Not being able to perform simple activities such as getting out and socializing or routine daily tasks due to pain can be quite frustrating! Pain, especially the type that lasts for a long time, can affect all aspects of your life. The causes for such pain could be due to accidental injuries, bone and joint conditions, and a variety of other causes.
Bumping your funny bone isn’t so funny, so why is it called the “funny bone”? Some say the funny bone was given its name because it is so close to the humerus bone, so the name is really just a play on words. Others say it gets its name from the strange—or “funny”—feeling you get when that part of your arm takes a good whack.
Carpal tunnel syndrome causes numbness, tingling and pain in the hand, wrist and arm. It is a common, irritating and sometimes even painful condition. Early diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome may improve effectiveness of treatment.
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, causes inflammation and pain in the outer portion of the elbow, where the tendons and forearm muscles meet the humerus (the bone in the upper arm). Tennis elbow can affect anyone; in fact, about 80 percent of people who get tennis elbow aren’t actually tennis players. The same symptom on the inside of the elbow is a condition known as “golfer’s elbow,” or medial epicondylitis.
The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), or digestive tract, is the organ system responsible for consuming food, digesting it, extracting energy and nutrients and expelling the remaining waste.
Problems within the GI tract can result in a number of common conditions, ranging from acid reflux and indigestion to bowel conditions such as diarrhea and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In most cases of common digestive problems, simple lifestyle changes (such as diet and exercise or taking over-the-counter remedies) can help.
Tennis toe is a painful sports-related injury you may not have heard of before. Also known as “runner’s toe,” tennis toe is a pooling of blood under the toenail called a subungual hematoma.
Shin splints are a painful, exercise-related problem. Shin splints are defined as pain along the front and inner part of the leg—the shinbone (tibia). They are common among people who are physically active, particularly runners and dancers.
Do you have a swollen, painful bump on the outside of your big toe? If so, you may have a bunion. A bunion is a common deformity of the foot most often seen in women.
Though less common than back pain, neck pain affects an estimated 45 percent of adults in the U.S. There are different classifications and causes of neck pain, and in some cases, neck pain can be preventable. Neck pain is generally classified as either acute pain or chronic pain.
Ice and heat are commonly used to treat sports-related injuries, such as sprained ankles or shoulder injuries. Sometimes, the best treatment for an acute injury or chronic soreness can be the application of ice or heat to the affected area. But how do you know whether you need to use ice or heat for your injury or chronic pain or soreness?
