Elbow
Conditions
Elbow
Medical Epicondylitis (Golfer Elbow)
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is generally a tendinosis (swelling and pain of the tendon) of the medial epicondyle of the elbow.
This type of injury will involve the forearm flexor muscles that run from the inside of the elbow into the hands.
Tissue injury happens when tight flexor muscles and tendons pull on the attachment point of the bone, causing pain on the inside elbow tendon.
In response to minor injury, overuse, or sometimes for no obvious reason at all, this point of insertion becomes inflamed and painful with hammering, gripping, pitching and during pull-through swimming strokes.
Common Symptoms:
· Dull Pain On The Inside Of The Elbow
· Difficulty Throwing a baseball
· Pain With Gripping Objects
· Pain With Shaking Hands
· Opening doors
If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms, we recommend that you schedule an appointment to properly diagnose the injury. We will be available to treat the condition properly with our cryotherapy, myofascial and/or laser treatments.
Lateral Epicondylitis / OSIS (Tennis Elbow)
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a painful condition of the elbow caused by overuse. This condition is characterized by injury to structures in the extensor forearm muscle group and tendons that connect to the outside of the elbow. The inflamed tendon from the muscles on the elbow that is commonly effect is the extensor carpi radialis brevis.
Hence the term, tennis elbow, playing tennis or other racquet sports can cause this condition. Repeating motions are the most common cause for this common condition with the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle most often being involved.
When microscopic tears occur to the extensor muscles and tendons from overuse; pain and inflammation occurs. If you are experiencing any of the following common symptoms, we recommend you meet with us to properly examine and diagnose your injury. Our office will be able to provide you with the care and cryotherapy treatments as necessary.
Common Symptoms:
· Pain On The Outside Of The Elbow
· Prolong bike riding
· Weakness With Grip Strength
· Pain With Racquet Grip Strength
· Gradual Pain Increase Over Weeks Or Months
Elbow Entrapment Neuropathies
Pinched nerve, or peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes involve compression of a short segment of a nerve at a specific site as it passes through fibrous or muscular tissue.
Due to repetitive stress, trauma, continuous pressure, and tension, a variety of pathologic factors such as decrease oxygen to the nerve cells, inflammation, edema, an eventual adhesion and fibrosis formation will occur.
Entrapment symptoms depend on the type of nerve affected and the amount of compression. Two types are either motor or sensory. Motor causes weakness, paralysis or a dull aching pain. In the elbow region, the most common entrapment involves the median, radial, and ulnar nerves.
The distribution of symptoms helps indicate the nerve involved. A median nerve entrapment typically involves the thumb and first two fingers. The ulnar nerve typically involves the last two fingers with the radial nerve typically affects the back of the hand.
If you are experiencing the following symptoms and have already been diagnosed, our office specialists in cryotherapy and myofascial release technique can help you. We recommend that you visit us for a proper diagnosis.
Common Symptoms:
· Weakness In The Arms Or Hands
· Loss Of Sense Of Touch
· Shooting, Electrical Pain
· Numbness Or Tingling Into The Hands
Radial Nerve Entrapment
Involves compression from the axilla. The never courses in front of one of the rotator cuffs (subscapularis muscle), the tendon of the latissimus and teres major. Another location is at the spiral groove of the humerus. These areas are where compression may occur. Most of these lesion are caused by trauma. Depending on where the nerve is entrapped, there are a series of symptoms/signs an individual will see.
· Weakness of the triceps
· Sensory/motor dysfunction
· Loss of elbow extension
· Loss of wrist extension (wrist drop)
· Loss of finger extensions
Treatment with active myofascial release protocol, laser, or Cryotherapy are options we offer that has shown in clinical settings to work.
Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
Ulnar nerve can become entrapped in different areas of the arm. Based on the level of involvement, each individual will present with separate presentations.
At the level of the subscapularis
At the arcade of Struthers
At the cubital tunnel
Mechanics play a major roll of these different entrapment sites. Repetitive flexion (throwing motions) of the elbow causes narrowing at the cubital tunnel and increase pressure on the nerve. Hypertrophy of the triceps and ligamentous laxity or recurrent nerve subluxation causing traction will create this issue as well.
Signs and Symptoms:
· Occur with overuse
· Athletic hypertrophy of the medial triceps
· Numbness and paresthesia in the whole hand
· Pain extending the forearm
· Sensory loss in the fourth and fifth fingers