Elbow Pain
The elbow is the joint that bends your arm. It is a modified hinge joint made up of three bones, the Humerus, Radius and Ulna bones. The elbow allows for the flexion and extension of the forearm relative to the upper arm, as well as rotation of the forearm and wrist. All of the nerves that travel down the arm pass across the elbow. Three main nerves begin together at the shoulder the radial nerve, the ulnar nerve and the medial nerve.
Pain in the Elbow is often caused by overuse. Many sports, hobbies and jobs require repetitive hand, wrist or arm movements. Elbow pain may occasionally be due to arthritis, but in general, your elbow joint is much less prone to wear-and-tear damage than are many other joints.
Common causes of elbow pain include:
- Bursitis (joint inflammation)
- Dislocated elbow
- Trapped nerves
- Osteoarthritis (disease causing the breakdown of joints)
- Rheumatoid arthritis (inflammatory joint disease)
- Sprains and strains
- Tendinitis
- Tennis elbow
- Golfer’s elbow
- Throwing injuries
- Stress fractures
How can Dr. Anden diagnose your Elbow pain?
- Physical Examination And Medical History
- X-ray, MRI and/or CT Scan
- EMG/NCS testing (Done by Dr. Anden)
- Ultrasound Guided Examination (Done in Dr Anden’s Office)
How can we treat your Elbow pain?
The treatments for elbow disorders depend on the underlying cause. Treatment varies depending on the disorder and symptoms you experience. Most elbow disorders require conservative treatment. Surgery is a last resort if your symptoms don’t improve.
Your treatment options include:
- Physical Therapy or at-home exercises
- NSAIDS and ice to reduce inflammation
- Regenerative Injection Therapies
- Ultrasound Guided Corticosteroid Injections
- braces or immobilization
Hand And Wrist Pain
Pain in the fingers, hand, or wrist is usually caused by overuse, repetitive motion, or underlying conditions like arthritis organglion cysts. Hand, finger and wrist injuries such as fractures, dislocations, or torn ligaments are often caused by falls or blows during sports or work activities. Injuries can also occur during accidents or activities.
Common Causes
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on a nerve (median nerve) in the wrist. The symptoms include tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain of the fingers and hand. This can be a result of constant and repetitive motions with the hands. This can be diagnosed with an EMG/NCS Test on your hands. Dr. Corey Anden board certified in Electrodiagnostic Medicine and can perform this test and diagnose your problem.
Ganglion cysts
Ganglion cystsare small sacs filled with clear, jellylike fluid that often appear as bumps on the hands and wrists.
Diabetes
May change how the hands normally feel or sense touch. Decreased feeling in the hands is common because of decreased blood flow to the hands or damage tonerves of the hand.
Trigger Finger
Trigger finger is a “snapping” or “locking” condition of any of the fingers of the hand when opened or closed. Trigger finger is caused by local swelling from inflammation or scarring of the tendon sheath around the flexor tendons. This can be improved with at-home stretching and exercises or can be injected by a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation.
Pregnancy
May cause redness, itching, swelling, numbness, or tingling that often goes away after delivery.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the progressive breakdown of the tissue that protects and cushions joints (cartilage). It may cause stiffness and pain with movement. Stretching can improve symptoms. Regenerative medicine and corticosteroid injections can be helpful for improvement.
Treatments For Wrist/Hand Pain
Treatment for wrist pain depends on the cause of the pain and its severity. The least invasive treatment is given first before treatments are recommended. They include:
- Exercises and physical therapy – Depending on your type of pain, exercises may work. Certain exercises can be prescribed to stretch and lengthen muscles and tendons. When it comes to which exercises to do, patients should get recommendations from your doctor or physical therapist.
- NSAIDS and ice may also be helpful to reduce inflammation.
- Brace – in some cases, wearing a wrist brace can help. Splinting may prevent certain wrist movements that cause irritation. A splint might also reduce squeezing of the nerve.
- Regenerative Injection Therapies
- Ultrasound Guided Cortisone injections – in some cases, a cortisone injection can be helpful to reduce inflammation. Dr. Anden uses an ultrasound to guide the injection.
- Surgery – only used if less invasive treatments have not worked. The type of surgery performed depends on the cause of the pain.
Head – Migraine Pain
Tension headaches, migraines and other chronic headaches like cluster headaches and can take a toll on everyday life. The factors that trigger headaches vary widely from person to person and headaches can be accompanied by a variety of migraine symptoms. The first step to identifying headaches is getting a detailed history of your headache experience. Expect questions about the frequency, location, and severity of your headaches. You’ll be asked what works to ease the pain of your headaches and what does not. Keeping a headache diary can help to better diagnose your symptoms.
Tension-type headache
The most common headache type in the world.
Tension-type headaches are often described as pain that feels like a tight band around your head or a weight on top of it. Your neck or shoulder muscles may also hurt along with the headache. If you have tension-type it will produce a mild to moderate pain whereas the pain of migraine can reach disabling severity.
Treatments for Tension-Type Headaches Include:
- Massage Therapy
- Trigger Point Injection Therapy
- Chiropractic Care
- OTC Medications
- Acupuncture
Migraine Pain
While it is commonly believed that migraine is a one-sided headache, many migraine sufferers have pain on both sides of their head. The pain of migraine is usually throbbing or pulsating and can last for hours to days. Associated features include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Some people have migraines several times a week, while others get them only several times throughout their lives.
There is no cure for migraine headaches. The focus of pain management for migraines is to reduce the severity, duration, and frequency of the migraine.
Treatment options for migraine pain include:
- Physical Therapy
- Medications
- Epidural injections
- Botox for Migraines
Leg and Foot Pain
What is foot and leg pain?
Pain in the feet or legs is common. It can be caused by a number of different conditions. The most common conditions that cause pain in the feet and/or legs are the following:
- Sciatica
- Neuropathy
- Plantar fasciitis
- Arthritis
Some of these conditions are commonly short-lived, while others are chronic.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a common pain condition marked by pain, numbness and/or tingling, beginning in the buttock and extending down the leg, all the way to the foot and toes.
The vast majority of acute cases of sciatica resolve on their own within a few weeks to months. Sometimes, it continues and becomes chronic. It’s considered chronic when lasting longer than six months.
Sciatica is the result of inflammation or irritation of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve starts at the spinal cord in the low back, extends through the piriformis muscle in the buttock, and branches down the back of the leg, and into the foot.
Common Treatments for Sciatica include:
- Spinal injections: Epidural steroid injections, Nerve blocks, Rhizotomy and/or Spinal Cord Stimulator
- Physical therapies: stretching and strengthening exercises, mild aerobic exercises
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the heel and bottom of the foot. It is due to inflammation of the plantar fascia. The plantar fascia is a muscle-like connective tissue at the bottom of the foot.
Plantar fasciitis is associated with overuse, such as with runners, or in cases of obesity.
Treatments are anti-inflammatory medications, heel stretches, supportive footwear, and weight loss.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a common pain condition marked by inflammation of the joints. The inflammation causes pain, swelling, and stiffness. Arthritis can occur in any joint of the body.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is damage to nerves and causes pain, numbness and/or tingling.
Peripheral neuropathy is nerve damage in the peripheral nerves. This usually starts in the hands or feet as numbness or tingling. Over time, these symptoms can progress to pain. Patients often describe the pain as a burning type of pain.
Diabetic Neuropathy is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy in the hands or feet. Nerves can be damaged from high blood sugar levels.
Other causes can be kidney disease, HIV, or alcohol dependence. It can also occur for unknown reasons. In the latter case, it is called ‘idiopathic peripheral neuropathy.’
If the cause of neuropathy is diabetes, therapy involves aggressive treatment of diabetes. In such cases, treatment consists of medications to control glucose, dietary changes, exercise, and weight loss.
Tendonitis
One of the first warning signs you have an inflamed Achilles tendon is pain in your lower calf, near the back of your heel. It’s a common injury that makes the tendon swell, stretch, or tear. You can get it from overworking the calf muscle or climbing the stairs.
