Progression conditions respond to simple care. Things you probably do not know about.

overuse-strain-injurygEORGE is in charge of his family reunion. Suddenly, the computer usually reserved for keeping track of his finances and writing an occasional letter is doing overtime. In one weekend, George spent 12 hours working at his computer researching sites for the gathering, writing a newsletter and compiling a family history.

Maria is an amateur musician, but finding time to practice is difficult with her busy schedule. She’s been asked to play her violin at a friend’s anniversary party. So he decides to spend most of the weekend sharpening her skills and expanding her repertoire.

A common overuse strain injury is carpal tunnel syndrome. The carpal tunnel is a passage way under the carpal ligament that contains the median nerve and tendons that bend your fingers. Prolonged flexion or extension of your wrists can cause swelling of membrane linings around tendons. Swelling reduces the size of the carpal tunnel and compresses the median nerve. The result is numbness, tingling or pain starting in the wrist, fingers or forearm.

What do George and Maria have been in common? Both are a risk of overuse strain injuries, painful but often preventable conditions.

You may associate overuse injuries with the workplace. Factory employees’ keyboard operators and meat cutters are among those most commonly affected by the injury. But the motions reacquired for their jobs are imitated in many of your daily activities.

Most obvious Symptom is pain

An overuse strain injury results from overusing muscles and tendons. Most of these injuries occur in your hand, wrist and arm. The most noticeable symptom is pain. But an overuse injury can also cause tingling, weakness, numbness, swelling and stiffness.

Injury may be cause by more than just repetition. You’re more likely to become injured if you aren’t conditioned for prolonged activities or your movements are combined with forcefulness or an awkward position.

Common Conditions

Overuse strain injuries describe a variety of injuries to tendons and muscles. There four are among the most common.

Carpal tunnel syndrome- The carpal tunnel is a passage way under the carpal ligament that contains the median nerve and tendons that bend your fingers. Overuse can cause swelling of the membrane linings (sheaths) surrounding the tendons. Swelling compresses the median nerve.

The result is numbness, tingling or pain starting in the wrist and moving down into your thumb and first three fingers or back toward your elbow. Symptoms may be worse at night.

Computer users like George are the stereotype of people who get carpal stereotype of people who get Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. But, it can affect people who spend long periods with their wrist in flexed or extended positions, especially if their movements include pinching or gripping.

People who work quickly as grocery clerks, factory employees or mechanical may be prone to his injury. But hobbyists like Maria can develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome through activities such as playing certain musical instruments, needle work and canoeing. The combination of pressure and vibration such as using an electric drill or lawn mower can also cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

Tennis elbow. You don’t have to spend time on the courts to have this condition. Any combination of rotating your wrist using force—from playing golf to using a manual screwdriver—can cause a form of epicondylitis.

The pain begins near your elbow and many move toward the outside of your forearm. The actual injury may be tiny tears in the tendons that attach the muscles.

Tendinitis. The cause of inflamed tendon near your wrist, elbow or shoulder is most often excessive exercise, beyond what you used to. Repeated movements such as using a paint brush above shoulder level contribute to this type of injury. When tendonitis affects your shoulder, pain can cause you to limit range of motion. In turn, tendonitis can progress to a “frozen shoulder,” in which ligaments and tendons near joint continue to stiffen until the joint barely moves.

Trigger finger. A popping or catching sensation when you bend your finger is the source of nickname of this type of tenosynovitis. However, tenosynovitis can also affect your wrist or shoulder. When it occurs in your hand, tenosynovitis results from swelling of the tendon sheath in your finger or thumb, preventing the tendon from gliding easily through the membrane lining. Countless repetitions of the same hand movements can cause the inflammation.

Early Treatment Means Early Cure. Treating an overuse injury can be a taking over-the-counter pain relievers and stopping for rest breaks at the first sign of pain. The further an injury progresses, the more aggressive the care.

To prevent an overuse injury from getting worse:

Treat the pain. Apply heat or cold to ease the pain. As tolerated, take nosteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and non

  • Treat the pain. Apply heat or cold to ease the pain. As tolerated, take no- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium.
  • Rest. Don’t keep pushing yourself in spite of your pain. Overuse injuries usually heal if you stop the activity that’s aggravating the condition. It may take several weeks for the pain to go away completely.
  • Immobilize the injured area. One way to stop the pain is to wear a splint that prohibits the aggravating movement. For carpal tunnel syndrome, you can purchase a splint that holds your wrist steady while allowing you to keep up with most of your regular task. Even if you don’t need a splint all day, wearing a splint at night may help hold your wrist in a neutral position that relieves the pressure on your median nerve.

If you have tennis elbow, a special pressure bandage purchased from a medical supply store and worn over your forearm can relieve symptoms.

If symptoms persist despite rest and self-care:

  • Talk to your doctor. A prescription analgesic or antidepressant can help manage persistent pain. Your doctor may also want to exclude the possibility of other joint problems such as osteoarthritis.
  • Take advantage of physical therapy. Cold and heat applications, ultrasound or electrical stimulation to block nerve pathways can relieve persistent pain and help restore normal muscle function.

A physical therapist can also show your exercises and proper movements that can improve strength and flexibility. Learning simple range-of-motion activities can reduce the likelihood of tendinitis progressing to frozen shoulder.

  • Consider surgery a last resort. A corticosteroid injection may relieve severe pain that doesn’t respond to traditional treatments. In rare case when it doesn’t, you may need surgery.

Carpal tunnel surgery involves dividing the carpal ligament to relieve pressure on the median nerve. Similarly, surgery for trigger finger relieves pressure by making an incision in the membrane, allowing the tendon to glide freely.