Is sitting at your desk all day making your elbows sore? While using your mouse isn’t an extreme sport, over time it can cause the muscles in your forearm to be overused and unhappy. Repetitive strain injuries (RSI’s) aren’t just for the super active and weight lifting folk. Repetitive, overuse of the wrist can lead to tendon pain in the forearm muscles that run from the wrist to the elbow. How can we avoid desk related elbow pain? 

• Mouse pads with gel supports can be helpful
• Check your keyboard and mouse position 
• Strengthen your muscles. We aren’t made to sit down all day holding a tiny electrical mouse.  It is important that you are strengthening your upper body away from work to help create stronger muscles that can take the repetitive load. Example –  Try holding some little 1-2kg weights and doing some wrist movements or squeeze a tennis ball 30 times. 

For the rundown on elbow pain see our elbow pain blog here and for all your workstation ergonomic information see here

Elbow bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa at your elbow and the most commonly affected is the olecranon bursa, which sits over the pointy part of your elbow.

A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac which acts like a cushion between the bony parts of your elbow and the muscle tendons that run across it.

When this bursa gets irritated by something it can become swollen and very painful! It may be irritated by a traumatic fall, direct pressure, a repetitive motion or it can also be associated with infection.

What are the symptoms?

• Obvious swelling at the point of the elbow
• Pain with movement of the elbow or putting pressure on it
• If the skin over the elbow is red and hot (you may also have a fever) PLEASE SEE YOUR DOCTOR as this indicates the bursa might be infected. 

Who is at risk?

• The most common cause is a hard fall on to the elbow, so athletes like footballers and basketballers are more likely to sustain this injury.
• People who play sports with a lot of throwing/pitching actions may be susceptible due to repetitive trauma to the bursa.
• It can also be common in desk workers or students who sit for long periods of time with their elbow resting on a hard desk.
• People with certain occupations such as plumbers and electricians may be more likely to get elbow bursitis because they spend a lot of time crawling under houses putting pressure on their elbows.
• People who suffer from conditions such as gout and rheumatoid arthritis may also be more likely to get elbow bursitis.

How can Osteopathy help?

• Our osteopaths will perform a complete assessment and determine a diagnosis of your pain. 
• Osteopathic techniques including soft tissue massage, stretching, joint articulation and mobilisation may be used to help reduce pain and muscle tension around the elbow.
• These techniques may help improve blood flow and lymphatic drainage from the area to help reduce inflammation and swelling.
• Applying ice can help ease inflammation and swelling of the bursa.
• Our osteopaths can advise you on how to avoid aggravating your bursitis and tailor an exercise program to rehabilitate your condition.

Is watching the tennis reminding you about the sore elbow that is still bothering you? ⁣
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As discussed in our last blog you don’t need to play tennis to suffer from “tennis elbow”. ⁣
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If you have tennis elbow, one of the most effective ways to help manage it is through strengthening exercises. Here is a simple one you can do at home to start with:⁣
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– Start in a seated position with your affected elbow and wrist resting on a table, palm facing down⁣
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– Place your opposite hand over the hand on your affected side⁣
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– Try to push the hand on your affected side up towards the ceiling, while resisting the movement with your opposite hand (so the muscles in your forearm contract but no movement occurs at your wrist or elbow)⁣
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– Hold for 10 seconds⁣
This exercise should not cause any pain so if you do experience pain in your elbow while doing this exercise, please stop.⁣
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Elbow pain can be debilitating and can come from various causes. If you are suffering from elbow pain and are not sure what’s causing it, make a booking with one of our osteopaths for a complete assessment and we will help to advise you on the types of treatment and management appropriate for your condition.

The spine is made up of vertebrae that stack up one on top of the other separated by discs. Looking from behind the spine usually stacks up with one vertebrae straight on top of the one beneath. In scoliosis however the spine is deviated from the midline creating a ‘C’ or ‘S’ shape curve. This deviation from the midline is a combination of the vertebrae curving to the side coupled with rotation.

Scoliosis can vary from a mild curve causing little or no symptoms to a severe curve, which may require treatment. Treatment is most effective when the scoliosis is detected early and managed with appropriate strategies based on the degree of curve. 

There are several different types of scoliosis

• Congenital
• Neuromuscular
• Idiopathic – this is the most common form and is classified according to when onset was identified – infantile, juvenile, adolescent or adult. The most common type is adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). We will further discuss AIS in this blog.

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS)

• Girls are affected 8-10 times more than boys
•  Only 3 in 1000 girls will require further treatment
• There is often no pain or other symptoms at the time of diagnosis
• The exact cause of AIS remains unknown but it is important to note it is NOT caused by “bad posture”, a soft mattress, watching too much TV or carrying a heavy school bag, although these things may exacerbate symptoms.
• The most significant risk factor for developing AIS is a family history of the condition.

It is important to screen for AIS at key ages. The Spine Society of Australia recommends screening at 10 and 12 years of age as this is the usual age for the largest growth spurt and the first signs of scoliosis.

A fact sheet is routinely distributed to girls in school with information for home screening. You can find this fact sheet here.

Signs of Scoliosis 

• Uneven shoulder heights 
• Uneven shoulder blades or one shoulder blade that seems more prominent
• Uneven hips or one hip that seems more prominent
• More of a gap between the arm and waist on one side 
• An obvious curve in the spine

Image supplied by National Scoliosis Centre

The curve of the scoliosis can be classified according to how mobile it is:

Structural scoliosis is a fixed curve in the spine and the most common form in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS). A structural curve usually has a physical structural change in the vertebrae.

Functional scoliosis is not structurally fixed. That is, the curve will bend with movement and may straighten again. It can be caused by:
– muscle spasm as a result of injury or compensation for a structural scoliosis curve
– overuse of the muscles on one side of the spine due to sport or occupation
– a difference in leg lengths

A note on scoliosis in adults:

– scoliosis may be first diagnosed in adulthood if a previously undiagnosed AIS curve has progressed.
– scoliosis may also develop in adulthood secondary to degenerative changes in the spine such as osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease.

How Osteopathy can assist

Treatment for scoliosis varies depending on the type and severity of the curve.

Our osteopaths will perform a complete assessment, including specific scoliosis screening tests, determine a diagnosis of your pain and refer you if an x-ray or specialist assessment is required.

Osteopathic techniques including joint articulation/mobilisation and soft tissue release may help to improve spinal mobility, reduce back muscle tension and decrease pain. 

Exercise, strengthening and stretching are important parts of maintaining spine health and our osteopaths can chat to you about some options and tailor a program to you.

If we assess the scoliosis to be severe and requiring different treatment such as bracing, our Osteopaths can refer you to the appropriate health professionals.

If you would like your spine assessed or your child’s screened for Scoliosis, contact us or make a booking here