Tennis Elbow (also called lateral epicondylitis) is an overuse injury that occurs where the muscles of the forearm attach to the elbow. Although it is named “Tennis Elbow” because of its frequent occurrence among tennis players, it can affect other athletes as well as those who participate in leisure or work activities that require repetitive arm, elbow, wrist, and hand movement, especially while tightly gripping something. Tennis Elbow is typically diagnosed by a medical doctor from a description of symptoms and a few simple muscle tests. Symptoms of Tennis Elbow include: pain/tenderness on the outer part of the elbow, pain from gripping, with or without movements of the wrist and lifting movements, and pain from activities that involve extending the wrist (e.g. pouring a container of liquid, lifting with the palm down and sweeping – especially when wrist movement is required).
Initially, it is recommended that one avoid activities that exacerbate the symptoms of tennis elbow as well as use ice to alleviate the pain and reduce inflammation. Once the initial symptoms have subsided, Tennis Elbow is usually successfully treated with conservative interventions such as physical therapy and chiropractic care to decrease pain and restore mobility and strength to the affected arm. In addition, acupuncture treatments and massage therapy have been shown to be quite effective in treating tennis elbow.
Monmouth Pain & Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary facility offering chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, physical therapy and weight loss to help you get you back to what you enjoy doing! Call (732) 345-1377 or fill out the form on this page to request a free consultation ($245 value). We have offices conveniently located in Shrewsbury and Wall Township.
Do you notice pain in your elbow while swinging a golf club? Does this pain prevent you from driving the golf ball as far as the pro’s do? If so, you may be suffering from Golfer’s elbow, otherwise known as Medial Epicondylitis. This frustrating and treatable condition is common among golfers.
Golfer’s elbow is an irritation on the inside of the elbow. It is often associated with an overhand throw, a golf swing, or use of a hammer. Sometimes this condition begins with an acute sprain or strain from the forearm muscles being overworked. Symptoms include pain on the inside of the elbow when lifting the wrist or hand, pain when twisting the forearm, or when making a fist. The area may be slightly swollen or tender to the touch. If the problem is chronic, additional symptoms can include stiffness in the elbow or weakness in the hands or wrist.
Golfer’s elbow can be slow to heal, but don’t get discouraged; conservative treatment can give excellent results! During the initial presentation, it’s important to rest until the pain subsides. You can always place an ice pack over the painful area for 15-20 minutes several times a day. Make sure your skin has completely warmed up before using ice again. Early chiropractic adjustments and physical therapy are highly recommended to restore motion in the wrist, elbow, and shoulder to speed up recovery. Massage therapy of the forearm which includes myofascial release, trigger point therapy and friction massage will assist in relaxing the forearm musculature and breaking up scar tissue that has formed. Ultrasound therapy and laser therapy are other forms of treatment that can be beneficial in reducing pain and inflammation.
When it’s time for you to return to play, it’s important to stretch your forearm muscles to prevent re-injury! Simple stretches such as wrist flexion and extension will help loosen the muscles. Your chiropractor or physical therapist can always recommend an elbow brace or kinesiology tape to wear while playing golf. Just remember, golfers elbow will not heal if it’s not allowed to rest!
If you are suffering from a gym or other sports injury and are looking to find relief, don’t hesitate – Call Monmouth Pain & Rehabilitation for a consultation and exam. Feel free to fill out a form on our website. If you are looking for faster service, give us a call at 732-345-1377.
Below are some simple exercises to help strengthen and stretch those muscles.
Gentle wrist flexion and wrist extension, start with 1lb and increase the weight when it becomes easy!
Over a million people are diagnosed with whiplash each year in the USA alone. Whiplash is caused by a quick jerking motion of the head and symptoms can include an achy neck and shoulder muscles, stiffness through your joints, headaches and even numbness and tingling down the arms. When your body is hit either through the contact with another body such as in a sporting event or with the seat in a car crash your torso gets thrown forward as your neck gets thrown backwards then forward very quickly. In severe cases spinal nerves and joints can be damaged but most likely the injury occurs to the ligaments, muscles and tendons. In some cases, concussion also known as mild traumatic brain injury can occur. When not treated properly symptoms and chronic pain can persist with up to 50% of whiplash victims never making a full recovery. When the accident appears severe immediate medical attention is usually provided, but in other cases symptoms can take days to weeks to manifest which is when you should seek medical care. X-rays should always be taken to rule out fractures or dislocations of the vertebrae or facet joints. With more severe cases an MRI or CT scan of the neck and head may be needed to better diagnose potentially torn ligaments, spinal cord damage or herniated discs and rule out fatal instability. When medically cleared it is important to start treatment with Physical Therapy or Chiropractic care to improve symptoms as quickly as possible. A patient’s prognosis significantly improves when they are able to safely keep their necks moving through stretching and mobilization. With an individualized plan of care patients work through strengthening exercises to reduce risk of re-injury. A passive treatment that may be incorporated is infrared light therapy; known to decrease pain and speed up the healing of injuries by improving circulation. Associated treatments are available including Massage Therapy which works to reduce muscle spasm, combat inflammation and promote relaxation; and Acupuncture, working to reduce pain and inflammation by inserting very thin needles into specific energy points to stimulate healing by releasing endorphins and serotonin. If you have experienced a whip lash injury the practitioners at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation can help. Our facility has on staff Medical Doctors, Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Acupuncturists and Massage Therapists. Our team works collaboratively to create a customized treatment plan for each patient designed to help you recover from your injury. Fill out the form on this page or call 732-345-1377 and mention this blog to receive a FREE consultation ($245 value).
They can be sudden, happen un-expectantly and quickly. In the middle of your dead lift workout you reach down to pick up that barbell and pain in your back stops you in your tracks instead.
They can develop over time. You have been training for a marathon and now there is a pain in the arch of your foot with each step, running or walking.
Does this mean you stop lifting weights or give up on that dream of running a marathon? No, of course not. But it does mean that it’s time to treat your injuries and bring your body back to a healthy state. It can also be time to start a regular routine of care that could help you avoid future injuries.
Consulting a doctor for treatment in regards to your gym injury is a great option. Our doctors are experts at treating the spine, of course, but they are also highly trained in many other musculoskeletal problems. They are skilled at treating both an injury to get the body back to a healthy state, as well as, focusing on the body’s overall structure and balance.
We use safe and effective methods that promote they body’s own natural healing process. Treatments include rehabilitation of the spine. However, they can also include rehabilitation of the extremities and joints increasing range of motion and promoting healing at the site of injuries.
Some examples of gym injuries include:
Tennis Elbow
Golfer’s Elbow
Tendonitis
Rotator Cuff Injury
Strains
Sprains
Shin Splints
Shoulder Injury
Neck Injury
Back / Disc Injury
Plantar Fascitis
If you feel pain, you should seek treatment for any injury as soon as possible. Getting the proper diagnosis and treatment from the earliest onset of the injury has been known to increase the healing process, getting you back to the gym to train.
At Monmouth Pain & Rehabilitation our highly trained providers will use a consultation and exam for the diagnosis process. Depending on the type of injury and severity, additional tests may be needed. For example, an MRI or x-rays may be used to confirm a diagnosis for proper treatment.
Once a diagnosis is confirmed a treatment plan is created. It may include chiropractic care, physical therapy, deep-tissue massage, acupuncture, laser treatment or interventional pain management.
The goal is always the same. Getting you out of pain and healthy enough to get back to the gym. We want you enjoying your workout routine, whatever it is.
If you are suffering from a gym or other sports injury and are looking to find relief, don’t hesitate – Call Monmouth Pain & Rehabilitation for a consultation and exam. Feel free to fill out a form submission on our website. If you are looking for faster service, give us a call at 732-345-1377. Just tell them that you read this article and you will receive our complimentary in-office evaluation (a $145 value).
Ever feel like you are caught in a downward spiral of joint pain and stiffness, inactivity and loss of mobility, increasing pain, decreasing activity, etc.? Unfortunately, this pattern is far too common in patients suffering from the debilitating effects of arthritis. Joint pain and stiffness caused by arthritis can lead patients to a sedentary lifestyle to avoid pain. Ironically, lack of movement and exercise causes more joint pain and stiffness from lack of use. The decreased joint movement causes further degeneration of cartilage and can increase the likelihood of bone spur growth in cases of osteoarthritis. This becomes a vicious cycle leaving its victims feeling discouraged and wondering what to do.
Solution: “Motion is Lotion”
Joint pain and stiffness is one of the most common complaints that bring patients to see their doctor each year. This condition is generally treated on an outpatient basis with anti-inflammatory medications. In addition, doctors recommend exercise to strengthen muscle and counteract the effects of joint pain and stiffness. In fact, many doctors recommend physical therapy to help strengthen muscles and alleviate stiffness.
A physical therapist can teach patients proper stretching techniques and exercise routines to help combat joint pain and stiffness. This helps improve mobility, which further defends against the progression of the vicious cycle of joint pain and stiffness and decreased activity level. Physical therapists are very knowledgeable about the best exercises and at-home routines to help provide relief to patients suffering with arthritis. The main goal of physical therapy for patients with arthritis is to improve mobility and decrease both current and future debilitating pain, muscle aches, and joint stiffness that limit their activity level. Physical therapy can also delay the need for joint replacement surgery in advanced cases. Studies have shown that physical therapy can even provide more pain relief from joint pain and stiffness than medications.
Here at Monmouth Pain & Rehabilitation, we use a multi-disciplined approach to combat the effects of arthritis pain and stiffness and enable our patients to maintain the most active lifestyle possible. In addition to treatment in our experienced physical therapy department, we offer various chiropractic techniques such as Power Plate programs and cold laser therapy, acupuncture and massage therapy to reduce pain and stiffness and improve functional mobility.
When your sore after shoveling your muscles feel like they have been injured…and they have! You use muscles that may not be used in other physical activities you participate in and they definitely feel the effects.
Your muscles are attached to your bones and pain in your muscles is controlled by your nerves. Stiff, tight and contracted muscles usually point towards nervous system and skeletal issues. Regular chiropractic adjustments insure that your vertebrae are moving as they are supposed to.
Massage after an injury can help by manipulating the soft tissue layers of your muscles. Massage works by breaking up any stuck muscle fibers or connective tissue that were injured or tightened during shoveling. Any type of massage can help relieve the pain but concentrated Trigger Point or Deep Tissue can be very effective in loosening tight muscles. If you can’t handle deep pressure, Swedish Massage can be effective in relaxing your muscle and bringing more blood flow to the area which is beneficial as well.
Chiropractic and massage increase in effectiveness when used together.
Faster Healing –The spine and soft tissue depend on each other to function and are often both impacted from an injury. Patients who receive both therapies will often experience a faster and more complete recovery as a result of the less isolated treatment.
Improved Circulation – Massage can improve blood flow through congested areas and release lactic acid, while chiropractic relieves pressure on nerves due to subluxations.
Greater Range of Motion –Much like spinal adjustments, massages are able to improve the flexibility and mobility of impacted areas such as muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissue.
Easier Adjustments – Massage relaxes the body and reduces muscle tension, allowing for easy and effective adjustments.
A combination of chiropractic and massage can help insure that you are back to your old self in time for the next snow storm!
When snow does strike keep our Snow Shoveling Safety Tips in mind!
• Keep up with the storm.
• Give yourself time to shovel, don’t rush! A good pace while shoveling is 15 scoops per minute.
• Take a few minutes to warm up your muscles. Stretching before you start shoveling will help prevent injury and fatigue. • Wear breathable layers.
• Wear good boots.
• Stay hydrated. You should drink the same amount of water as you would if you were running 5 miles.
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