A middle-aged woman walked into the clinic. As soon as she sat down, she frowned and said, "Doctor, my wrists, elbows and shoulders hurt so much! In the past two days, I just washed cups. , I almost broke the cup. Is there any good way to help me?" After careful examination, it was found that the causes of her discomfort included mother's hand, tennis elbow and shoulder and neck myofasciitis. In fact, these are common causes of upper limb pain among working women or housewives. Mom's Hand
Also known as "De Quervain's disease", the official medical name is "radial styloid stenosing tenosynovitis / de Quervain's tenosynovitis" , refers to the pain in the wrist near the base of the thumb.
The cause is that the retinaculum on the radial side of the back of the hand (thumb side) becomes thicker and compresses the extensor pollicis brevis muscle below it. and the tendons and synovium of the abductor pollicis longus, causing stenosis of the duct, inflammation and swelling of the tendons and synovial membrane at both ends of the duct, and in severe cases, the sliding of the tendons may be restricted or cause adhesion.
The main symptom is persistent pain and swelling in the thumb near the wrist, and even the inability to use force. Once sticking occurs, there will be a tight feeling, and there will be a "pulled" and painful feeling when the thumb moves. In severe cases, raised bumps may be palpable.
Patients are mostly middle-aged or women after childbirth. Most of them are related to incorrect or repeated excessive force in daily life, such as washing clothes, twisting towels, etc. However, mother's hands are not "only for mothers". People who need to use their thumbs repeatedly for a long time at work, such as office workers who type for a long time, waiters who hold heavy dinner plates with one hand, and "thumb people" who often use mobile phones, All belong to the high-risk group. Tennis Elbow
Also known as "lateral epicondylitis", it is mainly caused by improper or overuse of the forearm muscles (radial carpi extensor muscles). The junction of the tendons and bones (i.e. the outside of the elbow) is repeatedly pulled and injured, leading to inflammation.
The symptom is tenderness on the outside of the elbow. In severe cases, the pain will spread to the forearm. The most common problem is that the grip strength becomes significantly worse, even when handling. It becomes difficult to carry daily necessities and turn doorknobs.
It is common among tennis enthusiasts, so it is called "tennis elbow". However, ordinary people should also pay attention to the fact that in daily life, using computer keyboards, holding the mouse for too long, frequently lifting heavy objects, twisting the wrist, cooking with a spatula, washing tableware, and repeatedly wringing out towels can also cause tennis balls. elbow. ? Myofascial pain syndrome (myofascial pain syndrome)
It is not the name of a specific disease, but refers to the general name of the symptoms that occur when human muscles are in a state of tension for a long time. Muscles that are under tension for a long time will hinder blood circulation and cannot effectively take away the waste products (such as lactic acid) produced by metabolism in the body. They will accumulate there and cause soreness. Therefore, myofascial pain syndrome is one of the common causes of shoulder and neck pain. one.
The main characteristics are: there are many painful locations, and sometimes you run around; the neck and shoulder muscles feel hard to the touch, as stiff as ropes; there are obvious tender points, and you can touch the tender points with your fingers. It can cause localized or even distant pain; when the pain point is pressed hard, there may even be a bouncing sensation.
If you have the above three common problems, the recommended treatment methods are:
1. Let the affected area rest more and avoid movements that may cause pain.
2. Seek specialist diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible and receive rehabilitation and physical therapy.
3. Medication: Painkillers, oral anti-inflammatory drugs or muscle relaxants. Do not take over-the-counter medicines by yourself.
4. Use the auxiliary wood for fixation: forced rest for 4 to 6 weeks, wear it for 1 to 2 hours, rest for 1 hour before wearing it again. In severe cases, you need to wear the auxiliary wood while sleeping to allow the tendons to get proper rest.
5. Local injection: For those with severe symptoms, local injection of a small amount of steroids can be considered to reduce inflammation; if it still cannot be improved after more than 3 months, or the symptoms are good and bad, it is recommended to consider proliferative injection treatment.
6. Use appropriate protective gear when cleaning or working.
(The author of this article is Lin Zongqing, deputy director of Shijian Rehabilitation Clinic)