The term "rotator cuff" describes four small muscles holding your shoulder in its shallow socket when the more significant muscles move your arm. Strains and injuries to the rotator cuff are the most common cause of shoulder problems, accounting for 4.5 million doctor visits per year. Less than 10% of rotator cuff tears result from acute injuries like falling, pushing, pulling, throwing, or lifting. The vast majority of injuries are the result of repeated strains or "impingement." Rotator cuff impingement means the area where your rotator cuff tendon lives has become too crowded and the rotator cuff is pinched each time you raise your arm.
Symptoms: Most chronic strains begin silently, with symptoms becoming more evident as the tear progresses. Pain is often localized to the front and outside of your shoulder but can sometimes radiate down your arm and is worse at night. Patients who have suffered an acute rotator cuff injury often report a “tearing” or “snapping” sensation accompanied by severe pain and weakness.
The eight bones of your wrist form a U-shaped channel that houses several tendons and your median nerve. This channel is called the carpal tunnel. Your median nerve is responsible for the sensation on the palm side of your first 3 1/2 fingers. Compression or irritation of this nerve as it travels through the carpal tunnel causes the condition known as “carpal tunnel syndrome.” Carpal tunnel syndrome can be brought on by prolonged wrist flexion and/or repetitive wrist movements like supermarket scanning, keyboard use, carpentry or assembly line work. Carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in your dominant hand and sometimes affects both hands.
Symptoms: Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include numbness, tingling, or discomfort on the palm side of your thumb, index, middle finger, and half of your ring finger. The discomfort can sometimes extend towards your elbow. Symptoms usually begin as nighttime discomfort or waking up with numb hands but can become a constant annoyance.
Knee pain is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Medical conditions — including arthritis, gout, and infections — also can cause knee pain. Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) (“runner’s knee”) is one of the most common causes of knee pain. The condition results from an imbalance between the muscles that help to guide your kneecap in its V-shaped groove at the end of your thigh bone. Repeatedly flexing and extending a misaligned kneecap leads to pain, swelling, and eventually arthritis.
Symptoms: PFPS produces a dull pain behind the kneecap that is aggravated by prolonged walking, running, squatting, jumping, stair climbing, or arising from a seated position. The pain is often worse when walking downhill or downstairs. Longstanding misalignment can cause damage to the cartilage, which results in popping, grinding, or giving way.
TMJD is a term used to describe a group of problems that cause pain in the temporomandibular joint in your jaw. These problems can arise from the muscles around the joint, the disc within the joint, or the bony portion of the joint itself. Imbalances between the muscles that open and close your jaw are the most common culprit. TMD is more common in people who clench their jaw or grind their teeth, especially at night. Bad posture and emotional stress are contributors to this problem. You are three times more likely to suffer from TMD if you have been involved in a “whiplash” accident.
Symptoms: Typical symptoms of TMD include jaw clicking, limited mouth opening, possible jaw locking, and pain. Chewing and eating usually make your symptoms more noticeable. TMD pain is generally described as an “ache” in front of your ear canal but may also spread to other areas of your face, head, neck, and shoulders. TMD is common in people who clench their jaw or grind their teeth.
Our goal is to get you back to normal as soon as possible. To do that, we will likely recommend one or more of the following:
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