Answers to Your Most Pressing Physiotherapy Questions

Q: What are text neck and text thumb?

A: Cell phone-related injuries are increasing as people spend more time texting, tweeting and surfing. Injuries of the hand, wrist, forearm, neck and upper back are on the rise. Bending your head to look down at your cell can put up to 60lbs of pressure on your spine! Our thumbs were also not built for repetitive texting and swiping. Symptoms may include pain, burning, tingling and weakness.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO REDUCE THESE TYPES OF INJURIES:

• Alternate between using your thumbs and other fingers. Whenever possible, use your fingers instead of your thumbs.
  
• Place your phone down on a hard surface if you’re texting, or hold the phone in one hand and text with the other, instead of using only one hand.
  
• Use the pad of your thumb, not the tip since it creates an awkward bent position.
• Keep your wrists relaxed and as straight as possible.
  
• Keep the phone at your chest, chin or eye level. If your phone is below eye level, look down with your eyes rather than your neck.
  
• Take a break every 20 minutes.
  
• Follow the 20-20-20 rule. For every 20 minutes of screen time, take 20 seconds to look 20 feet ahead.

Q: What is a rotator cuff injury?

A: The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles/tendons that help move and stabilize the shoulder joint. Damage to these muscles is most common in people who perform repeated or prolonged overhead reaching/lifting. Symptoms include sleeping discomfort, difficulty or sharp pain when moving the arm in certain positions and a loss of strength. Severity of injury can range from a strain to tendonitis to a tear. Most cases do not require surgery and can be fully rehabilitated.

WHAT TO DO:

• Rest: avoid moving the arm into painful positions; no heavy or repetitive lifting.
• Ice/ heat: ice during the inflamed stage and at the end of a strenuous day, heat for a more chronic issue.
• Anti-inflammatories: consult with your pharmacist and physician first.
• Tape: Kinesio tape can help support the injured muscle(s).
• Exercise: gentle range-of-motion stretches can help, as well as muscle strengthening exercises.
• Get help: allow a physiotherapist to assess the specific problems and prescribe treatment.

Q: What are some good golfing tips?

A: USE THE S.M.A.R.T GOLFING PRINCIPLES:

• Stretch: make sure to stretch as a warm-up, between repetitive movements and as a cool-down.
  
• Move: get moving, keep moving and stay moving to promote elasticity in your body and prevent injury.
  
• Add it up: plan activities throughout the day that keep you moving for at least 10 minutes. Pace yourself, start your season slowly, working yourself up to a full game.
  
• Reduce strain: make sure your equipment matches your skill level and body type. Alternate sides on a one-strap bag, push rather than pull a wheeled golf cart and when lifting, bend your knees and keep your back straight.
  
• Consult a physiotherapist: optimize your game by optimizing your body. Get the input of a physiotherapist today!

Q: What is prehab?

A: Prehab is pre-surgical rehabilitation. There are several reasons to attend physiotherapy before surgery.

USE PREHAB

• To help heal secondary injuries. Often with injuries, multiple muscles, tendons and/or ligaments are injured. Surgeries often only repair the worst of the injured tissues. Similarly, with joint replacements, the surrounding tissues are often in poor condition due to compensating. Attending physiotherapy before surgery can help address secondary issues so that post-surgically you can focus on rehabilitating the newly repaired tissue or joint.

   

• Improve joint range, strength and function. Having muscles that are flexible and strong provides better support to a joint and allows for better mobility and functioning. Physiotherapy can provide you with an individualized exercise program to help optimize your potential prior to an operation. The more range of motion and strength you have going into a surgery, the easier the recovery will be.

• Education. Preparing yourself mentally before an operation can sometimes be as helpful as being physically prepared. Physiotherapy can help you to better understand your expected surgical procedure and postoperative prognosis.

Simply said—the better you go into surgery, the better you will do coming out. Our team at Aurora Physiotherapy can assist you to maximize your prehab potential.