Lymphostasis (lymphedema) of the arm after mastectomy

Not only beginner athletes, but also professional athletes are not immune to unpleasant sensations. We all know that muscle pain after physical exercise within reasonable limits indicates that the body has received sufficient stress and requires recovery. As for pain in the joints, it always signals an injury or a developing disease, so it should not be ignored. Among specialists, the sports most susceptible to joint damage are running, tennis, weightlifting, as well as contact sports: football, basketball, hockey, etc.

Why do my joints hurt after training?

The cause of pain can be too intense exercise or non-compliance with the exercise technique. This is especially true for those new to the gym. The desire to quickly achieve a goal pushes novice athletes to train too frequently and extensively. There are also several factors that influence the occurrence of joint pain after strength training:

• a sharp increase in working weights;
• neglect of warm-up: warming up muscles and joint exercises;
• insufficient recovery time for full functioning of muscles, joints and ligaments.

Although the causes of pain are individual and may vary depending on the individual, there are common mistakes that lead to it.

If your shoulder joints hurt after training, then pay attention to the correct execution of exercises such as bench press with a barbell or dumbbells and push-ups in parallel bars and from the floor. They are considered the most traumatic and require high concentration. Pain in the elbow joint can occur due to an unnatural position of the joint during work or from a wide range of motion. Incorrectly weighted dumbbells cause pain in the hands and wrists. Although women are more prone to hip injuries due to increased flexibility and a tendency to sprain the ligaments, men should also be careful to perform “heavy” exercises. These include barbell squats and leg presses. Also, due to defects in the ligamentous apparatus and abrasion of the cartilage membranes, problems arise with the knee joints. Treatment and restoration of this joint is the most labor-intensive and time-consuming, and in most cases, leads to restrictions on sports activities.

In addition to damage received during physical activity, painful sensations may appear due to the development of a disease or a previous injury. Before starting active training, be sure to check your joints for inflammation (arthritis, arthrosis), ligament damage, wear and tear, as well as bruises, sprains or fractures.

Symptoms and causes

Diagnosing elbow pain can be challenging due to the complexity of the joint and its central location in the upper extremity. Diagnosing injuries requires an understanding of the anatomy of the elbow, which includes three joints, two sets of ligaments, four muscle groups, and three major nerves. The medical history should be aimed at identifying the location of symptoms and identifying those activities that cause pain to the patient. It is important to identify specific muscle-ligamentous structures that are at risk of overuse and can be damaged during excessive loads. Mechanical symptoms indicate intra-articular pathology, while neurological symptoms are characteristic of nerve compression.

Types of activities and possible stress injuries to the elbow

The timing of symptoms can be helpful in identifying possible overuse injuries. The severity of symptoms must be correlated with a possible increase after exercise and the presence of regression at rest. It is important to determine the localization of pain and the presence of pain irradiation. Factors that reduce or increase symptoms should also be identified.

This is especially important for identifying neurological and mechanical symptoms. Weakness or numbness are key symptoms indicating the presence of peripheral nerve compression or cervical radiculopathy. Mechanical symptoms such as clicking during movement, locking during extension may indicate intra-articular pathologies

Causes of pain associated with excessive stress

Pain and crunching in the joints during training

Joint pain can occur not only after training, but also directly during it. In this case, the best thing you can do is stop the activity and analyze the damage. Ignoring the problem will result in more serious injury and a longer recovery.

If you experience discomfort while performing specific exercises, then exclude them from your training program and choose a more suitable alternative. To prevent pain during exercise, be sure to perform the movements smoothly, gradually increasing the load. Let your muscles and joints get used to the work. For problem joints, it is best to perform exercises with free weights rather than in machines, as the body will move more freely. An additional guarantee of safe training will be “auxiliary” exercises, which are a lead-in to more complex and energy-consuming ones.

But when playing sports, you can encounter not only pain in the joints, but also their crunching. Most often, the hands, pelvis and knees are affected. So why do your joints crack during and after exercise?

This is primarily due to the mechanics of the movement: ligaments and tendons change their position and when returning to their original place we hear a characteristic sound. In addition, the joint contains synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint and contains nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. And when the joint moves, the gases come together and a popping noise occurs. Also, crunching joints can cause inflammation and salt accumulation, which reduce the elasticity of the ligaments. If you experience such a problem, seek advice from a specialist.

Why does hand numbness occur?

When a patient says that his upper limbs are numb, he may mean:

• a tingling feeling that causes discomfort;
• sensation of “goosebumps” under the skin;
• decreased sensitivity of the skin.

Numbness of the hands does not always indicate pathology. It may be the result of wearing too tight clothes and jewelry that compress blood vessels and nerves.

The most common causes of numbness in the hands:

• Uncomfortable body position, monotonous mechanical work, disrupting blood flow. After changing the position of the limb, the unpleasant sensations disappear.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (usually affects the working hand due to prolonged monotonous work).
• Atherosclerosis. Accompanied by tingling and numbness of the hands, in the future a decrease in their muscle strength is likely.
• Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine (numbness, usually symmetrical, may intensify after physical activity).
• Diabetic neuropathy (usually both hands go numb).
• Intervertebral hernia in the cervical region (numbness is associated with compression of the spinal nerve roots).
• Ischemic stroke of the brain (threatens numbness and paralysis of the arm).
• Multiple sclerosis (if part of the postcentral gyrus of the brain is affected, the limbs may go numb).
• Thoracic outlet syndrome (compression of nerve trunks and blood vessels in the area of ​​the upper chest opening).
• Brachial plexitis (numbness of the arm occurs due to inflammation of the brachial plexus).
• Damage to peripheral nerves due to alcoholism (alcoholic polyneuropathy).
• Brain tumor (the formation can compress the motor and sensory neurons responsible for the innervation of the upper extremities).
• Raynaud's disease (a disorder of the innervation of small arterioles, more common in women, manifested by numbness and pain in the extremities).
• Rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation and deformation of joints leads to compression of nerve fibers) and others.

Main services of Dr. Zavalishin’s clinic:

• consultation with a neurosurgeon
• treatment of spinal hernia
• brain surgery
• spine surgery

How to stretch your joints before training?

In order to ensure safe joint function, it is necessary to warm up before any physical activity. Depending on the sport you are involved in, the content of the warm-up may vary. There are special sets of exercises for runners, wrestlers, boxers, etc.

The main objectives of warming up the joints are to increase blood flow to them and increase their mobility. Also, by doing simple exercises at the beginning of your workout, you improve blood circulation not only in the joints, but also in the muscles, which increases the effectiveness of the exercise as a whole and increases strength indicators.

A proper warm-up in the gym should include working all muscle groups without exception, even if you plan to train only the upper body. Joint warm-up starts from the top and goes down. Focused attention is paid to those joints on which the maximum load is planned. In this case, we first warm up the large muscle groups, then move on to the smaller ones. You should take a vertical starting position with your feet shoulder-width apart. When warming up, maintain even, calm breathing.

A universal warm-up, which is widely used in gyms, usually takes 5-10 minutes and includes:

• rotations and tilts of the head;
• swing your arms back and forth;
• extension and flexion of arms at the elbows;
• rotation of arms and hands;
• body bends;
• regular squats;
• rotation of the pelvis and each leg separately;
• raising your toes;
• circular movements of the knees and ankles.

The exercises are performed smoothly for 10-16 repetitions. In addition to this warm-up, you can do a short cardio session: 5-7 minutes of light jogging or cycling. But full stretching should be left until the end of the workout or performed on a separate training day, because it reduces the ability to concentrate during strength work.

Recovery after a fracture of the wrist and fingers

When a person falls unsuccessfully and rests on his palm or a tucked hand, he can get a fracture in the bones of the wrist and fingers.

Also, from a direct blow to the fingers, you can get a bone disconnection, which is expressed by swelling, hematoma and severe pain, sometimes the release of bone fragments.

After the fracture has been determined by radiography, in order to ensure complete healing and restoration of the fragments in case of non-splintered damage, the arm should be fixed with a plaster. When a fracture of the arm occurs with displacement of bone fragments, osteosynthesis is performed, that is, fixation is carried out using special metal structures: screws, screws, plates of bone fragments.

With the help of physical therapy during the rehabilitation of the hand after a fracture of the radius, it is possible to rehabilitate the functions of the wrist joint and fine motor skills.

Using a su jok massage ring, you need to treat each injured limb. Such rehabilitation exercises help restore blood flow and stimulate the activity of nerve endings.

If there was an injury to the wrist bone, steps should be taken during rehabilitation to flex and then extend the hand. In this case, you need to combine your palms, your fingers should remain directed towards the top. During rehabilitation, you should tilt your joined palms in different directions, pressing gently but with persistence.

If the fingers are damaged after the process of removing the plaster, they should be developed carefully, bending and unbending each phalanx.

The passive state of the hand can lead to the development of contracture, when the fingers lose the ability to flex and extend.

During rehabilitation, it is recommended to pick small objects such as beads and rosaries with your fingertips. It is interesting and useful to make puzzles. You can play pocket chess.

Attention ! If you have a hand injury, you can work on it even in the presence of dull pain. If acute pain occurs, the activity must be stopped.

For a fracture of the radius, it is recommended to perform the following exercises during rehabilitation:

• It is necessary to ensure the position of the hands, with the palm on the table surface, bringing the fingers together and spreading them, preventing them from being torn off the surface;
• pressing on the table with your fingertips;
• raising your fingers one by one above a horizontal surface to the maximum height;
• rotation with all fingers in turn, trying not to tear them off the surface;
• holding the injured upper limb with the healthy hand, and raising the forearm, holding it for 3-4 seconds.

Each exercise is performed 6 to 12 times until slight pain appears.

Sports nutrition for healthy joints and ligaments

An additional measure to maintain the health of joints and ligaments is to take special supplements - chondoprotectors. Most often they contain chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate, collagen, hyaluronic acid and calcium. Supplements can be multi-component or contain only one active ingredient. Taking chondoprotectors helps restore damage to cartilage surfaces and strengthen the joint. Let's take a closer look at the most popular additives.

Chondroitin sulfate

Chondroitin plays a major role in the full functioning of the joint. This is a polysaccharide found in cartilage, responsible for building bone tissue and lubricating the joint. It has anti-inflammatory properties. Taking chondroitin accelerates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, suppresses the action of enzymes that destroy cartilage tissue and increases joint mobility. The daily intake is no more than 1200 mg. It is best taken in combination with glucosamine.

Glucosamine

It is an amino sugar in chondroitin and is obtained from the hard body covering of insects and shellfish - chitin. In the human body, it is produced by the cartilage tissue of the joints. Numerous studies confirm that long-term use of glucosamine slows down the development of joint diseases and significantly reduces pain. The supplement is available in the form of powder and capsules, the recommended dose is from 1500 to 2000 mg per day.

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane)

MSM is widely used as an anti-inflammatory agent, in particular for diseases of the joints and ligaments. The additive serves as a source of sulfur, which is involved in the formation of new tissues. It has a beneficial effect on the condition of the ligamentous apparatus by accelerating the flow of nutrients into cell membranes. MSM also has an antioxidant effect, slowing down aging and strengthening the body's protective functions. Most often it is used in conjunction with chondroitin and glucosamine to obtain a more pronounced result.

We recommend taking glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM together. Both during physical activity and during breaks, to support recovery processes.

Collagen

This is a protein that serves as the basis of the connective tissues of the human body; it consists of many fibrils. Collagen is responsible for skin elasticity, ligament elasticity and joint mobility. Thanks to these properties, it is actively used to restore cartilage tissue and synovial fluid.

The most easily digestible form is collagen hydrolyzate. In the Prime Kraft online store you can choose from four bright flavors. By the way, pomegranate extract also has a positive effect on the condition of joints and signs of aging in the body as a whole.

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These supplements have a cumulative effect and require long-term use, so you should not expect noticeable results after 1 week or even a month. This is due to the fact that the joints do not have their own blood supply and it takes a lot of time for nutrients to enter the joint cavity. Playing sports and any other physical activity accelerates the effect.

What is contraindicated to do if there is pain?

There are a number of symptoms that signal to us that the body is not ready for training. In such cases, it is better to give them a rest and then return to the exercises with renewed vigor.

• Feeling very tired.
• Respiratory and infectious diseases.
• Exacerbation of chronic diseases.
• Increased body temperature.

Neglecting the rules of exercise or exercising with the symptoms described above means harming yourself. If the unpleasant sensations do not go away for several days, and no folk advice helps, then it will not hurt to consult a doctor. Only a doctor can determine exactly what is happening in your body and why your arms hurt after training.

Diagnosis of an arm fracture

The final verdict on whether the arm hurts after a fracture or another, less serious injury is made by a traumatologist. When making a diagnosis, it takes into account the nature of the traumatic impact itself and the symptoms listed above, but instrumental studies are of decisive importance.

An x-ray is usually done . In most cases, it is quite informative and allows one to judge the violation of the integrity of bone tissue and determine the location and type of fracture.

In addition, computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear magnetic tomography .

Methods for treating elbow pain

If there are no irreversible destructive processes in the cartilage and bone tissues, and the soft tissues are not damaged by malignant neoplasms, patients with pain in the elbows after exercise are prescribed complex treatment. It includes two areas - taking medications and various types of therapy. The list of medications, including ointments, is prescribed depending on the type of disease. For pinched nerves and inflammatory processes, the course of treatment includes anti-inflammatory drugs and anabolic steroids, including warming ointments. Additionally, warming baths and compresses with herbs or medications may be prescribed, which you will have to do yourself at home.

Physiotherapeutic measures may include massage, electrophoresis, and various types of hydrotherapy. A fairly effective aid in restoring the functions of the elbow joint is physical therapy, consisting of a set of exercises for the arms. However, it is not indicated for all joint diseases. On the contrary, in some cases, a fixing bandage is applied to the patient’s forearm, and special orthopedic products may be recommended to ensure complete immobility of the elbow.

Until recently, surgical intervention was the only option for relieving pain in cases of serious tissue destruction. However, today many clinics offer the use of chondoprotectors - medications that effectively restore cartilage tissue - before making a decision on prosthetics. If the course of treatment does not bring the expected results, surgery is prescribed.