Hands For Living_Tendonitis A Common Ailment You Should Kno…

Hands For Living_Tendonitis A Common Ailment You Should Kno…

NEWSLETTER

Tendonits: A Common Ailment You Should Know More About

The Benefits of Hand Therapy for Upper

Extremity Tendonitis

www.handsforliving.com

NEWSLETTER What to do when your hobbies make you hurt... By: Laurie Walters, OTR/L, CHT

INSIDE: • WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR

Knitting is one of my favorite hobbies, one that took me years to get beyond the initial learning curve. Knitting has been proven to boost self- esteem, lower heart rate, lower blood pressure and reduce cortisol levels (stress hormone), but it can alsomake aging or injured hands hurt.This seems to apply to almost all hobbies doesn’t it? So, what should we do, just give up? NO! As an occupational therapist, I just cannot accept that as a solution. There is always a way that we can modifyour activities and hobbies so that we can live our lives to the fullest. If you are also a knitter, try some of the following techniques to help with upper extremity pain (many of these can be applied to any type of repetitive activities/hobbies): • Take frequent breaks: Doing anything for hours on end will make you sore. Cut hobby time into smaller more frequent chunks of time vs. long marathon sessions.

HOBBIES MAKE YOU HURT... • TENDONITIS IN THE ELBOW AND WRIST • HAND EXERCISE

• Use the best posture possible for the task: Back straight, shoulders down and back, use pillows to support your arms as needed and to support your work so that you don’t have to look down so much. • Support your joints: Try using some crafters compression gloves or talk to a therapist about some options for supportive splints. • Drink a lot of water: being hydrated helps all of our tissues feel better with use. • Change your knitting method: Continental or Portuguese knittingmethods have been shown to require less movement of the hands and shoulders, thus decreasing some of the stress. Look these methods up online – there are tons of videos! • Change your equipment: Using wooden or square knitting needles can help decrease the strength you need to hold on to your project bymaking them easier to grip. When you can pick projects that use larger diameter needles. Also, use the shortest needles possible to decrease the weight placed on your hands once the project gets bigger (or instead of short needles use interchangeable cable needles so that the cable can distribute the weight.

Are you in Pain? Call Today And Start Feeling Better Fast! 425-368-7943

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Tendonitis in the Elbow & Hand Is your elbow sore? Are your fingers achy and not moving smoothly and comfortably? If so, you may be suffering from a common musculoskeletal condition called tendonitis.

What is Tendonitis? Tendons are bands of durable collagen fibers; their role is to connect muscles to bones and help facilitate proper anatomical movement and support. The suffix -itis is a telltale clue that tendonitis is primarily an issue of inflammation. When something stresses or overloads the tendons, small microtears in the tend fibers can occur, leading to tissue damage, inflammation, and pain, and related symptoms. Common Causes & Types of Tendonitis in the Elbow & Hand Tendonitis can affect tendons all over the body—such as in the case of Achilles tendonitis (in the ankle), patellar tendonitis (in the knee), or biceps tendonitis (in the shoulder).When it occurs in the elbow or hand, basic daily tasks like writing, grooming, and even opening doors and jars can become challenging. This is common among people who perform a lot of repetitive movement with their hands.Theymay lift, move, or manipulate objects too frequently or too quickly, or may lift objects which are too heavy relative to their general physical capacity. Such stress and strain on the tendons is common among athletes, particularly those who play sports like tennis, golf, racquetball, baseball, field hockey, and badminton. Indeed, elbow tendonitis is so common among golfers and tennis players that their sports-specific manifestations are actually called golfer’s elbow (tendonitis in the inner elbow) and tennis elbow (tendonitis in the outer elbow). Sometimes, the presence of some other underlying condition, such as an autoimmune disease like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis,canalsocauseor increaseaperson’sriskfortendonitis. Cigaretteusemayalso increaseaperson’sriskforthisandother musculoskeletal conditions, since smoking tends to increase inflammation in the body. Additional risk factors include poor body mechanics, direct trauma, and even the use of certain antibiotics.

Signs & Symptoms of Tendonitis in the Elbow & Hand Common symptoms in an area of the elbow or hand affected by tendonitis include: • Swelling • Pain (often sore and achy) at rest and with movement • Tenderness over the affected area • Decreased grip strength • Decreased ability to lift, move, turn, or manipulate objects • The feeling of popping or clicking (particularly if tendonitis is in the hand and fingers) The Benefits of Hand Therapy for Upper Extremity Tendonitis Hand therapy can be extremely beneficial if you’re struggling with tendonitis. Unlike conventional medications—which can provide much-needed pain relief but may also come with unwanted side effects—hand therapy addresses symptoms and root causes of inflammation and tendon damage. In this way, relief is more thorough and longer-lasting.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/164810-tendonitis-symptoms-in-hands/ https://www.emedicinehealth.com/tendinitis_health/article_em.htm#tendinitis_causes https://www.lvhn.org/conditions_treatments/bones_and_joints/handwrist_tendon_problems/learn_about_handwrist_tendon https://www.emedicinehealth.com/tendinitis_health/article_em.htm

Hand Exercise Helps With Weakness and Pain

Hand therapy for tendonitis may include modalities and techniques such as:

Hand Tendon Glides Differential Fist

1.Therapeutic exercises, prescribed to facilitate tissue healing, reduced inflammation, and (later in the recovery process) improved strength of the muscles in the elbow, forearm, and hand 2.Electrical stimulation, which relieves pain by stimulating different sensoryreceptors and blockingnoxioussignalssentvia the nervous system

www.simpleset.net

Preparation: •

Start with open hand

• Keep your wrist straight throughout this exercise

Execution: • Curl finger tips towards hand. Keep your knuckle joints straight to make a ‘Hook’ • Move the knuckle joints and fingertips into a straight position, touching the tips of your fingers to your palm to make a ‘Table Top’

Patient Spotlight “I am back to riding horses and playing tennis again.” “I came to Hands for Living after surgery. I was not able to move my thumb more than ¼” without a lot of pain. Working with JoAnn has been amazing. She has restored my mobility completely and helped me to strengthen my thumb so I can return to regular activities. Thanks to JoAnn at Hands for Living, I am back to riding horses and playing tennis again. Thank you!” - Trina Cooprider Areyou or a loved one currentlyaffected bytendonitis in the elbow or hand? Contact us to schedule a hand therapy consultation and find out more about how we can help. 3.Therapeutic ultrasound, which uses sound waves to accelerate tissue healing, increase local circulation, and reduce scar tissue formation 4.Lifestyle and ergonomic modifications, to improve a person’s body mechanics and prevent repetitive tissue damage 5.Splinting and bracing, to temporarily immobilize and/or support injured tendons as they heal

• Bend all finger joints into hand to make a fist

5 DAD JOKES 1. I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down! 2. Did you know the first French fries weren’t actually cooked in France? They were cooked in Greece. 3. Want to hear a joke about a piece of paper? Never mind... it’s tearable. 4. I just watched a documentary about beavers. It was the best dam show I ever saw!

5. Spring is here! I got so excited I wet my plants!

Source: https:/https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/75-dad-jokes-that-are-so-bad- theyre-actually-good?utm_term=.plQGzAbbQ#.wgYPXmBBL

www.handsforliving.com

A ONE DAY SPECIAL OFFER FOR ALL PRESENT AND PAST PATIENTS OF Hands for Living

Dear Valued Client,

2018 marks Hands for Living’s 7th year of serving our valued clients! We want to do something special to celebrate! This is our BIG THANK YOU for allowing us to serve you. To thank you, our valued cli- ents, we are having a day of completely Free Exams for: • All past clients who have not been seen in therapy in more than 3 months • All present clients who have another problem currently not being treated • All loved ones, family, friends, neighbors and co-workers of our past and present patients If you are a past or present patient, then call 425-368-7943 to schedule your Free Exam. If you are referring a friend or family member, give them the certificate included in this letter and have them call 425-368-7943 to schedule their Free Exam.

The day of Free Exams will be on: Tuesday, July 17th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

The Free Exam consists of a 30-minute one-on-one appointment with either JoAnn Keller, Laurie Walters or Helen Reilly.

The therapist will talk with you about the history of your problem. They will take measurements to test how well you are moving and to test your strength. After a thorough exam, they will give you a written copy of:

1. 2.

The cause of your pain or problem. A plan for successful treatment.

The appointments are free but are limited as each OT only has 9 available spots. Call 425-368-7943 now to schedule your Free Exam.

The Free Exam is ideal for people suffering with: • Shoulder Pain • Arthritis • Tendonitis • Hand and Wrist Pain • Elbow Pain • Work Injuries • Motor Vehicle Accidents

If you are having pain or problems with day to day activities such as cooking, dressing, opening bottles/ jars, sleeping, work hobbies or sports, then this is an excellent opportunity to see one of our world-class therapists and find out the cause of your problem.

Call 425-368-7943 to schedule your Free Exam for July 17th.

Sincerely, JoAnn Keller, JoAnn Keller, Occupational Therapist, Certified Hand Therapist

PS – In honor of our 7th year in Lynnwood, we will give a Hands for Living Stainless Steel water bottle or a Starbuck gift card to the first 10 people to schedule a Free Exam for July 17th.

FREE EXAM CERTIFICATE • All past clients who have not been seen in therapy in more than 3 months • All present clients who have another problem currently not being treated • All loved ones, family, friends, neighbors and co-workers of our past and present patients GOOD FOR: VALID ON: Tuesday, July 17th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

19203 36th Ave W, Ste 103 Lynnwood, WA 98036 • Call 425-368-7943