Nowadays we perform more and more repetitive movements: from playing tennis or golf, prolonged computer work with a mouse to staring for hours at a smartphone or tablet. It is not surprising that this can cause complaints in the arms, head, neck and shoulders. Eight common complaints at a glance.
1. Tennis and golf elbow
If you think that only a tennis player gets tennis elbow, you are wrong. Tennis elbow is caused by overload on the outside of your elbow. Think of repetitive movements when working a lot at the computer or sudden heavy strain on your muscles when playing tennis without warming up. This overload causes small tears in the tendons that attach your muscles to your elbow.
Symptoms:
A painful feeling radiating from your elbow to your wrist and/or hand Painful sensation when you shake hands with someone Loss of strength in your forearms A nagging feeling when you move your hand upwards
Golf arm
A golfer’s elbow is similar to a tennis elbow, but the cause is overload on the inside of your elbow. The pain radiates from the inside of your elbow to the forearms and wrist.
To heal tennis or golfer’s elbow, it is important that you avoid the movements that cause the complaints. You should also get enough rest. If the pain is too bad, consider taking painkillers. The time it takes for a tennis or golfer’s elbow to heal varies from a month to a year.
2. Carpal tunnel syndrome
The carpal tunnel is located on the inside of the wrist and is a passageway for nerves and tendons that run from the forearm to the hand. If swelling occurs in the carpal tunnel, for example due to typing too much or working with a jackhammer, your median nerve quickly becomes pinched. This causes certain complaints. You then speak of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Symptoms:
pain, tingling, numbness in your thumb, fingers and/or loss of palm strength in your hands
You can relieve the complaints by moving your hands intermittently without putting too much strain on them. Another option is to wear a splint to spare the wrist.
3. Rotator cuff letsel
The rotator cuff is the name for the muscle belt that consists of four muscles around your shoulders. If a tear occurs here and you have complaints, this is called a rotator cuff injury. The cause of the injury may be chronic irritation that occurs, for example, if you have poor posture at the desk. But acute trauma, such as a fall, can also cause injury.
Symptoms:
pain in upper arm, loss of strength, pain when you lie on your shoulder
To heal rotator cuff injuries, it is important to rest a lot and take pain medication when necessary. If the tear is too large, surgery is a good option.
4. Subacromiaal impingementsyndroom
Subacromial impingement syndrome is a collective name for a bursa disorder and/or tendon disorder around the shoulder joint. A tendon and/or bursa is wedged against the top of the shoulder.
You get it by working above your head for a long time, for example when you are wallpapering or when you fall on your arm or shoulder. You especially have pain when lifting your arm sideways and when you lie on your shoulder. To cure your subacromial impingement syndrome, use anti-inflammatory painkillers and/or physiotherapy.
Symptoms:
pain due to inflammation of the bursa and the tendons of the shoulder swelling, compression of the soft tissues between the hard bones of the shoulder joint
5. Bursitis
Bursitis is, as the name suggests, an inflammation of the bursa. You get it due to structural overload or acute trauma. Bursitis is possible on your heel, knee, elbow, shoulder or hip.
Symptoms:
swellingpainlimited movement
Rest is necessary to heal bursitis. You can also ask the treating doctor for anti-inflammatories or possibly an injection.
6. Tendon sheath inflammation
A tendon sheath inflammation is an inflammation of the membrane that covers your tendon. You get it if you make unusual movements for a long time, for example if you work a lot with a mouse, if you strain a muscle or if you have an infection.
Symptoms:
pain and swelling of the inflamed tendon, a warm feeling near the inflamed tendon
An inflamed tendon heals with rest and possibly a splint.
7. Hand-arm vibration syndrome
Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is a syndrome in which you have pain in your fingers, hands and arms. You get it if you work a lot with vibrating equipment in construction, for example.
Symptoms:
pain or numbness in your fingers, little blood flow to your fingers
You will cure the syndrome if you get enough rest and stop using the vibrating machines. The drug nifedipine can also help.
8. Smartphone-nek (of ‘technek’)
Do you often look at your phone or tablet? Then you may suffer from the so-called smartphone neck, also known as ‘tech neck’. That is the popular name for complaints to your head, neck and shoulders due to smartphone and tablet use. You get it if you often use your smartphone or tablet for a long time, often sitting in an unnatural position. For example, with a bowed head or a crooked back.
Symptoms:
back, neck and/or shoulder pain, fatigue, stiff muscles (especially a stiff neck), tension headaches
You can get rid of your (beginning) smartphone neck by adopting a different position while using your smartphone or tablet. Teach yourself to sit upright and hold your smartphone or tablet in front of you, at eye level, so that you don’t have to bend your neck or back. It also helps to take breaks in between.
Bron: Plusonline.nl
2023-09-10 07:43:00
#Pain #due #repetitive #movements #magazine
