Injuries of daily living

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Very often we must've heard about activities of daily living what we call as ADLs. But what is this new Injuries of daily living? Does this mean that I will be telling you about how to injure yourself more efficiently? Definitely not.

So let's take a look
What are injuries of daily living?
These are some injuries that occur in our day to day lives without even we noticing them. These could be those small twitches and twists, pains and cramps which I ignored saying, "happens afterall I have adulterated food unlike my forefathers."

There are basically 3 types of injuries:
  1. Acute 
  2. Overuse
  3. Chronic
Let's look deeper into each one of them
1. Acute
    Usually a result of a single traumatic event within the last 5 days.
Eg. I hit my elbow on the edge of the table while sweeping.
- twisted the ankle while walking in an unbearably high heels
- tried some weights out of the blue, probably causing a sprain.

2. Overuse
     Subtle and occur over time, making it challenging to diagnose or treat.
Eg. 
-Wrist hurts while using the keyboard, but it's acknowledged only when tendon swells up and doesn't allow hand movements anymore.
- sole of the feet hurts but is often ignored

3. Chronic
    Usually has lasted atleast 3 months or more.
Eg. 
- Arthritis 
- Frozen shoulder 
- back pain
- neck pain 

Some common injuries that can be caused by work and daily activities are
  1. Carpal tunnel syndrome 
  2. Tendinitis and tenosynovitis.
  3. Shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tendinitis and biceps tendinitis.
  4. Neck and back pain.

Carpal Tunnel syndrome.
                       


Caused due to compression of the median nerve in the palm region.
Causes:-
  • Repeated up and down movements at the wrist and fingers combined with gripping.
  • Pregnancy.
  • Diabetes.
  • Thyroid disorders.
Warning signs:- 
  • Pins and needles sensation in the fingers.
  • Pain and soreness in the wrist and hand that may wake you up at night.
  • Weakness in grip and clumsiness handling objects.

Tendinitis and Tenosynovitis
Tendinitis
                Tendinitis
                 Tenosynovitis

What is it? Causes
Tendons attach muscles to bones
Overuse of tendons causes micro tears and inflammation in tendons called tendinitis. Following injury, body produces scar tissues in order to heal. Each time the injured muscle is used, it pulls the injured tendon causing more pain and more scar. The chemicals thus produced irritate the tendon further.
At instance where the inflammation occurs where a group of tendons enclosed in a sheath with lubricants, the tendons and sheath rub causing friction, irritation, overproduction of fluid and swelling. This is called Tenosynovitis.

Common tendinitis of arms
1. De Quervain's disease. 
2. Trigger finger / thumb.
3. Lateral epicondylitis ( tennis elbow).
4. Medial epicondylitis ( golfer's elbow).

Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff tendinitis and biceps tendinitis)


Causes:-
Prolonged use of mouse with outstretched arm leading to swelling in the muscles if the shoulders. The tendons get pinched in between bony structures. Thus pain leading to disuse or inappropriate use. Resulting in muscle weakness and further pain and swelling.

Neck and back pain.

The natural curves of the spine should be maintained at all times to avoid any wear and tear of the tissues. 

Certain structures heal faster than others.
  1. Muscles heal faster.
  2. Discs, joints, ligaments are inelastic so take longer time to heal.
  3. Nerves have elastic properties however are very sensitive so take longer time to heal.
Causes:-
Improper posture causes muscles to work harder and puts undesirable forces on the discs, joints and nerves making them more susceptible to damage.

Warning signs:- 
Lower back:-
  • Pain in low back (waist), buttocks or legs.
  • Numbness, tingling, weakness in legs or feet.
  • Inability to straighten spine.
Neck and upper back:-
  • Headaches
  • Numbness, tingling, weakness in arms or hand.
  • Pain and stiffness in the neck or in between the shoulder blades

Dr. Maria Jennifer Pinto (P.T.)
Contact no:- +91 8454948909

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