All About Quadricep Strains
This month we find ourselves fascinated by quadricep strains and hope to share a little information and advice with you. If that interests you, read on. But if another injury or ache or pain is your priority right now, please give us a call. We are here to help with hamstring strains, bicep strains, triceps strains, calf strains… and even aches and pains that have nothing to do with strains!
So, you’ve strained one of your quadriceps… Firstly, ouch – we know that can be a real pain. But we want to reassure you that with the right knowledge and some help from an Osteopath, you’ll be back on your feet in no time.
What Is It Exactly?
First things first, let’s understand the anatomy. The quadriceps muscle group is a powerhouse located at the front of your thigh. It’s responsible for extending your knee and helping you to kick, jump, and run. Maybe you don’t run like an Olympian, but your body’s movement potential and power is amazing when you start to really consider its mechanics! The quadriceps are so named because there are four of them. You’ve got the Rectus Femoris running down the centre of your thigh, the Vastus Lateralis on the outer side of your thigh, the Vastus Medialis on the inner side of the thigh and the Vastus Intermedius deep between the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis. Sometimes, these muscles can get overstretched or overloaded, leading to those unwelcome strains.
How Bad is It your quadricep strain?
There are three grades of quadriceps muscle strain, and each one brings its own set of challenges:
Grade 1 – The Mild One:
A Grade 1 strain is the least severe of the bunch. It happens when only a small number of muscle fibers get torn. You might feel some mild discomfort and tenderness in the affected area, but it won’t stop you from going about your daily activities. It can be tempting to ignore it and just get on with things, but this might be detrimental to your healing in the long-term. So challenge yourself to take proper care of this injury.
Grade 2 – The Moderate Trouble-Maker:
A Grade 2 strain is a bit more intense. This time, a more significant number of muscle fibers get torn. Ouch! You’ll likely experience pain, swelling, and maybe even some bruising around the thigh. Moving your leg could be tricky, and walking might not be as smooth as it used to be. The challenge here is to care for your leg, but not fall into a poor movement pattern while you work around the injury. This can create more problems throughout the rest of your body – which is the last thing you need!
Grade 3 – The Severe One (Or the Great Escape):
A Grade 3 strain is the big kahuna, and it’s no joke. In this scenario, the muscle suffers a complete rupture. Yep, you heard that right – it tears all the way through! The pain will be intense, and you may even notice a divot or dent in your thigh where the muscle used to be. This one might take you off your feet for a while, and you’ll need some serious TLC to get back on track.
How Did This Happen?
So, how does all this quad strain mayhem happen? Well, it can come about in a variety of ways:
- Overexertion: Pushing yourself too hard during exercise or physical activities, like sprinting or weightlifting, can put a strain on those quads.
- Sudden Movements: Abrupt changes in direction, especially when running or playing sports, can cause the muscle fibers to go “uh-oh!” and decide to take a break.
- Weak Muscles: If your quadriceps muscles are weak or imbalanced compared to other leg muscles, they might not handle the workload and could get strained.
- Lack of Warm-up: Skipping the warm-up routine before getting into the action can leave your muscles unprepared and vulnerable to injury.
- Fatigue: Tired muscles are more prone to strains, so it’s essential to listen to your body and not push it beyond its limits.
Bad luck plays into these things too of course. But it’s a good reminder that warming up, listening to your body, using proper form and cooling down properly are essential.
How Can My Osteopath Help?
Alright, now that we’ve got the lowdown on quadriceps muscle strains and how they happen, let’s talk about what an osteopath can do to lend a helping hand during the healing process.
Osteopaths are like the masters of the musculoskeletal system. They understand how the body works and can work their magic to help you recover from that quad strain:
- Assessment and Diagnosis:
First things first, our Osteopath will give you a thorough evaluation. They’ll ask about your symptoms and examine the affected area. This will help them determine the grade of your strain and tailor a treatment plan just for you. - Manual Therapy:
Osteopaths are experts in manual therapy techniques, and they’ll use their hands to gently manipulate and mobilize the affected area. This can improve blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and speed up the healing process. - Rehabilitation Plan:
As you move through the recovery stages, our Osteopath will develop a tailored rehabilitation plan for you. This might include specific exercises and activities to progressively challenge your quads and get them back in top-notch shape. - Prevention Tips:
To avoid future quad strains, our Osteopath will share some valuable prevention tips. These could include additions to your warm-up routine, muscle-strengthening exercises, guidance on how to pace yourself during physical activities and other lifestyle tips like gait adjustment and postural advice.
Remember, every quad strain is unique, and the healing process can vary from person to person. So, don’t rush it! Listen to your body, follow your Osteopath’s advice, and give those quads the TLC they deserve.
In no time, you’ll be back on your feet, enjoying life to the fullest, and saying goodbye to those quad strain blues. So, take care, be patient, and let us guide you to a full and speedy recovery!
Your First Osteopathy Appointment
So, you’ve got your first appointment with an osteopath coming up and you’re filled with anticipation and curiosity. Let’s walk you through what to expect before, during, and after your first visit here at BeacHealth.
Before the Appointment:
Before you head to your Osteopath’s clinic, take a moment to gather some essential information. Make sure you have your medical history handy, including any past injuries or conditions you’ve dealt with. Jot down any current symptoms or discomfort you’re experiencing, so you don’t forget to mention anything during your visit.
During this time, you might also want to write down any questions or concerns you have about your health. Your Osteopath is there to help you, so don’t be shy about asking anything that’s on your mind.
It’s best to wear comfortable clothes to the appointment. You’ll probably be asked to move around a bit so we can see how your muscles are working. Restrictive, uncomfortable clothes just get in the way.
During the Appointment:
Expect a warm and friendly atmosphere. Osteopathy is a holistic discipline – we treat the whole person not a muscle in isolation – so we’ll work to put you at ease.
Your Osteopath will start by having a chat with you about your medical history and any specific issues you’re facing. They’ll listen attentively and ask questions to get a comprehensive picture of your health.
Next comes the physical examination. Don’t worry; it won’t be anything invasive or uncomfortable. Your Osteopath will gently assess your body’s mobility, posture, and movement. They might ask you to perform certain movements to better understand how your muscles and joints are doing.
Based on their assessment, your Osteopath will create a personalized treatment plan just for you. They’ll explain their findings and what they believe could be causing your discomfort. Remember, your Osteopath is here to work with you and find the best approach for your unique needs.
If any hands-on treatment is necessary, your Osteopath will explain each step before proceeding. Manual therapy techniques are common in osteopathy, and your Osteopath might use gentle manipulations, stretches, or other techniques to address your specific concerns. Rest assured that it’s non-invasive. If anything hurts let your Osteopath know. Communication is key.
After the Appointment:
Congratulations, you’ve completed your first visit with an Osteopath! Now, let’s talk about what comes next.
After your session, you might experience some immediate relief from your symptoms (and that is just the most amazing feeling for you and for us!). However, keep in mind that healing takes time, and your body might need a bit of adjustment. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t feel 100% right away; gradual progress is normal. It’s even possible that the aches and pains might feel even more pronounced for a day or two while the healing happens.
Your Osteopath might provide you with some helpful advice on how to manage your symptoms at home. This could include exercises, stretches, or lifestyle modifications that will support your recovery. Follow their recommendations diligently to maximize the benefits of your treatment. We cannot stress the importance of this enough. While we love repeat business, we prefer that our patients keep coming back because we’re just that good – not because they keep hurting themselves in the same old ways over and over again!
In some cases, your Osteopath might recommend follow-up appointments to continue monitoring your progress and adjusting the treatment plan as needed. It all depends on the injury/condition/ache – it’s severity and causes. The important thing to know is that we’re here for you to provide ongoing support if it’s needed for long-term healing and well-being.
Remember, open communication with your Osteopath is key. If you have any questions or concerns after your first visit or throughout your treatment journey, don’t hesitate to reach out. They are here to guide you and ensure you feel comfortable every step of the way.
Before, during, and after your first visit with an Osteopath, you can expect a caring and personalized experience. The team at BeacHealth will take the time to listen to your concerns, conduct a thorough examination, and design a treatment plan tailored to your needs. With gentle hands-on techniques and expert guidance, they’ll help you on your journey to improved health and well-being.
So, take a deep breath and call us to book your first appointment and embark on a path of healing and vitality. You’ve got this! We hope you found this informative. If you’re curious about osteopathy, human movement or human anatomy check out other blogs on our web site at www.beachealth.com, or follow us on Instagram at beachintegrated. We should warn you that the occasional osteopathy joke may make its way to our posts! We look forward to seeing you at the clinic.
Medial Ankle Sprain
Ouch! So, you missed your footing on the stairs and fell. You landed badly, twisting your ankle in a funny direction. It could have been worse of course, but it’s still not great. It’s time to call your Osteopath.
What Is a Medial Ankle Sprain?
When your foot rolled, it stretched or even tore the ligaments holding your ankle together. A medial ankle sprain is an injury to the ligaments on the inside of the ankle. Ligaments, by the way, are tough bands of tissue that connect bones to each other. They help to stabilize joints and prevent them from moving too far out of place. Medial ankle sprains are less common than lateral ankle sprains, which occur on the outside. This is because the deltoid ligament which runs along the inside is particularly strong. Not only does the strength of the deltoid ligament make a roll outward (called an eversion) less likely than an inward roll (called an inversion), but it makes injury less likely. However, if the twist, trip, or direct blow is bad enough, even the deltoid ligament can tear.
Symptoms of a medial ankle sprain may include:
- Pain on the inside of the ankle
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Tenderness
- Difficulty walking or putting weight on the affected foot.
How Do I Treat It?
The treatment for a medial ankle sprain will depend on the severity of the injury. At first, you must apply the RICE protocol: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. We know you’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating. You must keep your weight off the injured foot for a time – skipping this step or attempting to fast-forward through it could seriously impact your healing. What does Ice mean – it means ice it for twenty minutes every two to three hours (and yes to all the smartie-pants out there – you can have a break while you sleep!) Wrap your ankle in a compression bandage and prop it up above your heart level. RICE is generally considered effective for up to three days, but don’t hang about. Remember to get in and visit your Osteopath early in the injury. We will work with you to promote healing, reduce pain, reclaim your ankle’s range of motion (preventing it from stiffening up as it heals) and strengthen the muscles around the ankle to stabilize and support it. It’s essential that we do this as, left untreated, your injury could lead to chronic pain, instability and recurring injuries.
The good news is that ligaments can heal. They just heal a little slower than muscles. Crucially, they need to bear a little weight to do that and exercise stimulates growth and healing. Your Osteopath will be able to prescribe the right exercises for you along with performing manual manipulations to make those exercises more possible.
Every injury is different, but your exercise regime will likely include stretches and strength training for the leg muscles, ankle mobility exercises, and progressive balance exercises.
Getting Back to Normal
The bad news is that a history of ankle sprains is one of the greatest predictors of future ankle sprains. The good news is that your Osteopath can advise you on ways to make that less likely – from exercises for strength, balance and proprioception to advice on strapping your ankle and footwear. Our Osteopaths are here to help!
RSI
Recovering from RSI with Osteopathy
The human body is meant to move. It’s not meant to move like a machine in a factory – repetitively performing one action. And yet office work, modern technology and many manual jobs force us to move in such a way. Even our leisure time is invaded with some sports, hobbies and instruments encouraging limited, unbalanced, repetitive movement patterns. If we’re unlucky Repetitive Strain Injury (or RSI) can be the result. And it can be debilitatingly painful. So let’s talk about recovering from RSI with osteopathy.
What Is RSI?
Repetitive Strain Injury, also called Occupational Overuse Syndrome, is really a descriptive term for overuse injuries rather than a specific diagnosis. The condition can affect any part of the body although it’s more common today in the wrists and forearms due to our reliance on computers and keyboards at work. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a type of RSI, as are bursitis and tendonitis. We have a lot of names for it: tennis elbow, texter’s thumb, housemaid’s knee, trigger’s finger, Rubik’s wrist (when Rubik’s cubes had everyone obsessed). The list goes on. In fact, when the condition was first described back in 1700 by Italian physician Bernardino Ramazzini after observing industrial workers, he noted more than 20 categories of RSI. It’s simple really – repetitively performing one action without rest can cause inflammation and damage to the body’s soft tissues and nerves. Symptoms can include tingling, numbness, shooting pain and burning sensations, excessive weakness and fatigue, and clumsiness.
What to do about it?
Firstly, please don’t ignore the mild, early symptoms. A small annoyance can become chronic pain if left untreated and continually exacerbated. Now some commonly given advice is to stop doing the activity causing you pain. But as osteopaths we know that’s sometimes not realistic or desirable: a guitarist with a gig coming up can’t just stop practising and a keen tennis player shouldn’t have to give up the sport they love. And we all have to work!
So, what can be done to prevent it?
Ergonomics
Take the time to ensure your work (and play) space is ergonomically sound. Check that your desk, chair and monitor are set at the right height. Similarly, make sure you’re playing with the right sporting equipment for you.
Rest
Take breaks throughout the day and move differently during them. The repetitive nature of typing, playing the piano or swinging a golf club is a problem, but so too is the limited range of motion those actions take you through. Take a moment to stretch and move in an alternative pattern (a few wrist rotations if you’ve been typing for hours for example.)
Posture
Working in a misaligned posture places extra load and aggravation on your body. So sit, stand and move well through whatever activity you’re doing. It’s important to note, that having your environment set-up with ergonomics in mind will help with this, but even the best chair can be slumped in! If you’re really too tired to move well then it’s time for that rest we mentioned earlier.
Treatment
Make an appointment with the osteopaths at Beachealth by calling (416) 546-4887 today. The sooner you make an appointment the sooner we can help you. If you have only niggling pain, but it’s becoming persistent, please take action before it becomes debilitating. If you’ve taken steps to improve your workstation, implement rest breaks and moved mindfully, but find things have not improved in forty-eight hours, we advise you make an appointment as soon as convenient. But don’t despair if you have left it too long and are suffering chronically. It might take a little longer, but we can still help. It’s what we do!
After an initial consultation to understand your discomfort and its causes, your treatment will most likely include massage, stretching, and possibly the realignment of some affected joints. Your osteopath will also advise you on exercises and stretches to bring relief. While a cure is unlikely to be instantaneous, your osteopath is uniquely skilled to assist in recovery from RSI. By promoting blood flow to stiff or painful soft tissues and returning the body to a balanced alignment, your osteopathic treatment enables the body’s own healing mechanisms to work efficiently.
We look forward to seeing you at the clinic and helping you back to tennis, golf, gardening, guitar-playing, writing, sewing (or working) with less pain.
Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow)
You may have heard of tennis elbow, but are you familiar with its counterpart, golfer’s elbow? Both are tendon injuries; the connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone. So what’s the difference? This problem in the outer elbow is known as tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), while golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) is located in the inner elbow and forearm.
Read on to learn more about the causes and symptoms of golfer’s elbow, and how it is treated.
What causes golfer’s elbow?
Firstly, you don’t have to be an avid golfer to develop it! It’s an overuse injury caused by any repetitive movement of the wrist, hand and forearm.
Besides overdoing it on the golf course, what are the types of activities that may cause golfer’s elbow?
- Racket sports like tennis or squash – gripping a racket that is too heavy or too light. Make sure you check your technique as well.
- Weight training with poor technique causes you to overwork the tendons and muscles of the arms.
- Ball sports: repeatedly throwing a ball in sports such as bowling, softball and baseball.
- Manual labour: painting, plumbing, and construction work that involves forceful and repetitive movements cause golfer’s elbow. Doing repetitive work using tools like hammers or screwdrivers may also cause it.
- Computer work: frequently typing on a keyboard and using a mouse with a poor ergonomic set up.
What are the symptoms of golfer’s elbow?
There are some common symptoms you may experience if you have golfer’s elbow. It’s worth noting that the pain develops over weeks or months, often starting out as pain in the inner elbow.
You might experience pain and tenderness that radiates from the inside of the elbow down the forearm. Your elbow may be stiff or difficult to move. Although rare, there may be numbness or tingling in your fingers, or weakness in the hand and wrist also.
How is golfer’s elbow treated?
Most of the time this condition is managed at home, following simple steps used to treat tendon injuries:
Rest your arm: this one’s important! You need to give the tendon a break for a few days so that it has a chance to heal. Avoid any activity that makes the pain worse. You can gradually re-introduce these activities once the pain is under control.
Apply ice: in the initial stages of injury, ice can help to control pain. For the first few days, apply to your elbow and forearm for 15 to 20 minutes, three to four times a day. Contrary to popular belief, you want to limit ice application because the cold temperature can inhibit the natural inflammatory process the body goes through when a new injury develops. We want to allow the body to do its thing, so use ice sparingly and only early on.
How can I prevent golfer’s elbow?
- Take regular breaks from repetitive exercises.
- Stop any activity that causes elbow or forearm pain.
- Learn proper techniques for exercise and sport to avoid putting extra stress on your wrists and elbows.
- Warm up properly before you begin exercise or sports.
- Increase your arm strength.
How can osteopathic treatment help?
Your osteopath can help you to recover from golfer’s elbow. They may use soft tissue techniques such as massage and stretching to reduce muscular tension and increase blood flow to the tendon.
We can also treat golfer’s elbow with shockwave treatment , acupuncture and dry needling.
They will also help you to prevent the injury from reoccurring by conducting an assessment and diagnosing the root cause. Don’t be surprised if your osteo treats your neck, mid-back and shoulder to help with this issue. These areas often need attention too!
We’ll put together a treatment plan with you to see you gradually return to your former glory. Tendon injuries like these need an approach that focusses on strength and mobility and ultimately, time.
If you are experiencing elbow pain, we are here to help! Don’t let golfer’s elbow impact your handicap. Give us a call on (416) 546-4887 or email [email protected] to make an appointment.
Gluteal Tendinopathy
Have you recently started to experience pain at the side of your hip? With the turn of the new year now behind us, maybe you’re embracing your new healthy lifestyle and have been going for a solid run several times a week to shift some of those festive kilos… Or it might just be that you’re getting a bit older, hitting the middle decades of life, and you’ve had a nagging hip for a while. There are a few structures in and around the hip that can lead to pain felt at the very outer aspect of it. Problems in the low back, the hip joint itself, and soft tissues that surround the joint can all be viable culprits.
Common culprits in the running and middle-aged populations are the tendons of the gluteal muscles. These muscles are responsible for movement at the hip (outwards, backwards and forwards) and stability of the pelvis and hip during movement. There are three gluteal muscles or ‘glutes’. The deepest muscle is the gluteus minimus, followed by gluteus medius, and finally gluteus maximus (which is the largest and most superficial of all three). Where the gluteus medius and minimus tendons wrap around the bony outer part of the hip and insert into the bone, are the areas most commonly associated with disease leading to pain in the outer hip.
Tendon disease
There are a few terms that can describe a diseased tendon. An acutely inflamed tendon is known as ‘tendinitis’, where ‘itis‘ means inflammation occurring at the tissue. A tendon which is chronically diseased (i.e. long-standing pain that may have been present for several weeks, months or years without the presence of inflammation), is known as ‘tendinopathy’. Historically the term ‘tendinosis’ was used to describe a chronic tendon problem, but tendinopathy is now the favoured term. The important thing is to think of a tendon problem sitting somewhere on a continuum between acutely inflamed and chronically degenerated and/or torn.
Let’s take our aforementioned population, a middle-aged female (females are more affected by this issue than males), who runs. What typically happens is they will start to run with the full intent of bettering themselves. Due to poor running technique, the tendon becomes overloaded and after a few weeks or months… Bang! Inflammation, pain, can barely walk! Once the initial pain settles and movement resumes, they start to run again. If they haven’t corrected the problem that underlies the initial acute episode, the problem compounds itself. The body will compensate, and further excessive load and compression are placed on the tendons and other surrounding structures. This might go on for a while with the hip grumbling from time to time. Eventually, the changes that have occurred to the tendon tissue result in widespread degeneration and derangement of the tendon fibres and you are left with a tendon incapable of dealing with the high loads required to do something like running. If left untreated, the tendon eventually tears and leaves you with a very unhappy and less mobile hip.
Signs and symptoms
The signs and symptoms of a gluteus medius and/or gluteus minimus tendinopathy include any or all of the following:
• Pain felt on the outside of your hip
• Pain that radiates down the thigh to the knee
• Pain that is worse before and after exercise
• Pain that improves initially with exercise (depending where on the disease process you are)
• Pain when lying on the affected side
• Difficulty walking up stairs or hills
• Difficulty standing on one leg (on the affected side)
Treatment
Your first port of call is to temporarily cease the activity that is aggravating your hip, and ring your osteo (ahem… 416-546-4887). This will help to de-load the injured tendon, and give you relief knowing soon you will be in the hands of an expert who is going to guide you through your recovery journey. We will assess your movement from top to bottom and work out where the root cause of your problem is. This is what osteopaths are great at doing. We look beyond the pain, take a picture of your whole life (occupation, hobbies, family life, etc…) and work out all of the contributing factors, so we can put a comprehensive plan in place to rid you of your problem forever.
For a gluteal tendon problem to occur in the first place, there will likely be mechanical issues to correct in the spine and/or lower limb (from the foot up). We do this with a combination of:
• Hands-on therapy to soothe your pain and improve muscle and joint health
• Re-training of poor movements into more efficient movements
• Strengthening exercises for the muscles / tendons
• Alterations to your daily life which may be contributing to your issue (i.e. increasing particular activities, decreasing aggravating activities, changing a work posture)
Over time, treatment will aim to progressively strengthen the gluteal tendons, so they are capable of withstanding greater loads again. Combined with correction of poor, inefficient movements, this will also decrease the compressive forces acting on the tissues in and around the hip, leaving you with greater strength and more flexibility.
We will be with you every step of the way. A gluteal tendinopathy doesn’t mean you have to give up running. We might need to change focus for a short period during rehab, but our goal will be to get you back to your pre-injury state… with a little extra in the tank so you’re not back with us for the same issue within two months.
Hip pain, was it? No problem. We got this! Contact us
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is a condition that affects some of the tendons of muscles that help control thumb movement. It can cause considerable pain and disability in the process. It is also known as blackberry thumb as it is common injury with cell phone and tablet use.
Anatomy
If you lie your hand flat on a table and spread your fingers (and thumb) as wide as you can, you will notice a small hollowed-out section on the thumb side of the wrist. This region is known as the ‘anatomical snuffbox’. The walls of the snuffbox are made up of two tendons that pass from the forearm to the thumb. These tendons belong to two muscles: the abductor pollicis longus (APL) and the extensor pollicis brevis (EPB). The words abductor and extensor refer to the movements they help the thumb to perform… abduction (taking the thumb away from the palm) and extension (taking the thumb out to the side of the hand). Pollicis refers to thumb, and longus and brevis refer to long and short respectively.
Tendons are cord-like structures that attach muscle to bone. At the point where these tendons pass over the wrist joint, they pass through a thin, tunnel-like structure called a sheath in a smooth and frictionless manner. ‘Tenosynovitis’ refers to inflammation of the tendons and sheaths.
Cause
The cause of De Quervain’s is not completely understood, but it is strongly associated with overuse of the previously mentioned structures. Overuse leads to degeneration of the tissues, and one of the ways the body adapts to these changes is thickening of those affected tissues. This leads to the tendon being trapped within the sheath, which ultimately leads to poor movement and pain. Any activity that leads to chronic overuse of the thumb can lead to the development of this problem. Common activities include playing the piano, fishing, and typing. New mothers are regularly affected due to the repetitive action of picking up their baby with thumbs held out from the hand. With the explosion of smart phones and other technologies over the past decade comes a new population of sufferers also… texters! Those people who spend long periods of the day sending text messages and typing on mobile phones are more likely to experience this disorder.
Signs and symptoms
The main symptom of De Quervain’s is painful thumb and wrist movement. Any movement where the thumb moves away from the hand may be painful. The pain is mainly felt around the snuffbox area of the wrist.
Other signs and symptoms include:
- Restricted thumb and wrist movement
- Difficulty and pain with gripping objects
- Pain that radiates up the forearm
- Swelling over the snuffbox region
- Popping and clicking of the tendons as they move through their sheaths
- Weakness of the thumb
- Tingling and/or pins and needles in the hand
Treatment
In order to get the right treatment for this condition, you must first be diagnosed correctly. Your first port of call should therefore be a consultation with us (your friendly osteopaths!). We are armed to the teeth with ways to treat this sometimes-menacing condition. We may use any or all of the following techniques to help you in the process:
- Soft tissue release of the tight and/or shortened muscles that help to control thumb and wrist movements. We may massage you all the way from the neck down to the hand during treatment.
- Mobilisation of the joints. Again, we might focus on joints in the neck, all the way down to the smaller thumb and wrist joints.
- Stretching of tight muscles during treatment and also as part of a home exercise program.
- Taping of the forearm, wrist and thumb to decrease pain and improve function of the hand.
Some of the things you can do at home to improve this condition include:
- Ice or heat pack therapy to increase flow of blood through the region to aid with recovery and decrease pain.
- Exercise to help strengthen and stretch weak and tight muscles.
- If in doubt, check all homework by us first – it’s always better to get tailor-made care when injured.
Other forms of treatment include splinting, steroid injection and surgery. These forms are either more disabling to begin with, or more invasive. We always try to take a gentler approach to start and leave these treatments for those instances that do not respond to gentler techniques.
If you need help with thumb or wrist pain call us today on (416) 546-4887 to begin your journey to pain-free movement… and happiness! Now that’s something we’ll give a thumbs up to! 👍🏼
References
1. Physiopedia. 2020. De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis. [Online]. Available from: https://www.physio-pedia.com/De_Quervain%27s_Tenosynovitis. [Accessed 06 Oct 2020].
2. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2013. De Quervain’s Tendinosis. [Online]. Available from: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/de-quervains-tendinosis/. [Accessed 06 Oct 2020].
3. Ali, M. et al. 2014. Frequency of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis and its association with SMS texting. Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons Journal. 4 (1). 74-78. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4049654/
4. Oh, JK. et al. 2017. Effectiveness of Corticosteroid Injections for Treatment of de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis. Hand. 12 (4). 357-361. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5484456/