Advanced Physical Medicine specializes in treating muscle injuries including muscle strain and overuse injuries. Muscle strain, muscle pull or even a muscle tear means damage to a muscle or its attaching tendons. More than normal pressure can be put on muscles during the course of normal daily activities, such as sudden, quick heavy lifting.
When muscle tears (even microscopically) it heals with a “second-rate” patch material. This material is scar tissue made from collagen which is stiffer and weaker than muscle fiber. This “patch” sets you up for re-injury of the muscle, and can also cause chronic pain. Chronic muscle injury usually results in repetitive stress injuries because muscles and joints are not working together in the way they normally would.
Muscle damage can be in the form of tearing (part or all) of the muscle fibers and the tendons attached to the muscle. The tearing of the muscle can also damage small blood vessels, causing local bleeding (bruising) and pain (caused by irritation of the nerve endings in the area).
What is an overuse injury?
Overuse syndromes, also called cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) or repetitive strain injury (RSI), are conditions characterized by chronic irritation to a body part. This is caused by performing the same activity over and over without giving muscles the chance to rest and recover. A good example of this is sitting at a desk all day using a mouse. Little (microscopic tears) develop in the muscles and connective tissue causing the areas to become inflamed and sore. Performing the same task day after day can lead to chronic muscle injury and therefore chronic pain. Many conditions fall under the category of overuse syndromes, some of these are described below:
- Hand & Wrist
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Wrist Tendonitis
- Elbow
- Tennis Elbow
- Golfer’s Elbow
- Shoulder
- Impingement Syndrome
- Rotator Cuff Syndrome
- Bursitis
- Hip
- Snapping Hip Syndrome
- Hip Bursitis
- Knee & Leg
- Stress Fractures
- Shin Splints
- Chondromalacia
- Bursitis
- ITB Syndrome
- Jumpers/Runners Knee
- Foot & Ankle
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome
- Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
- Plantar Fasciitis
If you feel you are suffering from any of these conditions, please contact Advanced Physical Medicine in North Haven about possible treatment options.