With the changes in schedule summer brings, sometimes it’s difficult to keep up the exercise routines we’ve committed to. With a little bit of creativity, you can stay in shape and entertain your kids at the same time. A bonus: the more flexible and strong each family member is, the less likely they are to be injured in a sporting event.
Morning Family Stretch
Set aside five to ten minutes each morning for the whole family to do some stretching exercises. Stretching helps to get the blood flowing and warms up the muscles for the activities of the day. Make this a daily routine for your family; it is healthful and a quiet bonding experience to help balance the hectic life most kids have.
Kids Make Great Dumbells (and their giggling will keep you going)
Try this Russian Twist: While seated on the floor with your knees bent, hold your child in front of you, engage your core and twist from side to side. Repeat 10 to 20 times. This is a great one for arms and abs.
Squat Press: Stand while holding your child in front of you with your feet hip distance apart, arms extended, but elbows not locked. Slowly lower into a squat like you are sitting in a chair and then slowly stand back up straight. Be sure to keep your knees in line with your ankles. Repeat this 10 to 15 times. Great for the arms and lower body.
Throw a Dance Party
Push the furniture out of the way, round up your family’s favorite tunes, and crank up the speakers for a blast of exercise that will get everyone involved. Dancing is super fun and a great cardio workout. Make one afternoon or evening a week your “Dance Party Night” from now till the kids go back to school.
Family Competition
We’re all about competition in our culture, and most kids are involved in at least one organized sport by the time they are a few years old. Motivate your family by setting weekly goals, and create a chart and point system that helps your family track their activity or eating habits throughout the day. See who can be the healthiest!
All these suggestions should help, but if you or your child are injured in one of your organized sports—or at the company baseball game—be sure to reach out to Dr. Rehman and her team of rehabilitation professionals. Specialists in hand, arm and shoulder rehabilitation, they can help resolve tendonitis, golfer’s or tennis elbow, hand and wrist pain, and many other conditions. To learn more, contact Dr. Rehman’s office at 586-532-0803 today!
When the bony bump on the outer side of the elbow is painful and tender, this typically indicates the condition of Tennis Elbow, or Lateral Epicondylitis. The elbow joint is comprised of the bone in the upper arm (the humerus) and one of the bones in the lower arm (the ulna), joined together by forearm muscles and tendons. The bony bumps at the bottom of the humerus are called epicondyles. The bump on the outer side of the elbow is called the lateral epicondyle. Men and women tend to be affected equally by this condition, often between the ages of 35 and 65. Some studies indicate that up to 50 % of tennis players may suffer from this problem at some point in their career.
What are the symptoms?
Pain or tenderness slowly increasing on the outer side of the elbow
Pain when straightening or raising your wrist and hand
Pain when lifting a heavy object
Pain when you make a fist, shake hands or squeeze an object
Pain may radiate from the elbow down into the forearm or up into the upper arm
What causes it?
This condition is typically the result of overusing the muscles in your forearm that straighten and raise your hand and wrist. Activities that require repetitious motion, especially while gripping something, can create this condition. Tennis players and golfers are at risk, as well as bowlers, gardeners and landscapers, home or office cleaners, and mechanics and assembly-line workers. Through overuse, the tendons are repeatedly tugged at the point of attachment, which is the lateral epicondyle. This tugging and overuse causes the tendons to become inflamed. Tiny tears occur in the tissue, resulting in pain and tenderness. Sometimes, due to the overuse, the tears never heal.
How is it diagnosed?
A doctor who specializes in the hands, wrists and shoulders is the best person to diagnose this condition. He or she will inquire about your daily activities and recreational sports. A physical exam will be conducted to determine where the pain is originating from. X-rays of the elbow may also be ordered. As with many health conditions, early detection, awareness and a comprehensive plan usually results in the most favorable outcome. If you are experiencing hand, wrist, elbow or shoulder pain, contact Doctor Rehman today for a full evaluation and comprehensive treatment plan to get you back in the swing!
(586) 532-0803
The tendons in the body are the flexible bands of fibrous tissue that connect the muscles of our body to our bones. Normally the tendons glide smoothly when muscles stretch or contract. But inflammation in the tendons can cause the gliding motion to be impaired, causing pain and discomfort. At Macomb Hand Surgery we specialize in treating the hands and fingers, wrist, elbow and shoulder with a variety of methods. If you are experiencing pain, numbness, weakness, stiffness or tingling in these areas, you may have tendonitis.
Sometimes tendonitis can be caused by overuse of a muscle or limb; golfers or tennis players may experience tendonitis. Warming up the limb before use, stretching the muscles, and taking frequent breaks from the repetitive activity can rest the muscle and reduce the likelihood of tendonitis. Many tendon and nerve issues can be prevented by regular breaks and exercises to strengthen the muscle. Practicing the correct form while performing the activity can also prevent the injury and damage that leads to tendonitis. Maintaining a healthy weight and a regular exercise program is also helpful, as good blood supply to the tendons helps them to stay lubricated and reduces the chance of injury.
A variety of approaches will be used at Midwest Hand Therapy to treat your tendonitis. First, a thorough evaluation by Dr. Rehman, a Board Certified Orthopedic surgeon, will be performed. The treatment team may then implement solutions such as rest or immobilization of the affected area, the application of cold packs, anti-inflammatory medication, corticosteroid injections, hand, wrist or arm exercises and/or occupational therapy.
Most nerve and tendon damage can be treated successfully if intervention is undertaken early. If you are experiencing pain, stiffness or numbness in your upper extremities, contact Dr. Rehman today.
Now that the fine weather is here, we are ready to get out and play! But activity sometimes brings injuries. The condition labeled “Tennis Elbow” can be caused by overuse of the arm and wrist, but it is not strictly caused by playing tennis. Many other activities that repeatedly stress the wrist, hand and arm can cause a burning pain to radiate from the outside of the elbow into the forearm or wrist. You might have trouble shaking hands or lifting a gallon of milk. Sometimes even lifting a coffee cup can hurt!
Occupations often at risk for this overuse and muscle strain injury are carpenters, plumbers, butchers, painters and cooks. Repetitive strain on the muscles of the forearm can cause tiny tears and subsequent inflammation to occur in the tendons that attach the muscles to the bones on the outside of the elbow. Vigorous games of tennis, and especially hitting backhanded with incorrect form, can have the same result. And it’s no surprise that tennis elbow and its associated pain and tenderness is more likely to occur as we age.
Typical remedies such as icing the area, resting the affected arm, and taking anti-inflammatory medications may help the condition. If, however, the pain persists or does not seem to be lessening, if weakness or numbness are still present, an orthopedic consultation may be needed.
An orthopedic surgeon such as Dr. Rehman will conduct a thorough evaluation of your condition, reviewing how and when the condition developed, and any other factors that may be influencing it such as other health conditions, medication you take, sports and work activities. Physical therapy may be prescribed, with exercises that can be done at home included as follow-up. Using a specialized brace over the back of the forearm may help to lessen the pain and promote healing by relaxing the muscles and tendons. Sometimes steroidal injections, such as cortisone, may be administered to help lessen the pain. In very serious cases, surgery to remove the damaged tissue may be required.
In all such cases, be sure to contact a Board Certified doctor such as Dr. Rehman, before the symptoms and pain become a chronic condition. Her entire team of therapists and staff are dedicated to your health and healing.
Although not technically a pain-relieving medication, injectable corticosteroids, commonly called ‘Cortisone”, have been used since the 1950’s to reduce pain following a muscle or tendon injury. Cortisone is naturally produced in the body by the adrenal gland and is released when the body is under stress. Injectable cortisone is synthetically produced and is similar to the body’s own product. By reducing the body’s reaction to the inflammation associated with the injury, the pain is reduced.
The medicine is injected directly into the inflamed area, such as the wrist or elbow, with a high concentration of cortisone administered with minimal side effects. Discomfort usually improves within a few days and can last for several weeks or permanently. However, cortisone injections must be coupled with appropriate rest and rehabilitation to produce the best results. Cortisone injections are contraindicated for athletes immediately before an event, as they may increase the risk of infection or contribute to additional injury.
Repeated injections can have deleterious side effects, with a softening of the cartilage and weakening of the tendons at the injection site, however this usually occurs only in patients who receive shots on a weekly or monthly basis over a period of months or even years. Diabetic patients must have their blood sugar monitored closely for 24 to 48 hours after an injection, since the absorption of cortisone into the blood stream can cause a significant elevation in blood sugar.
Most individuals tolerate the procedure well, and find significant relief from the pain of a muscle or ligament injury. Always seek a Board Certified orthopedic doctor such as Dr. Rehman for any type of hand or arm injury. And don’t wait to seek treatment! A hand or arm injury that is causing pain should be evaluated early on, when the chance for minimally invasive treatment leading to a full recovery is at its highest.
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a condition that occurs when there are microscopic tears in the tendon that never completely heal. These tendons often become inflamed, which leads to pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow, especially when lifting objects or cocking back the wrist. This pain often radiates down the forearm as well.
Tennis elbow is not uncommon, especially among athletes, and can usually be treated with conservative methods, so long as it is diagnosed early. If you believe that you have tennis elbow, it is recommended that you contact a hand, wrist and elbow specialist immediately to prevent further damage.
Upon meeting with a specialist, such as Dr. Rehman, some or all of the following remedies may be used to treat your specific condition. We take extreme care to provide individual guidance and personal recovery plans needed to aid patients, so that they can return to maximal functionality and productive living. If you’re an athlete, our goal is get you back in the game as quickly and safely as possible.
Relief and recovery for tennis elbow may include:
Resting from the activity causing the condition
Anti-inflammatory medication
Corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation
Applying cold packs
Physical therapy
A forearm brace (not necessary for all patients; this depends on the severity of the condition)
Tennis elbow surgery (not necessary for all patients; this depends on the severity of the condition)
If you are suffering from elbow pain, contact Dr. Rehman for a comprehensive evaluation and consultation. As mentioned above, and with most medical conditions, early detection, awareness and a comprehensive treatment plan is the most effective way to combat the effects of conditions like tennis elbow.
With the new year upon us perhaps you’ve made a resolution to be more active. That’s a good goal, but being laid up by an injury is frustrating, and untreated injuries can lead to extended problems later. If you’re a sports or exercise enthusiast, there are a few things you can do to help avoid injury.
Always warm up. Many times in our hectic society it seems there simply isn’t time to properly warm up. But warming up is one of the best ways to avoid an injury. Muscles that have been adequately warmed up are less susceptible to injury. Warm up should consist of easy aerobic and flexibility exercises that build gradually. Another alternative is to begin playing or exercising, but gently at first, building gradually.
Don’t exercise or play tired. Injuries are far more likely when you are fatigued, as inattention or lack of strength can result in a careless injury. Also, more or harder exercise is not always better. Muscles and bones need proper rest in order to function at maximum efficiency. Get the right amount of sleep, and If you’re tired, take a break that day.
Wear the right equipment. Make sure you have the proper safety gear and that it is fitted properly. Inadequate gear or gear that is too big or small can result in injury. Take the time to properly “suit up” so that you can enjoy yourself to the fullest.
Be sensible. Taking care of your body is the smart way to insure that you remain injury-free. If you do get injured, however, make sure to consult with a specialist to insure proper treatment and healing.
“Tennis elbow” can be a misnomer; in many cases tennis was never involved. Also called lateral epicondylitis, it occurs when the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow become damaged and/or inflamed. Sometimes it is a result of of racquet sports, but often it is also caused by repetitive motion. Common symptoms of tennis elbow are pain in the elbow when cocking back the wrist or when lifting heavy objects.
Stretching and strengthening exercises of the forearms and hand can help to prevent tennis elbow. It is also important for racquet sports players to adequately warm up and to insure their equipment is properly fitted. Whether at work, home or on the court, take periodic breaks from repetitive movement and stretch the arms, hands, wrists and elbows.
If you are currently suffering from pain on either the outside or inside of the elbow, see an orthopedic doctor or a hand surgeon to insure proper diagnosis and treatment of your condition.
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