Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body by Choice Physical Therapy
YOUR RESOURCE TO MOVING WELL AND LIVING LIFE
PT SOLUTIONS FOR SHOULDER, ELBOW AND WRIST PAIN
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PT SOLUTIONS FOR SHOULDER, ELBOW AND WRIST PAIN
Are you experiencing pain and weakness in your arm? Is it difficult to lift and hold things you use in your daily routine? You could be suffering from tendon dysfunction or even arthritis in your joints. Whether your pain results from an injury or repetitive stress, it’s often the result of underlying trauma or inflammation of the tendons, cartilage, or nerves in the arm. Your pain can be so severe that doing normal activities of daily living seems impossible. While the pain may feel serious, it’s entirely curable. Call our clinic today, call to make an appointment. With guidance from your physical therapist, you can find solutions to your pain and get back to living the life you enjoy! WHAT IS CAUSING THE PAIN? Limited shoulder movement due to pain, stiffness, or weakness can affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities (eating, dressing, personal hygiene) and work responsibilities. Factors such as heavy lifting, repetitive movements (especially in awkward positions), and vibrations influence the severity of symptoms and disability. The most common causes of shoulder
pain and disability are: • Rotator cuff disorders • Joint disorders • Arthritis and bone spurs • Referred neck pain • Bursitis and tendinitis
• Arthritis • Wrist tendonitis • Repetitive motion syndrome
Shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain are often the result of workplace injury and repetitive stress injuries. While it is sometimes possible to take action to prevent an injury from developing, it is crucial to be able to recognize when an injury develops and to get help. Find your physical therapist so he/she can identify what may have caused the pain to create and what you can do to resolve it.
Overuse injuries often cause elbow pain. Many sports, hobbies, and jobs require repetitive movements leading to overuse. The leading causes of elbow pain and dysfunction are: • Tennis and Golfer’s elbow (i.e., tendinitis) • Ligament sprains • Arthritis • Broken and/or dislocated elbow Wrist pain is most common in groups participating in physically demanding activities like manual laborers and jobs that require computer use or repetitive movements. The leading causes of wrist pain are: • Carpal tunnel syndrome
Continued Inside
INSIDE: • What Do My Symptoms Mean? • Exercises To Do Indoors • Exercise Essentials • Seasonal Recipe
MAKE THAT INJURY A THING OF THE PAST
WHAT DO MY SYMPTOMS MEAN? Aching or stiffness around the front or the side of the shoulder is often due to a tendon/rotator cuff injury. In comparison, pain in the back of the shoulder is likely coming from the joint itself. Although some think the top part or shoulder blade is the “shoulder,” they refer to muscles and/or the neck and not the shoulder itself. Clarifying the location of your pain will help your physical therapist figure out the source of your pain and the appropriate plan to resolve it. The inner and outer aspect of the elbow is commonly thought to be where most people experience tendon or ligament injuries. Typically, the pain will be sharp at the junction of the tendon and bone but may also move toward the forearm when the injury is tendon-related or caused by inflammation. A decreased range of motion is often associated with arthritis. Still, weakness or clumsiness when gripping or holding onto things can be signs of deeper problems. It may indicate a more severe condition: the more dysfunction and disability, the more your conditions warrant seeking help sooner than later. Ignoring your pain or waiting too long to be seen can make the problem worse and eliminate simple solutions. PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR SHOULDER, ELBOW AND WRIST PAIN Physical therapy treatments for shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain include manual therapy, joint mobilization manipulation, exercise
instruction, education, and techniques like KT taping and joint splinting. These have all been proven to help alleviate pain and restore function. Physical therapists assess your particular condition to identify the contributing factors and address all of them. Your therapist is skilled at hands-on intervention and exercise selection for the most comprehensive and appropriate intervention to help you resolve your pain and/or restore your function. Interventions such as education, manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, nerve and tendon glide techniques are widely used for effective results! CONTACT OUR CLINIC TODAY Addressing the pain early on is the best way to prevent an issue from becoming more debilitating. Physical therapy is the ideal tool for providing you with an opportunity to understand what may be causing your pain and help you mobilize and strengthen the surrounding muscles to alleviate the pain associated with your injury. Contact your physical therapist today for support with learning how to manage the pain and learn exercises and techniques that can help you overcome the injury and restore proper strength and functionality to your shoulders, elbows, and wrists.
EXERCISE ESSENTIALS
TRY THIS EXERCISE TO STRETCH YOUR WRIST
WRIST FLEXOR STRETCH (SUPINATION) Hold your arm out straight, with your wrist extended. Use the other hand to pull wrist further, feeling for a stretch. Hold for 5-10 seconds, keeping your elbow straight.. Helps relieve wrist pain
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EXERCISES TO DO INDOORS
4. Squats Squatting helps strengthen your lower body. This exercise specifically targets your glutes and quadriceps, though your hips, core, calves,
Now that the weather is cooling down, is it feeling harder and harder to get outside and exercise? Do you find yourself staying in bed longer, cozying up under the blankets instead of working out? This is a common struggle, but don’t let winter prevent you from getting active! There are many exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home to maintain your fitness levels. In fact, here’s a list of 5 exercises that can be done indoors so that you can stay fit this winter! 1. Yoga Did you know that there are over 100 types of yoga? That’s right! There’s truly no shortage of ways to participate in this healthy activity. Most yoga sessions include breathing exercises, meditation, and poses that stretch and flex various muscle groups. Not only does yoga improve your flexibility and muscle tone, it has also been shown to help with your mental health! 2. Push-ups Traditional pushups can help you develop upper-body strength. This exercise targets the triceps, pectorals, and shoulders. They can also strengthen the lower back and core by engaging the abdominal muscles. The best part about this exercise is that it doesn’t require any equipment! 3. Planks Performing both side and front-facing planks has many benefits, including strengthening our cores. Practicing planks on a regular basis has been shown to improve posture, flexibility, balance, and coordination.
and hamstrings all benefit from this movement. 5. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
Do you not have a lot of spare time in your day? If so, HIIT is perfect for you! During a HIIT workout, you work out hard and fast for a short period of time, then rest. HIIT is also great for burning a lot of calories in a short period and raising your metabolic rate. Examples of exercises you may do as a part of HIIT include jumping jacks or lunges.
SEASONAL RECIPE
VALENTINE’S WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE
• 1 tbsp white chocolate chips • 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla greek yogurt • 3/4 cup frozen raspberries • 1 cup almond milk/milk of choice • 1/2 cup ice • Fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)
In a small microwave safe bowl, heat white chocolate chips about 30 seconds and stir until smooth and melted through. Set aside to cool slightly. Add all ingredients, including melted chocolate, to a blender (or bullet, food processor, etc). Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and top with fresh berries. Enjoy!
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