Pain Management

Arthritis Pain Flaring Up In Summer?

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Extreme weather can be brutal to those suffering with arthritis. We’ve written before on how bitter winter cold can affect symptoms, but you may notice summer heat bringing its own troubles to your joints. High temperatures and humidity are typical of summers in the northeast. How do these conditions contribute to increased arthritis pain and what can you do to combat them?

Increased Swelling

With humid weather, many people are naturally prone to swell. This swelling increases pressure on joints and associated pain. To combat swelling, limit time spent outside in hot and humid weather. Try taking a cooler than usual shower to bring down your body temperature if swelling is becoming particularly bothersome.

Hydration

As we sweat in the heat, we lose fluid from our body. Our bodies rely on this fluid for different functions, including lubrication of our joints. So it’s important to replenish our bodies with plenty of water throughout the day. On particularly hot days, double your normal water intake. Set a hydration goal each day to help you stay on track.

Barometric Pressure

Changes in weather throughout the year can have an effect on arthritis. And in the summer, weather can change quickly with a rolling thunderstorm passing by suddenly. Some studies have shown that the barometric pressure in the atmosphere has a connection to joint pain. As pressure drops before a storm, joint and tendons can expand and contract, exasperating existing arthritis symptoms. Once pressure is normalized, you should see some comfort, but during heightened episodes try elevation and icing to relieve pain.

Summer is a time for fun, and we hope with this information, you can make the most of our warm weather days. If your symptoms continue or you’d like to learn more, the joint specialists at Northeast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine are here to help you live your life to the fullest.

Rise in eSports Injuries: What every gamer needs to know

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Everyone knows a gamer, and chances are, it’s you. With over 164 million video game players in the US and three quarters of American households having at least one gamer, that’s a statement we can make pretty confidently.

The incredible growth of the eSports industry has cemented it as one of the biggest forms of entertainment around the world. Live gaming events bring in viewers in the hundreds of millions, and some colleges are even setting up gaming teams and offering eSports scholarships. But like any other sport, there are physical demands to achieve success as a formidable opponent.

The fact that many gamers are in a sitting position for 5-10+ hours each day while repeating the same motions with their wrists and hands is leading to an increase in cases of musculoskeletal conditions, particularly in pediatric patients.

What are common conditions associated with gaming and how can they be prevented and treated?

Common Conditions

Orthopedic surgeons, Sports Medicine professionals and Hand specialists are seeing an increase of the following conditions within the gaming community.

  • Tendonitis of the forearm muscles
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • “Gamers thumb” (De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis)
  • Ulnar nerve irritation
  • Upper back and neck muscle pain
  • Poor posture, core weakness
  • Obesity and poor balance
  • Sciatica
  • Eye strain

Preventing Injury

Being sidelined due to injury can make your average gamer disgruntled, but for serious players on the eSports scene, it can mean the loss of huge winnings in major events. That’s why prevention is key to be able to complete at the highest level. Here are some tips:

Limit play time

  • The less you put yourself at risk of injury the better. Limit play time and take multiple breaks during a long gaming session. Parents and caregivers should determine an appropriate daily limit for video games for their children, and encourage alternative physical activity throughout the day.

Evaluate your set up

  • Make sure the equipment you use is as ergonomic as possible. This includes your chair, desk, keyboard and mouse. Blue light glasses can help with eye strain.

Exercise

  • Build core strength to support proper posture. Stretching loosens the muscles to reduce risk of kyphosis (rounding of the back). Stretch your wrists, fingers and thumbs before playing and during breaks. Go on walks, runs, swim or engage in other sports.  It is important in all sports (even eSports) to cross train. 

Don’t play through pain

  • Continuing to play video games while in pain will make the condition worsen and take longer to heal.

Treatment

Some serious conditions caused by continuous gaming may require surgery, but most can be treated through a combination of activity modification, ergonomic adjustments, physical and occupational therapy, massage, devices/braces and medical injections or prescriptions.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a gaming-related injury, the specialists at Northeast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine are skilled in providing the custom treatment plan you need to get back to the sport you love. Reach out to one of our offices to make your appointment today.

6 Helpful Tips to Stay Active at Home

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The benefits of physical activity are undeniable. Consistent exercise helps reduce your health risks,
strengthen your bones and muscles, and even reduce feelings of anxiety. With many gyms and exercise facilities currently closed, here are a few easy tips to help you stay active from home.

  • Set an intention for the day
    When you rise in the morning, set your goal for physical activity for the day. However big or small, identifying what exactly you’d like to accomplish will make it more likely for you to achieve it. It could be as simple as “I will take the dog for a 20-minute walk”, or more challenging like committing to a 40-minute workout. It’s up to you, just let yourself know and plan your day accordingly.
  • Take advantage of free resources
    If you have WiFi, you have access to a huge library of workouts for all fitness levels. YouTube is a great resource, and many home workout apps are offering free content, like Peloton, Nike and Planet Fitness. And it’s always free to go outside! Adding some fresh air to your physical activity helps clear your mind and connects you to the world around you.
  • Find a partner
    It’s easier to achieve your goals if you have a partner to motivate you and keep you accountable.
    Maybe someone in your home can join you on your walks, or you can text your friend your morning goals and have them check in on you. Any way you choose, having support makes all the difference.
  • Practice safety
    Aside from safe social distancing practices, make sure you take all the necessary safety precautions during your activity, like wearing your helmet during your bike ride, warming up your muscles before your workout and practicing good form when lifting heavyweights. You’ll hear many workout instructors advise you to substitute hand-held weights with household items. If you do, make sure to choose wisely and avoid items that could slip your grasp and cause an injury. Simply, be careful and move smartly to minimize your risks.
  • Don’t ignore an injury
    Be mindful not to aggravate a potential injury further. It’s common to feel muscle fatigue and soreness after a strenuous workout, but if you are experiencing acute pain or pain that won’t go away, you may need to be evaluated. The physicians at NEOSM are available for telemedicine appointments and our offices are open for necessary in-person visits. Don’t wait for an injury to get worse – we can accommodate same-day or next-day appointments, just call any of our offices to schedule.
  • Be kind to yourself
    The motivation you have today may not be the motivation you had yesterday and that’s ok! Be kind to yourself and commit to even the smallest amount of physical activity to help get your blood flowing. You never know, once you get moving, you may feel inspired to do more!

We hope these tips have inspired you to set your activity goals and get moving. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Preventing Gardening Injuries

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For most of us who enjoy gardening, it is a relaxing, safe hobby.  However, every year we see many people who are needlessly injured in their backyards. Nationally more than 400,000 gardening injuries are seen in the ER every year.

By: Dr. Doron Ilan

For most of us who enjoy gardening, it is a relaxing, safe hobby.  However, every year we see many people who are needlessly injured in their backyards. Nationally more than 400,000 gardening injuries are seen in the ER every year. Back injuries, hand lacerations/puncture wounds, infections, overuse tendinitis, bug bites, and heat exhaustion are some of the more common medical conditions seen in recreational gardeners. Here are a few tips to keep you safe this spring and summer.

  • Warm up: One of the most common mistakes is to head straight to the shed and start lifting heavy bags of mulch, soil, and equipment. This can lead to back sprains and muscle strains.  Instead, first, take a 5-10 brisk walk to warm up the muscles, loosen the joints and get the heart rate up a bit.
  • Wear gloves: This will prevent most thorn punctures, blisters, lacerations, and bug bites. It will also protect your skin from pesticides, bacteria, and fungus (often live in soil). A small cut can lead to a major infection. A light long sleeve shirt and long socks or pants can’t hurt either.  Don’t forget the sunscreen and a hat.
  • Hydrate: It is very easy to spend hours gardening without drinking. Bring a bottle of water outside with you and sip regularly
  • Rotate your tasks: Avoid overuse repetitive stress injuries by not spending more than 10-15 minutes in a row doing the same motion. Make sure your gardening activities are varied so that the same muscles are not used repetitively.
  • Use proper equipment
  • Check your skin for ticks after you finish gardening for the day. Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections are very common in our area.

Following these tips can help minimize your risk, but of course, if you do sustain an injury make sure to get medical attention as soon as possible.  Have a great spring and summer — and enjoy your gardening!

If you do encounter an orthopedic injury while gardening, contact us today to find out what’s wrong and how we can help.

5 Simple Stretches for Sciatica

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Sciatica can be a real pain in the back, among other things.

Also known as lumbar radiculopathy, sciatica (pronounced sci-at-ick-aa) is a term used to described a series of symptoms—most notably, pain—that occurs when the sciatic nerve is irritated. This large nerve runs from your lower back, past the buttocks and down each leg.

Sciatica is currently estimated to be the cause of low back pain in five to 10 percent of Americans.

What are some stretches to alleviate sciatica symptoms?

The beauty of creating a routine to manage your sciatic pain is that it also serves as a way to prevent sciatic pain and other symptoms from making a reappearance. In fact, though it may seem unlikely (or unpleasant), exercising actually helps to improve symptoms better than bed rest.

One of the forms of exercise to help relieve sciatica is performing stretches that externally rotate the hip. Here are five stretches that do just that:

  1. Reclining Pigeon Pose
    • While lying on your back, bring your right leg up to a right angle. Grip both hands behind the thigh and lock your fingers.
    • Lift your left leg and place your right ankle on top of the left knee.
    • Hold the position for a moment, then repeat with the other leg.
  2. Sitting Pigeon Pose (to be done once the reclining pigeon pose can be performed with ease)
    • Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out straight in front of you.
    • Bend your right leg, putting your right ankle on top of the left knee.
    • Lean forward and allow your upper body to reach toward your thigh.
    • Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
    • Repeat on the opposite side.
  3. Knee to Opposite Shoulder
    • Lie on your back with your legs extended, and your feet stretched upward.
    • Bend your right leg and fasten your hands around the knee.
    • Lightly pull your right leg across your body toward your left shoulder. Hold it there for 30 seconds.
    • Push your knee so your leg returns to its starting position.
    • Repeat for a total of three reps, and then switch legs.
  4. Sitting Spinal Stretch
    • Sit on the ground with your legs stretched straight out with your feet arched upward.
    • Bend your right knee and place your foot flat on the floor on the outside of your opposite knee.
    • Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee to help you gradually turn your body toward the right.
    • Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times, then switch sides.
  5. Standing Hamstring Stretch
    • Place your right foot on a raised surface at or below your hip level. Flex your foot so your toes and leg are straight.
    • Bend your body forward slightly toward your foot (without feeling pain).
    • Release the hip of your raised leg downward as opposed to lifting it up. If you need help easing your hip down, loop a yoga strap or long exercise band over your right thigh and under your left foot.
    • Hold for at least 30 seconds, and then repeat on the other side.

If you are experiencing persisting pain, reach out to schedule an appointment with one of our pain management specialists today.

5 Myths About Chronic Pain—Busted

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Chronic pain is typically defined as pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks. It can even last for months at a time. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this type of pain is the most common cause of long-term disability in the U.S. and—along with its subsequent treatments—is frequently misunderstood and shrouded in fiction versus fact.

Below, please take a look at the five chronic pain myths we have effectively debunked:

Myth: Pain is simply a part of the aging process.

Fact: Sometimes, that is true. There are some aches and pains that come from the wear and tear on the body as we age. The difference, however, is that chronic pain is generally constant whereas “growing pains” usually come and go.  

Myth: Patients with chronic pain need to just “tough it out.”

Fact: Choosing to ignore pain can have serious consequences. To start, pain is the body’s way of letting patients know that something is amiss and needs to be addressed. In addition, choosing to ignore the pain rather than seeing a healthcare professional may lead to unsafe and unhealthy self-medicating.    

Myth: Exercising while in pain can result in further injury.

Fact: While running a full marathon isn’t necessarily recommended, exercise such as physical therapy can play a vital role in successfully managing chronic pain. Keeping the body moving helps to improve blood circulation and keeps muscles, tendons and ligaments loose.

Myth: If there’s no “seeable” cause for the pain, it must be in the patient’s head.

Fact: Chronic pain is very real, but sometimes the exact cause of pain can remain unknown to physicians. That’s because pain is an extremely complex sensation that can be different for each patient.

Myth: Chronic pain due to complex conditions can only be fixed through surgical means.

Fact: Chronic pain that may be the result of an issue such as a spine condition do not necessarily require surgical intervention. Physical therapy, nerve blocks and joint injections are just some of the methods available for effectively managing chronic pain.

 

Chronic pain may come with a lot of misconceptions, but the bottom line is that patients do not have to live with this potentially debilitating condition. There are ways to effectively manage it and live a life free from pain.

 

At Northeast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine (NEOSM), our team of interventional pain management specialists offers a variety of surgical and non-surgical options to give patients relief from chronic back pain and other pain-related issues as part of our continuum of care. 

 For more information or to schedule a consultation, contact us today.