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Hot or Cold/Ice Pack?

July 22, 2021By

I often get asked by my clients is it better to use hot or cold/ice pack for the painful areas. The answer to this question is really not straightforward and the application of hot or cold therapy will depend on so many factors and your overall health.

In general, cold/ice therapy is usually applied to the acute injuries such as sprains and strains to reduce swelling and inflammation. The application of cold/ice pack will also affect the activity of your nervous system and will reduce the pain. You may apply cold/ice pack for no longer than 10-15 minutes, three or more times per day following the injury. Cold/ice pack will constrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the area and may slow down the healing process at the injured area. Just keep in mind that cold therapy might not be appropriate for your injury, and you should consult your doctor or your therapist prior to using cold/ice therapy. Never place the cold/ice pack directly to the skin as it may damage the skin; instead, wrap it in a towel before applying to the skin.

Heat pack will improve circulation and will increase blood flow to the area where applied. That can reduce pain and relax your muscles. Mostly it is used for chronic pain, stiffness, and muscle tension. You can apply heat pack for longer time than cold therapy, 15-30 minutes and sometimes even longer. Be careful that hot pack is not too hot as it may burn your skin. You should not apply heat pack to the area that is bruised or have open wound. Furthermore, you should not use heat therapy if you have certain conditions such as infection, vascular disease, dermatitis, deep vein thrombosis.

Sometimes alternating hot and cold therapy might be the best option.

A little note for people with lymphoedema. You should not apply hot or cold therapy to your affected body area as it may cause increased swelling.

So, my advice would be to consult your therapist prior to using hot or cold therapy and follow instructions for the best and safest result.

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Wrist and Thumb Pain During and After Pregnancy?

June 12, 2021By

It is very common for women to experience odd sensations such as burning, tingling, numbness or pain in their fingers and/or wrist during pregnancy.

There are two common conditions that are likely responsible for this, one being Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and the other is De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

CTS is when there is pain in the wrist and hand along with odd sensations typically in the thumb, index, middle and ring finger.

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is when there is pain over the thumb muscles and has the potential to extend into the outer wrist and forearm.

Both of these conditions are caused by various changes that comes with pregnancy which includes softening hormones, increased fluid retention and repetitive loading such as lifting up your new Bub!

All of these has the potential for new mothers to put strains and pressure on the tendons, muscles, ligaments and nerve in your wrist and thumb which can become sensitive overtime.

Speak to one of our clinicians so that we can get a clear history of your pain and perform a comprehensive examination of your wrist, thumb and surrounding structures to determine what is the most likely contributing factor to your wrist and thumb symptoms. We are most interested to know of the activities and postures that you find most difficult as that is what we want you to be able to achieve.

Treatment will depend on the main reason that you are getting the pain or odd sensation so it will be different for everyone.

It is important to take action earlier than later when you notice you are getting wrist or thumb symptoms by seeing a physiotherapist or occupational therapist as these are unlikely to get better by itself.

The clinician may show you different ways to do your usual activities including feeding your bub and will teach you the best way to position your wrists and fingers to reduce the tension on the structures that are likely sensitive.

Other treatment that may be utilised includes icing, exercise therapy, and splinting if deemed necessary.

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Ulnar Nerve Entrapment Syndrome

June 12, 2021By

What is Ulnar Nerve Entrapment?

When the ulnar nerve is entrapped along its pathway, the pain may be felt at the shoulders, on the inside of elbows and wrists. Symptoms may also include weakness in the hand, pins and needles, tingling and numbness in the palm and in a ring and little fingers. If left untreated, it leads to muscle atrophy.

The most commonly, the pain in the elbow (Cubital Tunnel Syndrome) and the wrist (Guyon’s Canal Syndrome) is caused due to the repetitive compression at sites.

Leaning on the elbow for a prolonged period may compress the ulnar nerve and cause the pain and tingling on the inside of elbows.

The pain in the wrist and altered sensation in the palm of the hand and fingers are frequently experienced by cyclists due to prolonged gripping of a handlebar (cyclist’s palsy) and weightlifters due to the constant palmar pressure.

The ulnar nerve entrapment may also occur from the repetitive use of power tools, trauma, swelling, and other pathologies.

Intervention and Prevention

Whether you are a passionate cyclist or weightlifter, or someone whose job requires repetitive griping, our team of therapists can help you. We will assess you and recommend the best course of treatment for your individual needs. We will work with you so you can achieve your goals and continue with your activities.

In our clinics, we use many therapy modalities:

  • Hands-on manual therapy
  • Neural glides
  • Low level laser therapy
  • Dry needling with or without electrical stimulation
  • Strengthening and stretching program
  • Education on activity modification
  • Kinesio taping
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome & Median Nerve Compression

June 12, 2021By

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome usually develops due to injuries, overuse and repetitive flexion of the wrist. Those movements may cause inflammation of median nerve and tendons in the wrist’s narrow passageway called carpal tunnel. The pressure on the entrapped median nerve cause pain, tingling, numbness and weakness of the hand.

As the carpal tunnel syndrome develops slowly, usually the pain, pins and needles sensation starts at night and when you wake up. With the progression of inflammation, the weakness in the thumb and first two fingers with the pain and tingling sensation starts to occur more frequently during daily activities for example when driving, holding various objects such as a phone or a glass of water, etc. impacting you daily functioning.

Some conditions (diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid dysfunction…), direct injury to the wrist such as fracture or sprain of the wrist (sport related injuries, falls on the outstretched hand…), work related injuries (frequent use of vibrating hand tools), playing music instruments (piano, guitar, violin…) increase the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Over the time, the carpal tunnel syndrome can cause radiating pain up the arm and shoulder. If not treated, it can cause the wasting (atrophy) of hand muscles and loss of sensation on the thumb side of the hand

Treatment and prevention

Our physio and occupational therapists will develop the best and specific treatment plan for you to reduce your pain and improve movement and functional use of the hand.

  • We use conservative, non-invasive approach in treating the carpal tunnel syndrome including physical manual therapy, dry needling with or without electro stimulation, shockwave therapy and low-level laser therapy.
  • We will develop a specific set of stretching and strengthening exercises for you to prevent muscle atrophy, improve functional movement and reduce pain and numbness.
  • We will recommend a resting splint if needed as well as advise on minor aids you can use at home or at work to help minimize aggravation with daily activities
  • We will help you to develop and incorporate rest throughout your daily routine to relive pressure on median nerve during acute phase
  • We will teach you how you can prevent the recurring median nerve and tissue inflammation with modifying tasks that cause carpal tunnel syndrome, proper ergonomic set up at home or at work and will create a plan for your regular preventative stretching exercises.

The early intervention of carpal tunnel syndrome gives the best outcome.

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Magnesium?

June 12, 2021By

It seems everyone is recommending or taking magnesium as a supplement. But what is it and why may it be beneficial for you?

Magnesium is the fourth abundant mineral found in our bodies. It is essential for a lot of the metabolic process and bodily functions. It’s important for energy, our muscle health and nervous system. It can be found in our food like nuts, seeds and legumes but research has shown that 50% of us are not getting enough.

Low levels of magnesium are linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and alzheimers as it plays an important role for our bodies and brain.

Magnesium can help keep inflammatory markers low, reduce muscle cramps and tension and help with migraines and depression.

It is important to speak to a health practitioner before taking magnesium as it can affect the way your body absorbs other medications. Likewise other medications can affect how our body naturally absorbs magnesium.

There are a lot of options for over-the-counter magnesium supplements, and it is difficult to know which is best.

Metagenics is recognised as a Leading Natural Health Science Company and the innovators in Natural Health products and Healthcare Professional education. Head 2 Toe supply magnesium supplements from the Metagenics range. It is important to speak with a practitioner to find the right one for you.

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