Entrapment of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, diagnosed medically as Meralgia Paresthetica, has been poorly understood. Obesity, pregnancy, and ill-fitting clothing are implicated, citing mechanical compression of the nerve as the cause. Treatment is conservative and usually takes several months to resolve. In a cursory search through the literature, only Travel and Simons in Myofascial […]
Entrapment of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, diagnosed medically as Meralgia Paresthetica, has been poorly understood. Obesity, pregnancy, ill-fitting clothing are implicated, citing mechanical compression of the nerve as the cause. Treatment is conservative and usually takes several months to resolve. In a cursory search through the literature, only Travel and Simons in Myofascial Pain […]
When “sciatic” type of symptoms won’t go away, what else can be considered as causes? Travell and Simons emphatically state that “Sciatica is a symptom, not a diagnosis; it’s cause should be identified.” (Vol II, p. 173) Here’s Part 2 of a list of things you can check. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction or arthritis: These conditions […]
Entrapment by the pectoralis minor muscle can block blood and nerve flow to the arms causing pain, tingling, numbness (dysesthesia) and unusual sensations (parasthesias). The pectoralis minor’s very strong tendon overlies the brachial plexus of nerves and the axillary artery that make up the neurovascular bundle that serves the arm. When the muscle is tight […]
To heal arm and hand pain, daily warm-ups are beneficial before you stretch or exercise. Aerobic activity will increase healing by increasing blood flow and oxygen. The previous post presents suggestions for stretches that are helpful for Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. 1) Half head rolls: Start with your ear at one shoulder and your face looking […]
Cubital tunnel symptoms include inner elbow pain, and pain, tingling, numbness, burning, and weakness down the ulnar forearm and hand to the pinkie and ring fingers. The cubital tunnel is at the inner elbow (medial epicondyle) formed by the dog bone knob of the upper arm bone (humerus). The ulnar nerve goes around it like […]
Of all the arm and hand pain conditions and syndromes that can be treated, carpal tunnel syndrome is the one that is most often misdiagnosed and the one for which unnecessary surgeries are most often performed. See other conditions and causes in the post on Arm and hand pain: A Checklist of Causes. I was […]
This is a series on arm and hand pain causes. If you missed the beginning, go back to the Checklist. Neurovascular entrapment is what happens when nerves and blood vessels become trapped by tight muscles and the taut bands of Trigger Points. Entrapment is not the same as compression. Nerve compression occurs between bones or […]
This is a series on arm and hand pain causes. If you missed the beginning, go back to the Checklist. Many years ago now, I attended a talk by Dr. Emil Pascarelli to the RSI/Mass COSH group in Boston and was cheering to myself in the back of the hall when I heard him say that […]
Neuromuscular Therapy is a specialty treatment somewhere between Physical Therapy and Massage Therapy with a focus on Trigger Points in soft tissue locations that refer pain away from their hyperactive nodules to other points in the body. Trigger Points are one of the most common causes of chronic pain. They can occur anywhere in soft […]