Tag Archives: arm

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

May 4, 2017 Teresa Stockton - Blog, Industrial Rehab, Wrist

The Following are Seen as Causes of Repetitive Strain Injury:

The overuse of muscles in our hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck and back
The area is affected by repeated actions, which are usually performed on a daily basis over a long period
The repetitive actions are done in a cold place
Forceful movements are involved
Workstations are poorly organized
Equipment is badly designed
The individual commonly adopts an awkward posture
There are not enough rest breaks

Prevention 101: Nine Easy Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Developing Repetitive Strain Injury:

TAKE BREAKS when using your computer. Every hour or so, get up and walk around, get a drink of water, stretch whatever muscles are tight, and look out the window at a far off object (to rest your eyes).
Use good posture. If you can’t hold good posture, it probably means it’s time for you to take a break from typing. If you are perpetually struggling to maintain good posture, you probably need to adjust your workstation or chair, or develop some of the support muscles necessary for good posture.
Use an ergonomically-optimized workstation to reduce strain on your body.
Exercise regularly. Include strengthening, stretching, and aerobic exercises. Yoga and pilates may also be helpful.
Only use the computer as much as you have to. Don’t email people when you could walk down the hall or pick up the phone and talk to them. It’s not only better for your hands – it’s friendlier. Think before you type to avoid unnecessary editing.
Don’t stretch for the hard-to-reach keys, e.g. BACKSPACE, ENTER, SHIFT, and CONTROL… basically everything but the letters. Instead, move your entire hand so that you may press the desired key with ease. This is crucial when you are programming or typing something where non-letter keys are used extensively.
Let your hands float above the keyboard when you type, and move your entire arm when moving your mouse or typing hard-to-reach keys, keeping the wrist joint straight at all times. This lets the big muscles in your arm, shoulder, and back do most of the work, instead of the smaller, weaker, and more vulnerable muscles in your hand and wrist. If you find it difficult to do this, then your shoulder and back muscles are probably too weak. It is OK, and in fact a good idea, to rest your elbows/wrists when you are not typing.
Use two hands to type combination key strokes, such as those involving the SHIFT and CONTROL keys.
When writing, avoid gripping the writing utensil tightly. Someone should be able to easily pull the writing utensil out of your hand when you are writing. If your pen or pencil requires you to press too hard, get a new one (my favorite is Dr. Grip Gel Ink).

Article provided by Fit2WRK. The information noted above is a summary of one of the components of Fit2WRK.

PT News

October 25, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Blog, PT News

This Month in PT News. Featuring articles from PTandMe partnering clinics!

2. Coping with a Mysterious Pain Syndrome
Written by the Therapy Team at the Jackson Clinics – Middleburg, VA

As its name suggests, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a complicated and painful condition. Approximately 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with CRPS each year, usually in the arm, hand, leg or foot. Read more

3. Is Something Better than Nothing?
Written by Erin Clason at the Center for Physical Rehabilitation – Grand Rapids, MI

When it comes to strength training, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” Most of us are aware of the benefits of strength training in areas like everyday physical function, bone rebuilding, self-confidence, fat reduction, and elevated metabolism. Read more

The Most Common Causes of Pitching Arm Injuries

July 5, 2016 Teresa Stockton - Arm, Blog, Sports and Fitness

The most common causes of pitching arm injuries to high school, college and professional pitchers are overload, overuse, lack of proper conditioning and improper throwing mechanics.

• Overload is the result of throwing too many pitches during one outing. Maximum pitch counts for various age groups, or for an individual pitcher’s normal strength and stamina, are effective in preventing overload.

• Overuse is the result of pitching too often and not having an adequate recovery time or a good arm maintenance program (stretching, running, strengthening, throwing) between pitching assignments. Coaches and trainers should be aware that each individual pitcher varies in arm strength, arm fatigue, arm tightness and soreness and require different recovery time needs. Make certain you provide your pitcher with a good active recovery program between pitching assignments.

• Proper conditioning involves the entire body; the legs and core muscles as well as the throwing arm. Coaches should supervise a proper stretching and warm-up procedure that is performed daily before throwing a ball.

• Pre-season is one of the most frequent times for arm injuries. Pitchers throw too much and too hard, too early. Also, they have not ingrained their normal rhythm and often are attempting to learn new techniques or new pitches. Another major factor of injury during pre-season is that pitchers are not working with a normal in-season rotation schedule and do not get enough recovery time from a lot of necessary drill work that involves throwing (pick-offs, defensive plays, etc.).

• Improper throwing mechanics. If a pitcher has improper throwing techniques, with the body or arm, there is a great chance of early fatigue of the throwing mechanism, and of course injury. The more power and force generated, the greater the chance of injury. In a competitive situation, most pitchers will not admit they are fatigued, experiencing minor pain or have a minor injury. It is important that you, a coach, trainer or physical therapist be able to recognize changes in the pitcher’s mechanics, performance, or mannerisms.

This information about common causes of pitching arm injuries was written by University Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy group with eight locations in New River Valley, Virginia. University PT is THE choice for outstanding sports rehabilitation, physical therapy and occupational therapy services. For more information click here.