Elbow, Wrist & Hand Pain
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Revolutionize Your Life - Eliminate Elbow, Wrist, & Hand Pain!
Your elbows, wrists, and hands are working non-stop all day, and you only truly notice them when they start to hurt. Think about your morning routine: waking up, brushing your teeth, showering, dressing, preparing breakfast, and heading to work. Even before your workday starts, you've used these joints hundreds of times!
Suffering from pain because of an injury, illness, or another condition can really affect how you enjoy life. Thankfully, relief and possibly complete healing are possible when you get help from a qualified Seattle, WA physical therapist at Kaizen Physical Therapy.
Why do my elbow, wrist, and hand hurt?
Listed below are a few of the most common conditions that may be the culprit for the pain you are feeling in your elbow, wrist or hand:
Strains/Sprains:
Elbow, wrist, or hand strains and sprains lead to discomfort. Strains are muscle or tendon damages, and sprains affect ligaments that link bones together. They often happen when these tissues are overstretched suddenly, like falling onto an extended arm or lifting a heavy object.
Elbow Bursitis:
The bursa is a protective fluid sac at the elbow's tip, cushioning the ulna bone. Injury or frequent movement can squeeze it, causing pain and swelling, often in athletes and students.
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Arthritis:
Arthritis, affecting around 53 million in the US, is the country's top cause of disability, says the Arthritis Foundation. Often due to overuse or injury, it damages joint cartilage, especially in elbows, wrists, and hands. Physical therapy aids in enhancing joint movement, lowering swelling, and strengthening muscles for better support.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome:
Cubital tunnel syndrome, a typical nerve compression problem, can cause pain in the elbow, wrist, and hand. Repetitive stress on the "funny bone" or ulnar nerve, located in the elbow, leads to this condition. It results in pain, numbness, and a tingling sensation that mainly affects the ring and pinky fingers.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS):
About 5% of Americans suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome, per the American Physical Therapy Association. The carpal tunnel safeguards the median nerve and finger-bending tendons in your wrist. If the tunnel narrows, it can squeeze the nerve, causing symptoms like numbness in the thumb, index, and middle fingers. Wrist pain, hand swelling, and finger swelling may also occur. Causes of CTS include injuries or repetitive tasks like assembly-line work, extensive typing, or operating heavy machinery.
Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow:
Tennis elbow causes pain on the elbow's outer side, while golfer's elbow causes pain on the inner side. These injuries come from repeating the same actions and are not limited to the respective sports. Physical therapy is the most effective treatment, as it fixes joint and soft tissue issues causing tendon strain and swiftly eases inflammation.
Are you dealing with symptoms from the mentioned conditions or have ongoing pain that persists? Get in touch with Stride Physical Therapy in Freehold, NJ now to set up an appointment.
Experience Discomfort? Identify the Telltale Signs of Elbow, Wrist, & Hand Pain:
Elbow, wrist, or hand pain can come from an injury and usually lasts a short time. However, if the pain persists, it might be a sign of illness or other issues. Pain can range from mild to intense and may not be constant, appearing off and on during the day.
You might also feel numbness or a pins-and-needles sensation in your hands, making it hard to do your usual activities or work, depending on how severe your condition is.
Wave Goodbye to Elbow, Wrist, and Hand Pain:
Experiencing pain in your elbow, wrist, or hand? At Stride Physical Therapy, we offer cutting-edge treatments to alleviate your discomfort, improve your flexibility, and return you to your daily activities. Our physical therapy often negates the necessity for pain medication or surgery, even for conditions like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that can damage nerves.
Our expert physical therapists will design a tailored treatment program just for you, targeting your unique health needs. Your plan could involve various special treatments like hands-on therapy, techniques to lessen pain and swelling, and targeted exercises to regain strength and movement without discomfort.
Suffering from elbow, wrist, or hand pain? Improve your life quality with Stride Physical Therapy in Freehold, NJ. Contact us for an appointment and consult with our expert team today!
We will be happy to get you back to living the healthy and physically active life you deserve!
Health Blog
A Physical Therapist’s Perspective on Chronic Back Pain
At Stride Physical Therapy, we see a lot of chronic low back pain and it’s something we know how to handle. Understanding what causes this pain and how you can prevent it is important to us, so we always make sure our patients and their families are well-informed. Remember, having chronic back pain doesn’t mean you have to accept it as a normal part of getting older. You can still experience less pain and enjoy improved mobility, regardless of how long your back has been bothering you. Book an appointment with Stride Physical Therapy to get a personalized consultation. Keep reading to uncover five key insights our physical therapy team has learned about chronic back pain.
1. Most People Will Experience Back Pain at Least Once
Research shows that the majority of people (up to 80%) will have at least one episode of back pain in their lifetime. While not everyone will suffer from long-lasting pain, many cases resolve within a few weeks without special medical care. However, underlying issues like inflexibility or poor body mechanics can persist, increasing the likelihood of recurring pain and injury. Consulting with a physical therapist early can help uncover and address these hidden factors, reducing the risk of conditions like muscle strains, joint misalignments, degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, and nerve impingement.
2. Most Risk Factors for Chronic Back Pain Are Preventable
Many back pain risk factors are preventable. This means reducing your risk of chronic pain and alleviating symptoms is largely within your control. Common preventable risk factors include:
Sedentary lifestyle
Excessive weight
Smoking
Poor posture
Physically demanding jobs that require frequent sitting, bending, twisting, heavy lifting, or exposure to vibration
Stress, anxiety, and depression
At Stride Physical Therapy, we take a holistic approach to treatment, addressing both physical and psychological factors to help you achieve long-term relief.
3. Exercise Often Improves Chronic Back Pain
Moving around with chronic back pain can be challenging, but participating in daily movement is crucial for pain management. Exercise keeps muscles and tissues strong, boosts circulation, reduces chronic inflammation, enhances mood, relieves stress, and helps maintain a healthy body weight. Activities like walking, cycling, and specific exercises to improve tissue healing, strength, flexibility, and endurance are proven effective. A physical therapist can help you develop a safe, effective, and enjoyable exercise program tailored to your needs and goals.
4. Surgery and Long-Term Medications Aren’t Always Necessary
Contrary to popular belief, conditions like herniated discs don’t always require surgery. Invasive procedures like spinal fusions are usually not the first option for chronic back pain. Research indicates that only about half of first-time back surgeries alleviate symptoms, and repeat surgeries have even lower success rates. Surgery also carries risks such as prolonged recovery time and post-operative complications.
Physical therapy is recognized as a first-line treatment for chronic back pain, often reducing the dependency on opioid medications. This makes physical therapy a safer, more cost-effective option.
5. Chronic Back Pain Can Improve Even Without Knowing the Exact Cause
Many cases of back pain are "idiopathic," meaning the exact cause is unknown. Imaging studies like MRIs often don’t correlate with a person’s symptoms. A physical therapist is trained to evaluate, diagnose, and treat spinal conditions. Even if the exact cause is unclear, physical therapy can still provide relief by addressing symptoms and contributing factors like poor posture, decreased hip and shoulder range of motion, and weak core muscles.
Ready to Make Chronic Back Pain a Thing of the Past?
If you're ready to reclaim your active life and start living with less pain, contact Stride Physical Therapy today. Our team is dedicated to helping you achieve long-term relief and improved function.
