Olympian long-distance cyclists are at risk for this condition, as are professional baseball pitchers, but you could be too. Do you notice numbness, tingling or pain radiating into your arm and hand on the side of the little finger? “Handlebar Palsy” or Ulnar Neuropathy can be caused by the repeated jarring of the wrists and hands when cycling. The result is an inflammation of the ulnar nerve, a major nerve in your arm that runs down your hand. Inflammation of the ulnar nerve can occur in several areas as it travels from your neck to your hand. Resting your elbows on hard surfaces for a long period may cause a slight inflammation, but intense physical activity such as long-distance biking or repeatedly pitching a baseball are more likely to cause the serious cases of this condition.
Watch for numbness, tingling or pain in the forearm or hand on the side of the little finger. Pain and numbness in the elbow may also be present, with decreased hand grip and the inability to pinch together the thumb and the little finger. The ulnar nerve often becomes trapped in the elbow, as the space it has to travel through in this area is limited. This is called “Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.”
Although ice, rest and anti-inflammatory medications may help initially, if the pain and tingling persist, seek the advice of a specialist trained to evaluate and rehabilitate the hands and upper body. This doctor will review your symptoms and ask about your lifestyle and activities. He or she will examine your neck, shoulder, arm and wrist. The doctor may order tests such as a nerve conduction study (NCS) or an electromyogram (EMG). EMG is a procedure where electrodes are placed into the muscles and on the skin to measure the health of muscles and the nerves that control them, to help identify the area of nerve damage and determine the severity of the condition.
The exact cause of the condition must be determined, and behavioral changes must be made to reduce the pressure on the nerve. Wrist splints may be prescribed to reduce discomfort. If the cause is from bicycling, it may help to wear padded gloves and to change your hand position on the handlebars frequently. Oral anti-inflammatory medications and B vitamins may also be prescribed. Typically these minimally invasive measures will alleviate the condition, but if not, surgery may be required. The vast majority of patients respond favorably to some type of surgery to correct this condition.
If the nerve is trapped in the elbow, Cubital Tunnel Release surgery can be effective. This is typically done on an outpatient basis, and individuals can go home the same day. The area known as the cubital tunnel is cut to allow more room for the nerve to pass through. As healing occurs, new tissue is formed and fills in this area. The recovery period for this type of surgery includes wearing a splint for a few weeks and physical rehabilitation therapy to return full range of motion and strength to the arm and hand.
Repetitious motions or constant jarring of the arm cause the inflammation of the ulnar nerve. Try to reduce activities that repeatedly stress this area, and take frequent breaks with arm stretching when you can. If you are a bicyclist, wear padded gloves and move your hand position on the handlebars frequently.
If you are experiencing pain, stiffness or tingling in your hands, arms or shoulder, contact Dr. Rehman for a comprehensive evaluation and treatment plan. Her team of hand therapists will help you return to your activity with full use of your arm or hand. Call 586-532-0803 for more information.
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!
The quintessential game of summer in America is baseball, and we all have our favorite Tiger. Kids and adults alike love to engage in the sport, and baseball teams and games abound – from organized Little League events to the match-up between competing departments at the company picnic. It’s all fun and games, but accidental injuries can happen, and then what?
A forceful blow to the tip of a finger – as can occur when catching a flying baseball—can create an injury called Mallet Finger (also sometimes known as Baseball Finger). When this injury occurs, the tendon attached to the end of the fingertip is damaged by the blunt force trauma of the flying baseball. Often, the finger cannot be extended fully, and pain, redness, tenderness and swelling are also present.
The hands and wrists are comprised of delicate bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles, all working together to allow the hands to perform the finest of movements. If an injury like this occurs, choose a specially-trained hand doctor, an orthopedic surgeon, to evaluate your condition and prescribe the right treatment. Reach out for treatment soon after the injury occurs, to make sure you can attain a full recovery and the injury does not become permanent.
A physical exam will be conducted, and sometimes an X-Ray may be needed to insure the bones in the finger are not fractured. Treatment typically involves straightening the finger and placing it into a split to keep it stabilized. This splint may need to be worn up to 6 weeks. This will allow the tendon to reattach to the finger or, if a piece of bone has been pulled off, to allow the bone to heal. The finger will most likely be swollen, so apply ice packs 20 to 30 minutes 3 to 4 times per day, or until the pain is gone. To reduce pain and swelling, elevate your hand on a pillow when you are lying down, or place it on the back of the chair or couch if you are sitting. Physical therapy exercises may be prescribed, and the more faithful you are in performing these, the sooner you can expect to heal.
You should expect to wear the splint for at least 6 weeks after the injury. If you wear the splint as the doctor has recommended, you may be able to return to your activities sooner. Not wearing the splint could lead to permanent damage and deformity to the finger.
Contact Dr. Rehman and her team of specialists today if you are experiencing pain or tenderness in your hands, wrists, arm or elbow. She is an orthopedic doctor who specializes in treating these areas of the body, and is a Board Certified and experienced hand surgeon, in the event that surgery is required. Call her office today at 586-532-0803 for more information.
With warmer weather, everyone is more active and outdoors more frequently. That can up the odds of having an accident, either slipping and falling, or an injury in a ball game or other sport. A fall onto your wrist or hand, or a strike from an object, or a forced twisting of the wrist can all cause a wrist sprain.
A sprain of any type is an injury that causes a stretch or tear to a ligament. Ligaments are the strong bands of tissue that connect one bone to another in your body. Your wrist is comprised of eight bones that attach to your hand and to your forearm. The wrist joint itself is covered by a joint capsule and the bones are connected to each other by ligaments. When an accident occurs and the wrist is sprained, the ligaments that connect the bones are damaged. Pain, swelling and tenderness in the wrist typically accompany such an injury.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Wrist Sprains
An orthopedic doctor, such as Dr. Rehman, who specializes in the hands, wrists and shoulders, is the best person to diagnose this condition. She will review your symptoms and do a physical exam of the wrist. An X-ray may be needed to insure no bones have been broken.
Treatment may include:
Ice packs on the wrist for 20 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days, or until the pain is gone
Elevating your wrist on the back of a chair or couch while sitting, or on a pillow when lying down
Oral anti-inflammatory or other pain medication may be prescribed
A splint or a cast may be needed to support and stabilize the wrist, and prevent further injury
Specific exercises to strengthen and stretch the wrist may be prescribed by your physician
While recovering from an injury, if you are involved in a sport or activity that uses the wrist, you may have to change to a different type of activity until the wrist is fully healed.
With the short summers in Michigan, people are often anxious to get back to their sport. In general, the longer you have symptoms before you begin rehabilitation, the longer the time period of recovery. Returning to your sport or activity will be determined by your rate of healing, rather than a set number of days or weeks. Continuing to perform the activity while the wrist is injured could cause permanent damage. Resting the injured area, icing as noted above, and dedication to executing the exercises with the correct form will also positively influence your rate of healing. The goal of rehabilitation is to get you back to full function as soon as it is safe for you to do so.
When the injured wrist has full range of motion and no pain, you may return to your activity. Prior to this, the doctor may allow you to perform the activity with your wrist in a brace. Ultimately, your injured wrist, hand and forearm need to have the same strength as the uninjured side. You must not have any pain when doing activities such as swinging a bat or a racquet or performing tumbling in gymnastics.
If you are having pain in your wrist, hand, shoulder or arm, contact Dr. Rehman today at 586-582-0803. Getting a complete and thorough evaluation and a comprehensive treatment program will get you on the road to recovery. The sooner you begin the healing process, the sooner you can get back to your activity.
Today, children are participating in sports at earlier ages than ever before. And the demands on their bodies continue to increase.Young baseball pitchers are especially at risk for arm and shoulder injuries. But a new program, aimed at injury prevention, could help these young athletes reduce their chances of injury.
At a recent Specialty Day conference, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) revealed the results of a research study designed to analyze the effects of a well-monitored preseason training program for young pitchers. The study involved 143 pitchers, whose median age was 15.7 years. The program was supervised by an athletic trainer and included resistance training with dumbbell weights and elastic tubing, as well as a focused flexibility program. The time commitment from the youth pitchers was approximately 15 minutes, four times per week.
Numerous arm flexibility and strength improvements were noted in the athletes who participated in the program, versus those without the special training. Of particular note was the fact that young pitchers in the special program, who had had a previous injury, were four times less likely to suffer an injury than those in the general arm care program.
The AOSSM is a world leader in sports medicine, education and research. They work closely with sports medicine specialists, orthopedic physicians and rehabilitation professionals to promote the STOP Sports Injuries campaign, to prevent overuse and traumatic injuries to youth athletes.
If your young athlete is having pain, stiffness or weakness in his or her hand, arm, elbow or shoulder, contact Dr. Rehman today at 586-532-0803. Awareness, early intervention and a comprehensive evaluation and treatment plan will get your child back with their teammates, with no risk of long-term damage.
And isn’t safety the most important part of today’s youth sports programs?
These terms can be easily confused when discussing conditions or injuries to the body. First remember: both tendons and ligaments are part of the musculoskeletal system, comprised of all the bones, muscles and connective tissues in your body.Tendons and ligaments are two types of connective tissues; they are both comprised of dense layers of collagen fibers.
Ligaments attach bones to bones
Tendons attach muscles to bones
Ligaments are the connectors, linking bones together at the various joints throughout the body. They allow for all the range of motion that joints can perform. Just look at the amazing variety of movements your hand and fingers and wrist can do. The ligaments in your body support, strengthen and stabilize the joints.
Tendons are the connectors that allow your muscles to be attached to the bones of your body. They aid in the overall movement of your body by transmitting force from the muscle to the bone. They vary greatly in size and shape, depending on the size of the muscle and the size of the bone to which it is attached.
Both tendons and ligaments are very sturdy for the most part, but excessive pressure, forceful trauma or even repetitious movements can cause damage and injury to these important structures.
Pain is the number one signal that a problem is occurring in the tendons or ligaments of the body. Other conditions that can also be present are redness, heat and/or swelling. If you are experiencing chronic or acute pain in the joints of your body, seek treatment from a board certified osteopathic doctor such as Dr. Rehman. A thorough evaluation will be conducted, and a multi-modality treatment program may be recommended to help you get back to living an active, pain-free life.
Middle school and high school football and cheerleading are back in full swing, and the potential for sprains is increased. Twisting, falling, a blow to the body, or slipping can all result in soft tissue damage.
Ligaments are the strong bands of tissue that connect the bones of the body together. They stabilize and support the body’s joints. A stretch or a tear to a ligament is called a sprain. These types of injuries can occur slowly over time, or they can be of sudden onset—due to an accident, a fall, twisting or landing wrong. Football players and cheerleaders alike are susceptible to strains; the most common areas injured are the knees, ankles or wrist. Sudden twisting can damage the ligaments that stabilize the ankle or the knee, and falling on the outstretched hand can injure the ligaments in the wrist.
Sprains are classified into three categories:
Grade 1 – Mild- Involves slight stretching and some damage to the ligaments.
Grade 2 – Moderate – Is indicated when the ligament is partially torn; looseness in the joint may be noticeable.
Grade 3 – Severe – This diagnosis is indicated when there is a complete tear of the ligament. The joint involved will be basically non-functional.
Considerable pain may be involved, the severity of which will be related to the amount of damage incurred. Bruising, swelling and inflammation will also be present.
The best protocol to follow is to rest and ice the affected area for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day, using cold packs. An elastic compression bandage may be of help to reduce additional swelling. Along those same lines, elevating the injured area can help reduce swelling. If the injury is especially severe, surgery may be required for the recovery of full range of motion in the joint.
Even with proper treatment, strains may take a prolonged time to heal. With the delicate bones and ligaments of the wrist, especially, if an injury does not seem to be resolving, contact a Board Certified Orthopedic specialist such as Dr. Rehman for a full evaluation and comprehensive treatment plan. She is best equipped to determine whether surgery is needed. Plus, her team of therapists can augment your treatment with specialized exercise programs or physical therapy, so a full and complete recovery is assured.
Going for that pop fly can be a game changer, but so can a finger injury. Getting the tip of your finger hit by a speeding ball can be painful and put an end to summer fun, if not diagnosed and treated properly.
Not just restricted to baseball, this type of injury is known in the medical community as “mallet finger”. It happens when the tip of a finger is hit with some force by any blunt object, and it can result in the tendon being partially or completely torn. One of the key indicators of this injury is the inability to fully extend the finger – the last joint will appear bent or will fold in toward the palm. Pain or swelling at the tip of the finger, or numbness at the tip can also be symptoms.
It is important to seek proper medical attention immediately after such an injury. Those who don’t risk having the inability to extend their finger become a permanent condition. Typically splinting of the finger will be employed, thus allowing the tendon to heal. X-rays may be needed to make sure a fracture is not present and to insure the joint is properly aligned for healing. If either of these conditions is present, surgery could be required.
Always seek out a Board Certified orthopedic doctor such as Doctor Rehman, for a full evaluation and comprehensive treatment plan. Her team of specialists each has more than ten years of experience rehabilitating conditions of the hand, arm and shoulder. A full recovery is your desired outcome, and you will have the best chance to achieve that by working with Dr. Rehman and her team. If you are experiencing pain in the hand or fingers, contact Dr. Rehman today.
A fall onto the outstretched palm of the hand can often result in a broken wrist, or a distal radius fracture. The radius is the larger bone in the forearm that connects the hand to the elbow; it is on the thumb side of the hand. Bike accidents, skateboarding accidents, slip and fall accidents on wet pavement, even tripping over a rug and landing on the outstretched hand can result in this type of fracture. Children and the elderly are most at risk, but a distal radius fracture can happen to anyone.
This type of injury requires quick intervention by an orthopedic specialist who concentrates on the hands and upper limbs. Because it is so important that the bones are re-set correctly, so that the wrist is in proper alignment as it heals, early intervention is of utmost importance. This is one injury you don’t want to try to fix yourself. Stabilize the wrist, and then seek professional help right away.
The stronger you are, if you experience such an injury, the more likely you will be to have a successful recovery. A lifestyle that includes training with light weights, Yoga, swimming, or even water aerobics can help with strength in the arms and the hands. And be sure to review your nutrition for adequate amounts of Vitamin D and calcium, to help maintain bone strength.
Dr. Rehman is a Board Certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in treating hand and upper limb injuries and conditions. Her team includes Occupational Therapists with specialized training, and her office delivers a wide range of services to rehabilitate the hand and upper limbs.
If you have suffered an injury to the wrist, contact Dr. Rehman today for a thorough evaluation and successful treatment, so you can get back out in the sun and having fun!
The hands and wrists contain so many bones, ligaments, tendons and joints, it is no wonder these areas are commonly injured in summertime fun! But with proper care, treatment and rest, athletes can typically expect a full recovery.
Injuries can be defined as two types: traumatic injuries or overuse injuries. Traumatic injuries usually involve muscle sprains or strains, tendon inflammation or ligament tears, or broken bones. The most common sports-related fractures occur to the fingers. Overuse injuries tend to be more chronic, and can include tendon inflammation, nerve damage, and even stress fractures.
If you injure your hand or wrist, and a physician is not on-site, be sure to seek medical attention immediately if you are experiencing:
Severe pain or severe swelling
Numbness
A feeling of coldness or a grayish cast to the skin of the affected area
Abnormal twisting or bending of the hand or finger
A clicking or grating noise when you move the afflicted appendage
Bleeding that does not slow or lasts longer than 15 minutes
In the case of minor injuries, home treatments such as rest, elevating the afflicted limb, applying ice and/or compression can alleviate some of the symptoms. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can also be used to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain and stiffness.
Reduce the chances of an injury by stretching the fingers before activities, and use wrist guards and gloves for protection. To reduce the likelihood of overuse injuries, as are common in golf and tennis, be sure to take frequent breaks, utilize proper form and techniques, and wear protective gear if possible.
Hopefully your summer will be full of nothing but fun! But if you do sustain an injury, contact Dr. Rehman and her team at Midwest Hand Therapy to get you back in the swing before summer is gone!
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