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TOA Tips with Dr. Alexander Brown - Overuse Injuries
Dr. Alexander Brown provides some tips to help avoid injuries related to overusing muscle groups through repetitive motions that cause excess strain on certain parts of the body such as the shoulders and elbows. This advice can be especially helpful for people who find themselves working jobs that require repetitive tasks to complete their work load or find themselves standing for long periods of time. Dr. Brown speaks to the importance of trying to break away from doing the same thing too often and causing unnecessary strain on certain joints. Dr. Brown speaks to the importance of proper nutrition and its overwhelming impact on our wellbeing and ability to maintain tendon and ligament integrity. Dr. Brown also speaks to the importance of checking in with your physical therapist and ensuring you are being vigilant and watching out for the signs your body may be giving you indicating that you may cause yourself an injury if you do not take steps to deviate from the norm.
Repetitive Motion Disorders (RMDs) are a group of muscular conditions resulting from performing repeated motions too often over a given period of time. RMDs can affect people who perform repetitive tasks such as assembly line, sewing, musical instruments, and computer workers. RMDs occur mostly in the hands, wrist, shoulders, and elbows For some individuals, visible signs of injury may not be present, though they may find it hard to perform simple tasks over time. Some of the most common RMDs include: carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, tendonitis, epicondylitis, ganglion cyst, and tenosynovitis.
Finding ways to break up your daily schedule and taking simple preventative measures can help those most at risk of developing an RMD avoid them. If your job requires you to stand for long periods of time, take a break and sit down every now and then. If your job requires that you sit at a desk for long periods of time, consider getting a standing desk or taking light walks throughout the day to give your body a chance to break free from the repetition. Stretching and taking walks or simply adjusting your stance throughout the day can help ensure you are not overusing any one part of the body and help you to avoid injury. Consider exploring ergonomic options to help your daily tasks become less repetitious.
Proper nutrition can help ensure that you are retaining tendon and ligament integrity. Avoiding nutrient deficiencies can help with wound healing and prevention as well as ensure that your tendons, joints, and ligaments have the nutrients needed to perform their motions each day with lower risk of injury. In the same way we see dentists for routine checkups, it can be very beneficial to see a physical therapist preemptively to get advice on how you can mitigate and avoid overuse injuries if you feel you are at risk for RMDs.
