Tips and Tricks for Preventing and Managing Tendonitis

You wake up on a Monday morning with some forearm and elbow soreness.

You did a lot of yard work this past weekend- raking, pruning, and using the weed wacker. And last week, at work, you had to use several hand tools that required a lot of gripping and moving your wrist around.

You think back to several years ago when you dealt with a lot of pain and other issues with that same part of your arm…something they called “tennis elbow?

Boy, you’d really like to avoid another case of that!

So what should you do?

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Tendonitis is a common experience . It is a musculoskeletal condition when a tendon, the thick fibrous cord connecting muscles to bones, becomes inflamed. Repetitive motions, overuse of muscles, or improper ergonomics can cause it. However, with proper awareness and preventive measures, minimizing the risk of tendonitis and effectively managing its symptoms is possible.

Recognizing Early Signs of Tendonitis:

Early detection of tendonitis symptoms is crucial for timely intervention. Industrial workers should be vigilant of the following signs:

· Pain or tenderness near a joint, usually where the tendon attaches to the bone

· Swelling or inflammation around the tendon

· Stiffness or difficulty in moving the joint

· Gradual onset of discomfort, especially after repetitive tasks

· Weakness in the affected muscle group

Stretches and Strengthening Exercises:

Regular stretching and strengthening exercises can help industrial workers maintain flexibility and muscle strength, reducing the risk of tendonitis. Here are some recommended stretches and strengthening exercises for the wrist and elbow.

Wrist/forearm/elbow:

o Wrist Flexor Stretch:

• Extend your arm in front of you with the palm facing down.

• Use your other hand to gently bend your wrist upward until you feel a stretch in the forearm.

• Hold the stretch for 2-4 rounds of 20-30 seconds each.

o Wrist Extensor Stretch:

• Extend your arm in front of you with the palm facing down.

• Use your other hand to gently bend your wrist downward until you feel a stretch in the forearm.

• Hold the stretch for 2-4 rounds of 20-30 seconds each.

o Forearm Strengthening Exercise:

• To focus on the muscles on the inside of your forearm, hold a light dumbbell or a resistance band with your palm facing up.

• Slowly curl your wrist upward against the resistance, then lower it back down.

• Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

• Do this same technique, starting with your palm facing down to target the muscles on the outside of your forearm.

Modify your work:

Correct ergonomics and tool usage are essential for preventing tendonitis in industrial settings. Workers should adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Maintain neutral wrist positions while gripping tools whenever possible to reduce strain on tendons.

2. Take regular breaks to rest and stretch muscles during repetitive tasks.

3. Use ergonomic tools with padded handles and adjustable grips to minimize joint stress. Using anti-vibration gloves may also help decrease the demands on tendons while using power tools that create a lot of vibration.

4. Avoid excessive force or sudden movements when using tools, as this can strain muscles and tendons.

Preventing and managing tendonitis requires a proactive approach focusing on early recognition, regular exercise, and proper ergonomics.

By implementing stretching and strengthening routines and following correct ergonomics, you can reduce the risk of tendonitis and maintain optimal musculoskeletal health.

Please note that these exercises above are general recommendations. They should not take the place of advice from a medical professional.

If you would like a program developed specifically for you and your needs by one of our physical therapists, occupational therapists, or athletic trainers, contact us today!

In addition to elbow and wrist stretching, strengthening, ergonomic modifications, your plan may include things like manual therapy, trigger point dry needling, therapeutic cupping, functional exercise and so much more.

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About the author:

Megan is our Sports Medicine Coordinator and a key player on our Industrial and Tactical Medicine Teams. She has utilized this preventative exercise and ergonomic strategies to help all the athletes she works with within all realms.

References:

• https://www.ptandrea.com/blog-posts/ergonomic-principles-and-hand-care-techniques

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324489

• https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Recommendations-for-hand-tool-handle-design-5_fig10_234056130

• https://www.harborfreight.com/anti-vibration-mechanics-gloves-x-large-58696.html

• https://steemit.com/sledge/@lindawilson/high-quality-sledgehammers-make-a-high-impact

Provider Spotlight: Ben Benesh PT, DPT, SCS

Sometimes you have to push people to get out of them what is needed.

When you interview a physical therapist with numerous specialties, advanced certifications, and the broad range of experiences that 20+ years in the profession provides, you know you’re talking with someone who can treat just about anyone who walks into his clinic.

“I love working with all my patients and getting them back to full function,” said Advanced Physical Therapy’s Ben Benesh. “It’s very rewarding.”

Yes, I understand, but is there a type of patient that is your favorite to work with?

“Well, I do love working with athletes,” he said.

BAM

“Those are probably my favorite patients and it's a pretty wide variety and wide age variety of athletes. But I do love the high school athlete, and those are the patients that often stick out in my head over the last 20 years, those kids that had ACL injuries, a reconstruction, and then they come to me,” said Benesh. “And working with them, getting them to that sports performance phase over the last few months, moving them into a guarded progression and then getting them back to their sport.”

Here Benesh discusses a local high school athlete who suffered ACL tears in back to back years.

“About 18 months of rehab, a huge commitment,” Benesh said. “She was so strong, maybe the strongest patient in my 20 years.”

We discussed the high school athletes he’s treated and the emotional toll wrought by such devastating injuries. Those patients, said Benesh, are the ones who often end up becoming physical therapists.

So was that Benesh’s path?

“Well, I played sports and was injured a lot, but I didn’t receive a lot of PT for it.”

For Benesh, it was an opportunity as a college student to work with a physical therapist from his hometown that was the catalyst. This “one man show” of a physical therapy practice influenced Benesh in more ways than he could count.

“I loved his life, his family life, his demeanor with patients,” said Benesh. “The whole experience was fantastic. And he wrote me a really nice reference letter for my PT school application.”

Nearly a quarter century and a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree later, Benesh’s special interest in sports continues unabated. He’s received additional sports medicine training in a number of areas including advanced treatment of the shoulder, concussion management, and performance running video analysis.

He’s also a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy (SCS), a certification that identifies those who are experts within their branch of PT. It also provides enhanced opportunities to use those skills working with local sports teams, high-level athletes, and youth feeder programs (Benesh provided on field coverage for UW-Oshkosh football as well as for the Oshkosh Flyers, a competitive youth football club for fourth through eight graders).

And it’s a commitment with rigorous requirements.

“It’s a beast of an exam,” said Benesh. “There aren’t that many of us in the state of Wisconsin with the SCS certification, but it’s worth it. Keeps you up to date on the latest on sports performance, nutrition, emergency medicine, coverage on the field, a wide range of specializations.”

Benesh is used to seeing highly motivated patients ready to take on the physical challenges of rehab, but mental and emotional components must be addressed. This is where Benesh the dad, the coach of his children’s sports teams, and the clinician all meet.

“I think that the honesty that I can have with these patients is important.” Said Benesh. “I feel like it's a positive thing for injured athletes to talk to somebody other than their coach or their mom or dad. It’s also good for the parents to have a sounding board to have a thought process. I try to keep it as objective as I can, but I have daughters and a son. I feel I'm in a good spot to understand and empathize in these situations.”

Benesh has three children, all involved in sports. And at one point he was coaching all three at the same time. That’s no longer the case, and you’d think that would result in a more stable work-life balance.

“Oh, no, it’s way easier to make schedules work for me when I’m coaching all of them,” said Benesh. “Otherwise, things conflict.”

Working at the Oshkosh YMCA location affords Benesh the opportunity to utilize facilities with his injured athletes. If he’s working with a swimmer, there’s the pool; a hockey player gets to use the ice; the soccer player is on the pitch; the hoops player is on the basketball court.

“It's really nice to have that ability to see them at this location,” said Benesh. “Usually, I'll see them weekly for three to five months, whatever it takes to get them back, and then I do a return-to-sport testing with them before I release them back to their sport.”

Sometimes you have to push people to get out of them what is needed.

That’s what physical therapists do.

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Dr. Ben works with patients and athletes at both YMCA locations in Oshkosh, WI (Downtown, 20th Ave). 920-305-7910