Wrist Sprain

Below is an article I wrote which was recently published in the Rochster Democrat and Chronicle. Let us know if you have any questions about this or any other health topic we may be able to address for you.


Sprained Wrist
By
Tony Oliveri, PT, DPT


Falling on the outstretched hand is one of the most common occurrences causing an injury to the wrist. Who hasn’t this happened to?! Of course, other parts of the arm and shoulder can be injured with this type of fall, but a wrist injury is the most likely. Along with a sprain, there is always the possibility of a fracture or dislocation, as there are eight small bones in your wrist. Frequently, the end of the radius bone is fractured. That is why it’s important to have an x-ray of your wrist, should you have lasting pain, swelling, or a loss of mobility after such a fall.

If you do have a sprained wrist, proper care will help to restore it back to normal. Depending on the severity of your sprain, a wrist splint, or even a temporary cast may be needed. This is to assure that the injured ligaments heal in the proper position. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to repair torn ligaments. Once your health professional indicates it is safe to do so, you can gradually decrease use of a splint, if it was needed. In many cases, a splint may not be needed. Your wrist may simply need protection from stressful activities, or wrapping with an elastic bandage or athletic tape.

When pain and swelling are decreased, strengthening and motion exercises can be started. An injury like this often leads to at least temporary loss of strength and mobility, which needs to be restored. A physical therapist can instruct you on the proper exercises to help regain normal function of the wrist, forearm, and hand. For stubborn or more significant injuries, and to speed healing, physical therapy is sometimes recommended. Along with specific exercises, the use of ultrasound, infrared, cold laser and other treatments may be included, to speed the healing process. If physical therapy is recommended, be sure and go to a licensed physical therapist. If not properly cared for, even a sprained wrist can lead to permanent problems.

Tony Oliveri is a physical therapist in private practice in Rochester and Webster,NY

Personal Training

Yes,we do offer personal training! Whether or not you are recovering from an injury, or just trying to get fit. If you don't need physical therapy, or have completed physical therapy after an injury, maybe you need some help achieving your fitness goals. We've been helping people achieve their goals for over twenty years, from fitness enthusiasts to professional athletes. Maybe you just want to "get in shape", or you're preparing for a challenging athletic event or season; if so, let us guide you, or help adjust your training. We have competed in various sports ourselves,as high as the national level, so we know what you are up against! By the way, there are no long term contracts, and you can use our training for as little as one session, if all you need is a minor "tweak". Personal training can be done at our gym, or yours. (The only limitation you may run across is that if you belong to a gym, they may want you to use only their trainers).

Cycling Aches and Pains

Not the bad kind, where a cyclist crashes or gets hit by a car, which we also treat, but this post outlines some of the aches and pains common to bicyclists, both experienced professionals and novices, along with just about anyone in between. The original outline has been presented by Dr. Oliveri to cycling enthusiasts and triathletes in the Rochester, NY area. See below for the outline. Call or e-mail with any questions. Happy riding!


CYCLING INJURIES, ACHES AND
PAINS

Tony Oliveri, PT, DPT

Causes:

• Insufficient warm-up or cool-down
• Sudden changes in training duration or intensity
• Excessive hill work
• Pushing big gears at low RPMs
• Poor bike fit.
• Shoes too tight or too stiff, or too soft!
• Lack of stretching before and after long rides



A sample of problems:

• Ulnar neuropathy: handlebar palsy
• Achilles tendonitis/plantar fasciitis: saddle too low, or foot too far behind the spindle, leading to excessive ankling.
• Anterior knee pain (patello-femoral or tendonitis). 60% of injuries are among experienced cyclists: saddle too low or too far forward.
• ITB pain: caused by pronation, internal tibial torsion, saddle too high.
• Biceps tendonitis: saddle too high or aft. Cleats toe in too much.



Solutions to some of the common
cycling problems

• Gradual increases in duration, frequency, intensity.
• Sufficient warm-up and cool-down.
• Proper bike fit. May include cants or lifts between pedal and shoe.
• Biking shoes instead of sneakers, especially long or hard rides.
• Cycling orthotics.
• Floating pedal systems sometimes kinder to the knees(no loss of power). Sometimes the float needs to be restricted.
• Knee taping or bracing: but tape breaks down and can irritate skin.
• Physical Therapy: exercise modification, manual therapy, ultrasound, infrared, cold laser.