shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain. Shoulder, elbow, and wrist injuries are especially common as a result of workplace injury and overuse. While it is sometimes possible to take action to prevent an injury from developing, it is especially important to be able to recognizewhenan injurydevelopsand tounderstandways thatyoucancombat that injury by identifying what may have caused the pain to develop in the first place. Common issues that can lead to shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain include: • Issues with poor posture • Carpal tunnel syndrome, which can develop from overuse of the wrist and regular, repetitive motions, such as typing • Heavy lifting • Athletic injuries
impossible to actually allow these parts of the body time to rest. Every movement and action requires these body parts — and when the pain develops in both arms, as it often does, treating the pain becomes even more complicated. It is impossible to care for your basic needs without involving your shoulder or wrist, let alone get through a day at the office. This is why so many issues regarding pain in the shoulder, elbows, and wrists typically become chronic. Since it is difficult to allow these body parts time to properly rest, they continue being overused and the pain can actually worsen. Treating Shoulder, Elbow and Wrist Pain. Addressing the pain early on is thebestway topreventan issue frombecomingchronic.Turning to medicationandbraces forpainmanagement isnota long-termsolution and will only push off the inevitable truth — that you need to find a solution for the problem that is causing you pain. Physical therapy is the ideal tool for support in this regard. Working with a physical therapist will provide you with an opportunity to understand what movements may be causing further discomfort, and can help you to strengthen the surrounding muscles while improving range of motion, which together will likely alleviate some of the pain associated with your injury. Don’t assume that pain in your shoulder, elbows, or wrists will go away on itsown. It ismorecommon for thepain toworsen,andcompensating for the pain by overusing the opposite arm can cause further injury to develop. For support with learning how to manage the pain, and to learn exercises and techniques that can help you overcome the injury and restore proper strength and functionality to your shoulders, elbows, and wrists, contact your physical therapist.
• Muscle sprain • Muscle strain • Dislocation or hyperextension of the joints
Getting a Handle on Shoulder, Elbow, and Wrist Pain. One of the biggest concerns regarding pain in the shoulder, elbow, and wrist is that it is difficult to
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