Shoulder Pain In thrower athletes i.e pitchers , catchers has been a common problem.If symptoms are misdiagnosed or left unchecked can result in more severe pathology and disability potentially ending the career or loss of occupation. 

Most of these symptoms originate from minor trauma or cumulative stresses especially in younger athletes eventually leading to proximal instability at scapular region. Sometimes more serious injuries like SLAP tear are the underlying causes. 

Through evaluation by a therapist or doctor is required in order to establish proper diagnoses. Frequently symptoms are present away from the actual site of pathology leading to improper diagnoses. For example patient might c/o pain at the anterior aspect of shoulder , Lateral arm pain etc. 

Some of the symptoms which may require immediate attention :

1. Feeling of severe fatigue in arm sometimes explained by patients as " Dead Arm".

2. Affected arm is significantly lower than the non affected arm.

3. Pain in scapular region especially raised medial and lower part of scapula.

4. Clicking sensation at shoulder sometimes palpable hyper-mobility of joint causing stress on surrounding structures. 

Precautions to be followed in order to prevent these injuries:

1. Following proper bio-mechanics while throwing

2. Do not attempt to throw if in pain or fatigued as it might lead to undue stress or start to cause wear and tear at shoulder muscles and surrounding structures.

Please follow up with Rehab. professional ASAP who can identify the true nature/ cause of pathology because if remains unchecked patient might have to undergo surgery.

Proper interventions might include scapula specific stability exs, taping to support / rest hyper-mobile structures, rest, closely monitored strengthening program. 

We always get patients in the clinic who c/o finger getting stuck in bent position and when patient pushes hard it snaps into extension as if trigger is released.  In worst cases finger gets stuck in bent position and patient has to use the other hand to extend the finger back. 

Often times it starts without pain and slowly gets very painful. Especially, when patients think that this is due to weakness in hand and they either buy some kind of gadget to improve grip strength which often backfires heavy gripping worsens the symptoms. 

Mostly these patients respond very well to steroid injections at the A-1 pulley region. In long standing cases where finger develops tightness in flexion, patients might benefit from Trigger finger release. 

Hand therapy helps in regaining range of motion in the affected finger or thumb after surgery. Splinting/ heat/ massage/ultrasound therapy/ tendon gliding exs/  activity modification could also help in resolving symptoms without surgery in mild cases. 

Wrist pain can develop in pregancy along with c/o numbness and tingling in hands especially at night. This happens due to hormonal changes and retention of fluids causing compression in tunnel around wrist and is usually resolved after preganancy.

We have treated expecting mothers with conservative treatment once symptoms become unbearable or very painful to the point where sleep and daily function is affected. We use customized splinting, special exs and activites to minimize discomfort and pain making the pregnany more plesant and less stressful on body.

On the other hand mothers who are breast-feeding have to hold the baby in certain position using their wrist and forearm. Sooner or later in some cases mothers develop inflammation of tendons of wrist, thumb and or elbow causing severe pain and discomofrt while feeding the baby.

We treat these mothers for pain relief, reducing tenderness, modification and adaptation in position of baby while feeling, home exercises etc.

 

In an age dominated by computers, wrist pain is an increasingly common complaint. There can be many sources of wrist pain, ranging from sudden onset (a fracture after a fall or trauma) to repetitive stress leading to arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome.

If your pain has been going on for a long time, diagnosing the exact cause is something your physical therapist can help you with.  The RIGHT diagnosis can help you get the proper treatment.

Symptoms can differ, depending on the cause. For example, osteoarthritis pain is usually described as "dull pain", almost like a toothache. Tendinitis may be a “sharp or stabbing” pain. If you have any tingling, or “pins-and-needles” type of sensation, it may be related to nerve pain, which is often present with carpal tunnel syndrome. The exact location and type of wrist pain will help your doctor and physical therapist reach a conclusive diagnosis. This will allow them to design a treatment plan to help you on the road to recovery. 

 

Thumb pain can be very disabling especially in the dominat hand as one can't hold things like pen, pencil, coffee cup etc making life miserable. There could be jus the pain in thumb region or it can also be associated with numbness and tingling sensation which indicates towards nerve involvment.

Causes of thumb pain:

There could be many causes of thumb pain but the most common are as follows

1. Pain at the base of thumb with or without grinding sensation is due to arthritis at the joint which is at the base of thumb. It is a very common condition and it could be very disabling and in some cases patients do need to get the surgery to relieve symptoms.

2. Pain on the back of thumb especially with movment is caused by the swelling/ inflammation of tendons crossing the wrist and can be very disabling and somehow is more prominant in women with 3:1 ratio.

3. often thumb pain is also associated with numbness and tingling in thumb and adjacent fingers which could be due to compression of median nerve at wrist resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome. This condition is very common with in pregnancy as hormonal changes and fluid retention causes pressure in the wrist compressing the nerve resulting in pain.

4. There can be clicking in the thumb associated with feeling of thumb getting stuck ( trigger thumb). Early onset can be treated with splinting and physical modalities along with cortisone injection. In some cases patient might have to go for trigger thumb release.

Most of these conditions needs to be evaluated by a skilled therapist who can differentiate b/w kind of pains, evaluate the structures involved and design a proper treatment plan which could prevent the need for surgery.

Feel free to ask me any questions through email or phone.

 

¨Many of us have poor posture.

¨This can result in neck pain.                  

¨Pain originating from the neck can, in some cases, cause one of two problems:

-Pain can travel down the nerves of the neck into the arms.

-Pain can travel upwards causing headaches.

 

¨Most computer users round their shoulders and hold their head too far forward.

¨This results in aches and pains following long browsing / work sessions.

¨Spending too much time in one position, particularly the 'rounded, hunched forward' position can leave you fatigued, achy and rubbing your temples at
the end of the day.

 

 

Exercise therapy is a proven solution for headaches that stem from the neck. 

After an evaluation, we prescribe stretches and exercises to get you back to full functional levels. In some cases, medication may be necessary to help manage
the pain. In most cases of neck pain and associated headaches, therapy can help reduce your pain.There is a potential to decrease or eliminate the need for pain medication.

Pain relieving modalities, soft tissue moblization, heat & cold therapy, special exercises of neck and surrounding region all prescribed by a specialist dealing with these problem could resulve your problem in a short time.

 

If you are experiencing neck pain and headaches due to bad posture habits, try these simple tips:

nIf you hold the phone under one ear for too long or carry a heavy bag on one shoulder for a long time, TAKE BREAKS to eliminate the pain and switch sides at regular intervals of 10-15 minutes.

If you sit at a computer for a long time, get up and walk around frequently or, at least, change your head position. Keep your head and neck upright as much as possible by conducting regular, postural 'self checks'.

If you have been injured in an accident or are suffering from an injury, avoid hurting yourself further.

 

Call us today at 7086878768 , if you have any questions or comments.

 

 

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