Forward Head Posture

FHP is the result of misalignment of your upper back, shoulders and head.  

          (L) Poor Posture                              (R) Proper posture 

I find my posture always looks weird, especially for my neck. Perhaps it's due to my awkward posture. during activities. I develop this when I'm concentrating such as using computer and phone, reading, reading, watching tv, etc. I did not know I was in that poor posture. My head leans forward gradually and silently once I am focusing on things. This gives me neck sore and stiff which is not a good stuff. Anyway, I found this useful link in Youtube talking about the correction exercise for the Forward Head Posture. I am going to try these exercise and hope to get a better posture and relief the stiffness. Here you go.

Pictures reference: http://activespines.com/clients/7950/images/back_pain_solution_forward_head_posture.jpg

http://www.euclidchiropracticinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/postural-distortions-and-posture1-300x291.jpg

Dook Fishball (1) - Jammed Finger

Jeremy Lin

This post will be discussing a common hand injury happened in basketball games - Dook Fishball. It often happens when u miscatch a fast-coming ball, or while an agressive player trying to steal a ball but accidentally poke onto the ball (._____.)... Although we often refer this to "dook fishball", however two conditions might actually occur when we look into the anatomy of our fingers. Depending on the site of injury, the two conditions are mallet finger and jammed finger. So what is the difference? What structures are involved?




Jammed finger


Where?
Jammed finger is more commonly seen then mallet finger. It can be considered as a sprain of PIP joint. It is poorly defined; you can also find out that some of the websites actually say jammed finger can occur at both DIP and PIP joint.

How?

When there is an unexpected force applying to the tip of the finger. Several structures are responsible to hold the finger joints such as ligaments and joint capsule. High impact force coming from a fast moving basketball can compress the joint or rupture the ligament, causing the swelling and bruising. More severe cases can happen when the finger is forced into hyper-extension, which either PIP or DIP allow only limited extension. As a result, the extensor tendon (or referred as central slip) ruptures. 'Boutonnière deformity' is often referred as the case when this happens. (Click this link to learn more about BD: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00004&return_link=0) Bone avulsion can also happen (a small part of bone is teared away by the pulling force of a stretched tendon in this case).

What to do?

Buddy Taping

Ice (20 mins per session) and rest should be the first priority right after the injury. Elevation of the finger can increase venous blood flow to your heart to remove the waste produced locally. You can do this by putting your hand on a high table while sleeping or sitting, just remember to keep it above the level of your heart. Taping can help stabilising the injured joint and reducing local swelling. If you want to stabilise the injured joint in a greater amount, buddy taping would help (see diagram).

After the swelling and pain has gone down, remember to do some mobilising exercises! 

The above would be appropriate and helpful in general. If you suspect that your case is more serious, for example you experience a sharp unbearable pain while moving the finger or you cannot move your finger in an unexpectedly large extent, do not hesitate to consult a related medical profession for diagnosis!

Mallet finger will be covered in the coming post =]

CRPS (Complex regional pain syndrome)

Definition

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is the term used to describe pain and swelling in one part of the body. CRPS usually affects the hands, feet, elbows or knees, but can affect any part of the body.

The pain may start after an injury, where the nerves have been damaged, or there may be no known cause for it to start. The pain usually gets gradually worse and may spread to other parts of the body.

Types of CRPS

There are two types of CRPS that have different causes. They are:

• Type one CRPS is triggered by a simple injury, such as a sprained or fractured ankle, where there has not been any nerve damage.
• Type two CRPS is triggered by a more serious injury or procedure, where nerve damage has occurred following, for example, a broken bone, a serious infection or an operation

The injury causes pain that is much worse than expected. About 90% of all cases of CRPS are type one CRPS.

Symptoms

The main symptom of chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a severe, continuous burning pain in part or all of a limb. This could be in one of your arms, legs, hands, feet or ankles.

The pain is usually triggered by an injury, and is a lot worse than you would normally expect. For example, you may have a minor ankle sprain, but the pain can feel like a severe burn.

If you have CRPS, the skin of the affected body part can become very sensitive, and even the slightest touch, bump, or change in temperature can provoke a feeling of intense pain.

You may hear this described in the following medical terms:

• hyperalgesia – when you are extremely sensitive to pain
• allodynia – when you feel pain from something that should not be painful at all, such as a very light touch

In more severe cases of CRPS, the muscles in the affected limb may begin to wither (atrophy). This usually occurs if the person affected is unwilling to use their limb due to the associated pain.

Other symptoms

CRPS can cause some other symptoms, including:

• alternating changes in skin temperature – sometimes your skin may feel sweaty, while at other times it may feel cold and clammy
• changes in skin colour – your skin tone may range from pale and colourless to pink, or it may have a blue tinge and appear blotchy or streaky
• changes in skin texture – your skin may appear shiny and thin
• changes in the way that your hair and nails grow – they may grow unusually slowly or unusually quickly
• swelling, pain and stiffness in the affected joints
• increasing difficulty moving the affected body part

Ref: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/complex-regional-pain-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx