Newsletter About Your Health and Caring for Your Body by Choice Physical Therapy
YOUR RESOURCE TO MOVING WELL AND LIVING LIFE
Also Inside: 4 Tips to Avoid a Winter Slump
WHAT’S CAUSING MY ELBOW AND WRIST PAIN?
www.choiceptny.com
WHAT’S CAUSING MY ELBOW AND WRIST PAIN?
Remember the last time you accidentally slammed your funny bone? That sharp, radiating pain is deeply unpleasant–fortunately, it usually only lasts a few moments. But what happens when that pain lingers? If you’re dealing with pain in your elbow, forearm, or wrist, Choice Physical Therapy is here to help! Wrist and elbow pain can have several potential causes. Three major nerves run through the arm and can become entrapped, leading to numbness, tingling, and pain. You can also injure the muscles, tendons, or ligaments in the elbow and wrist joints, which can cause mobility restrictions and pain in the impacted area. Our team of physical therapists will help you get to the bottom of your elbow pain–and we’ll help you find a way to resolve that pain for good. Call us to schedule an appointment and get started today! A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CAUSES OF WRIST AND ELBOW PAIN When you come in for your appointment, the first thing we’ll do is carefully review your symptoms and run a few simple movement screens to help pinpoint the cause of your pain. Overuse injuries are one of the more common causes of wrist and elbow pain. You’ve probably heard of conditions such as tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow–both are examples of overuse injuries. They stem from repetitive movements or awkward postures that strain the joint’s soft tissue, leading to a gradual onset of symptoms. You can also suffer acute injuries , particularly in the wrist. These injuries happen suddenly rather than over time. Wrist sprains, in which the ligaments in the wrist suffer damage, are among the most common. You can also fracture the bones in your wrist and elbow, which will typically require medical intervention. Nerve disorders are another common source of discomfort in the elbow, forearm, and wrist. They occur when one of the nerves running through the arm becomes entrapped, leading to pain, numbness or tingling, and mobility restrictions. The location of your symptoms can let you know which nerve is affected: • Carpal tunnel syndrome affects the median nerve and can become trapped in a structure in your wrist (the carpal tunnel). You’ll typically experience symptoms in your wrist and hand. • Cubital tunnel syndrome affects the ulnar nerve, which passes through a narrow structure in your elbow (the cubital tunnel). If the nerve becomes entrapped in the cubital tunnel, it can cause symptoms in your elbow and hand. Finally, arthritis can affect your elbows and wrists, leading to pain and restricted range of motion.
WHAT PHYSICAL THERAPY CAN DO TO HELP EASE YOUR WRIST AND ELBOW PAIN Once our therapist has determined the source of your pain, we’ll develop a customized treatment program to help you find relief. The good news is that physical therapy alone can resolve most common sources of wrist and elbow pain. Here are a few of the techniques we might incorporate into your program: • Manual Therapy: Manual therapy techniques help reduce pain and restore mobility restrictions. We might guide the joint through its current range of motion, manipulate your soft tissue, or try other techniques. • Therapeutic Exercises: We’ll create a targeted, progressive exercise program to ease your symptoms. We’ll start with gentle stretches and mobility work, then move on to strengthening exercises to help support and stabilize the impacted joint.
Continued Inside
INSIDE: • Healthy Recipe • 4 Tips to Avoid a Winter Slump • A Closer Look at the Causes of Wrist and Elbow Pain • At-Home Exercise
• • •
WAVE GOODBYE TO YOUR PAIN
• Braces and Splints: Some conditions might benefit from a brace or splint, which temporarily immobilizes the joint as you work on treatment. We’ll let you know if it’s a good choice and help you find the right device to suit your needs. • Injury Prevention: We’ll let you know what you can do to prevent future injuries. We might show you ergonomic adjustments to reduce the impact of repetitive movements, postural corrections to minimize strain on your wrist or elbow, or other strategies.
LET’S GET TO THE ROOT OF YOUR WRIST OR ELBOW PAIN! Pain in the wrist or elbow can seriously impact your quality of life, making it difficult to perform day-to-day movements like brushing your teeth, typing on a computer, or preparing a meal. The team at Choice Physical Therapy will help you get to the bottom of your pain to find lasting relief. Call us to schedule your initial appointment today!
EXERCISE ESSENTIALS
RELIEVE YOUR ELBOW PAIN
ELBOW FLEXION Start seated with your arms by your sides. Place your opposite hand on the upper arm of the arm you want to exercise in order to pin your arm to your side. Slowly bend your elbow upward as far as you can raising your hand upwards. Slowly return to your starting position. Repeat 3 sets of 10 reps.
8 YEARS IN BUSINESS!
4 TIPS TO AVOID A WINTER SLUMP
3) Take care of yourself: Get enough sleep, drink lots of water, eat healthy food and take breaks from work when needed to refresh your mind. Remember that your health is your greatest asset and should be your number one priority at all times. 4) Get a hobby: Now that it’s getting colder, you’re likely spending a lot more time inside. Now is the perfect time to pick up a hobby! You could learn to play an instrument, practice your drawing or painting skills, learn to sew or embroider, or start an indoor herb garden.
Are you feeling a little down this winter? If so, you’re certainly not alone. The winter season is a tough time for many people. The lack of sunlight, cold weather, and shorter days can lead to the winter blues, which causes people to feel tired, lethargic, and less motivated. The winter blues can be triggered by seasonal affective disorder, which causes some people to experience depression during the winter months. The most common symptoms include feeling down or sad, having trouble concentrating, sleeping too much, and gaining weight. Thankfully, there are many ways to reverse your winter slump and beat the winter blues, including: 1) Exercise more: Exercise is one of the best ways to improve your mood. It releases endorphins, which are hormones that create a sense of happiness and euphoria. Exercise also releases serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can help with feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression. If you’re not one to brave the cold weather, know that there are plenty of indoor exercises that can give you a great workout, such as yoga or pilates. 2) Socialize more: Spending time with friends and family lifts your mood and improves your mental health and self-esteem. Feelings of depression thrive when someone feels isolated, so it’s crucial to surround yourself with a healthy and loving support system.
HEALTHY RECIPE
Garlic Parmesan-Stuffed Mushrooms • 15 mushrooms • 1 tbsp canola oil • 2 tbsp garlic, chopped
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped • 1 teaspoon kosher salt • 1 tsp black pepper • fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
• ½ tbsp kosher salt • ½ tbsp black pepper
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened • ¼ cup Italian breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 350° F (180°C). Cut the stems off of each of the mushrooms and finely chop them, setting the mushroom caps aside for later. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Cook the chopped stems with the garlic, salt, and pepper for about six to eight minutes, constantly stirring. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine cooked stems, cream cheese, breadcrumbs, half of the parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper, mixing until evenly combined. Space out the mushroom caps evenly on a baking sheet, upside down. Spoon a generous amount of the cream cheese mixture on top of each mushroom. Top each mushroom with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley, then serve!
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Converter PDF to HTML5