Category Archives: Upper Body

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS): Causes, Triggers, & Treatment Guide

The Light at the End of the Carpal Tunnel What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) affects as many as one in 20 Americans. It occurs when the median nerve—the nerve that controls movement and sensation in the palm of the hand, thumb, and fingers—is compressed as it travels through the carpal tunnel. […]

How to Treat a Dislocated or Jammed Finger

Unjamming a Jammed Finger Many people have dislocated a finger at some point in their lives. While these minor injuries often occur while playing sports such as basketball, they can also be the result of falling onto an outstretched hand or catching your finger between two objects. Whether you’re an athlete or just going about […]

Degenerative Disk Disease: Getting Your Discs in Order

Understanding Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) What is Degenerative Disk Disease? Degenerative disk disease (DDD) is a common cause of back pain that happens when the intervertebral disks in your spine start to break down. Your spine is comprised of a column of bones called vertebrae, with gel-filled disks between them to absorb shock. Made up […]

When Your Shoulder Blade Is “SICK”

Do you have a “SICK” scapula? No, not sick with a fever or a cold, but SICK—an abnormal condition of the shoulder blade. This condition is characterized by Scapular malposition: The scapula has moved to an abnormal position on the rib cage. Inferior medial border prominence: The scapula protrudes abnormally along the back. Coracoid pain […]

Use Your Head with Concussions

In recent years, concern has risen about the long-term impact of concussions, traumatic brain injury usually brought about by direct impact to the head or by severe, violent shaking of the upper body. In most cases, a concussion has little to no lasting effect, but repeated or severe blows can have long-term or even permanent […]

Restitching a Torn Rotator Cuff

Your rotator cuff is a collection of muscles and tendons located where your upper arm meets your shoulder socket. Its primary purpose is to provide structural support to your body so that you can perform a wide range of arm movements, especially ones that involve overhead motion. These include manual labor activities—painting and carpentry, for […]

Rearming After a Stroke

Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) treats people who have had a stroke or sustained injuries that lead to limitations in the mobility of one of their arms. The unaffected arm is constrained in a sling, forcing the use of the affected arm repetitively and intensively for two to three weeks. The American Stroke Association has said […]

Bumping Up Treatment for Ganglion Cysts

Do you have a bump on the wrist your physician called a ganglion cyst? These soft-tissue fluid-filled lumps are usually harmless, generally painless and often go away on their own. Ganglions can occur in any joint and may result from arthritis or from injury due to repetitive stress activities. If the cyst is painful, interferes […]

Tennis Elbow: To Brace or Not to Brace?

Most people diagnosed with “tennis elbow,” technically called lateral epicondylosis, probably did not develop this problem by playing tennis—although, of course, tennis players are frequent sufferers. The lateral epicondyle is the bony area on the outside of the elbow, and the “–osis” refers to tiny tears in the adjacent tendons that have been caused by […]

Minor Accident, Major Pain

Fender benders with your car typically cause more annoyance than trauma. After exchanging insurance information, assessing the damage to your car and silently cursing the other driver for texting instead of watching the road, you will probably just go on with your day. But several hours later, you feel a deep ache in your neck, […]