28 October 2020
Upper limb pain may have various causes, ranging from classic pains after injuries, after overload or inflammation. It is known for a long time, that it's better to prevent, than to heal, therefore we want to pay attention to the prevention and proper diagnosis of the causes of pain. We will also advise you on how to recognize these ailments, and we will also indicate which professional groups are most exposed to these injuries. We will also help you find yourself in various names of ailments. Some of the names are very specific and only refer to specific parts of the body, e.g.. elbow pain is defined as a tennis or golfer's elbow.
The most common and usually the first symptom of this ailment is pain on the inside of the elbow, sometimes radiating down to the little finger. It worsens when the wrist is flexed and the forearm is turned. In the beginning, the pain is sporadic when performing the above-mentioned movements, but in advanced states it can still hurt, also in time, when you are not doing anything with your hand.
Cause, similar to a tennis elbow, is playing sports or working, which require specific, repetitive movements. These in turn lead to microtraumas in the medial area of the elbow joint.
Office workers are particularly vulnerable to these ailments, people playing squash, badminton, tennis or golf, as well as dentists and hairdressers. Treatment at the beginning is often conservative. Limb relief and cooling are used, to ease the pain. If the pain symptoms become severe, physiotherapy may be effective.
This is pain on the outside of the elbow, which worsens when you straighten your wrist or fingers. We call it the tennis elbow, because it often affects people who practice this sport, as well as people, who work by repeating the same sequences of hand movements.
Accordingly, it often affects cashiers, manual and office workers. It is the most common source of elbow pain, not being an injury.
The cause of these ailments is an overload of the extensor muscle attachment of the fingers and wrist. The symptoms include severe pain around the outside of the elbow, very often radiating, down to the fingers of the hand. It intensifies e.g.. when forming a hand into a fist, unscrewing the jars, shaking hands in greeting, holding a cup of tea or simply straightening the elbow. Despite the, that it is quite a common condition, there is no single algorithm for managing this disease.
Most of the diseases are non-operative cases (about 90%) and can be cured with visits to a good physical therapist. First, he will conduct a detailed interview, so as to determine the cause of the pain. Then he will apply various techniques of manual therapy, home exercises, will tell you what to change in activities performed every day yes, so that the pains do not come back, and, if necessary, he will direct you to an orthopedist.
Regardless of the source of pain, you should consult your ailments with a doctor or physiotherapist each time.
