'Tis the season to be busy! With all the excitement the holiday rush brings, we often overlook the stress it does for us physically. Whether it's carrying heavy packages throughout the mall, shopping online for the perfect gift, or cooking for hours at a time - our hands and elbows can go through quite the strain this time of year.
Lateral epicondylitis
Lateral epicondylitis (or more commonly known as tennis elbow) is a condition in which the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
If you have a tingling or itching numbness in the palm of your hands or fingers or a decreased ability to grasp items, you may have carpal tunnel syndrome.
Alisha Mell from our Oconomowoc, WI- Summit clinic gives us helpful tips on how to alleviate any pain you could be experiencing with your hands and elbows.
ATI Physical Therapy's certified hand therapists are experts in the highly specialized treatments needed for the hand and upper extremities following injury, surgery, disability, and disease. We develop customized treatment plans based on proven research techniques for each and every patient. Our goal is to help you “get there” by regaining maximum use of your hand or arm and reducing the risk of re-injury. For more information visit our ATI Hand Therapy page.
Video Description
In the above video, Alicia Mell, occupational therapist at the ATI Physical Therapy Oconomowoc, Wisconsin clinic discusses 2 common conditions, and gives us 2 exercises for self-care. One condition is carpal tunnel syndrome, and the other is lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow.
With carpal tunnel what people often feel is tingling and numbing in the hands, as well as decreased grasping ability. Sometimes with carpal tunnel you can’t even grab the steering wheel of your car, or hold a pen or a cup. The tingling and numbing often comes up the thumb, and the three fingers following the thumb (index, middle, and ring fingers). The first exercise shown will teach you how to address this. These exercises are going to help with the median nerve, which is affected and compressed in carpal tunnel.
With lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow as it is often referred to, you typically will have a pain pattern that is up near the elbow. In order to alleviate that pain, (which can feel isolated, or travel down to the hand) the goal is to lengthen out the tissues in the elbow and forearm. They can get a little cramped up, so the second set of self-help techniques in the video will address this syndrome.