Archive for elbow pain
So, you’ve never played tennis in your life, but you’ve come down with a seriously painful case of “tennis elbow.” How in the world did that happen? As your Chiropractor, I want you to know that the condition is actually “epicondylits,” or more specifically “lateral epicondyle,” the medical term for the painful irritation of the tendons of one or more forearm muscles where they attach to the bony projection near the lateral epicondyleis (elbow joint). But, let’s face it, “tennis elbow” is much easier to say and far easier to remember! And, as you’ve probably surmised, this painful challenge is not just produced by playing tennis. In fact, any activity that requires repetitive gripping of something can produce pain in the elbow; for example activities like knitting, chopping food, and computer use. Additionally, toting heavy bags improperly or using bad posture while performing any of the aforementioned activities puts excessive stress on the elbow.
But, your elbow pain may not actually have anything to do with your elbow, itself, just as it has nothing to do with whether or not you play tennis. How can that be the case? Sometimes elbow pain can be the result of a problem farther up the arm or even in the neck. A vertebral subluxation or a disc protrusion in the neck commonly will affect the nerves that give function to the forearm muscles and cause them to become irritated. The irritation in most cases causes the muscles to tighten and this tension causes undue pressure on the tendon attachment(s). In this case, elbow problems are the result as opposed to the cause of your elbow pain.
Epicondylitis, like nearly all muscoloskeletal problems, usually doesn’t go away on its own. On the contrary, due to the fact that the body is so successful at compensating for dysfunctions, if the challenge is left untreated, difficulties such as additional subluxations and an increase in degenerative changes that cause arthritis can occur.
When analyzing and treating musculoskeletal dysfunctions are required, including those that produce elbow pain, s chiropractor is an expert. As your Chiropractor, I will be able to uncover the actual cause of your challenge and treat it at its source.
So, you don’t need to suffer with “tennis elbow” whether you actually play tennis or not. Not only will chiropractic treatment be able to eliminate your elbow pain now, but I will advise you on how you can avoid pain in the future no matter what your activities may include. Call our Chiropractic office today!
Are Your Becoming "Irritated" by Excessive Cell Phone Use?
Posted by: | CommentsWe all know how “irritating” it can be when someone is talking loudly on a cell phone (as long as that person isn’t us!). Honestly, doesn’t it seem as if you can’t even take a quiet walk along the beach or in the park without someone walking by shouting into their cell phone? You could say, in fact, that nowadays the excessive use of cell phones has become a pain in our psyche. Well, the detrimental effects of excessive cell phone use apparently doesn’t stop with “pain in the brain.” A new report outlines the prevalence of “cell phone elbow,” an affliction in which users experience pain and numbness in their elbow due to extensive cell phone use. The idea is similar carpal tunnel syndrome, and the effect on the muscles and tendons concerned is essentially the same except a different nerve is pinched. Instead of being located in the wrist, cell phone elbow (”cubital tunnel syndrome”) cell phone elbow originates in the elbow region and results in pain or numbness in forearms, as well as tingling in pinkie and ring fingers. According to a study from the Cleveland Clinic, doctors are seeing more and more individuals experiencing these symptoms.
What exactly produces the problem? Holding a cell phone to the ear causes the elbow to bend, thereby stretching the nerve between muscles and tendons. When the arm is bent for long periods of time, the nerve gets inflamed. “Repetitive, sustained stretching of the nerve is like stepping on a garden hose,” said Dr. Peter J. Evans, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Hand and Upper Extremity Center. “With the hose, you’re blocking the flow of water. With the elbow, you’re blocking the blood flow to the nerve, which causes it to misfire and short circuit.” The first symptom of cell phone elbow is usually pain just below the elbow in the forearm. This is usually followed by the sensation of pins and needles in the pinkie and ring finger. In the most severe case those fingers can curl up and become difficult to use.
The good news is that the condition is easily preventable and treatable. Users are simply encouraged to avoid holding their phone in one position for too long in order to reduce the amount of strain on the affected muscles. For those who are already feeling strain, it is advisable to do simple stretches in order to help prevent some of the damage.
And, of course, a quiet walk in the park or along the beach with your cell phone turned off or, better yet, left behind, would not only go along way in reducing cell phone elbow, but it might do a lot to improve the health of your psyche as well!
This study was published in the May issue of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.
Camarillo Chiropractor Discusses Elbow Pain
Posted by: | Comments“Tennis Elbow” is the familiar name given to pain emanating from the outside or lateral side of the elbow. This problem stems from an irritation or inflammation of the tendons of one or more forearm muscles at their attachment to the bony protuberance near the elbow joint, known as the lateral epicondyle. The medical term for this problem is lateral epicondylitis, signifying an inflammation of the epicondyle. When the inflammation takes place on the inside, or medial side, of the elbow, the condition is often called “Golfer’s Elbow” or medical epicondylitis. Golfer’s Elbow, though, is not as prevalent as Tennis Elbow.
Tennis and golf are not the only activities that are capable of causing epicondylitis. Any activity that necessitates repetitive gripping of objects can result in the affliction. Many people develop “tennis” or “golfer’s” elbow from other activities like prolonged carrying of heavy bags, knitting, chopping food, and/or computer work using unsuitable wrist and arm posture. With sports, the problem arises when a person, who is new to a specific game, uses an improper technique, experiments with new rackets or clubs, or adds to the intensity or duration of exercise without effective preparation.
Epicondylitis can sometimes originate farther up the arm or even in the neck. If someone has a disc problem or spinal subluxation, the nerves that control the forearm muscles may become inflamed making the muscles tense and placing heightened strain on the tendon attachment(s). This makes for a predisposition to elbow pain whatever the exacerbating cause. Complications such as further subluxations and arthritis can occur if the condition is not treated. Assessment and adjustments by a qualified chiropractor, such as your Camarillo can correct the condition and assisting in avoiding future complications.
Appropriate treatment is essential because epicondylitis seldom, if ever, resolves on its own. A qualified professional such as a chiropractor can determine the exact cause of the problem and initiate the proper care and treatment. In Camarillo this might include modalities such as ultrasound, electro-therapy, massage, hot and cold therapies, bracing, and home stretching and exercises. chiropractic treatment has proved, time and time again, to be extraordinarily successful in the overall management of this affliction.
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