Massage Therapy in South East Cornwall specialising in Upper Limb Dysfunction and Reflexology.
Upper Limb Dysfunction: The upper limb contains some of the most complex joints in the body. It comprises of three portions – the upper arm, forearm, and hand. It extends from the shoulder joint to the fingers and contains 30 bones. It also consists of many nerves, blood vessels, muscles, tendons and ligaments. It is a highly mobile part of the human body, allowing us to pull up our socks, hammer a nail, throw a ball, carry our shopping and hug our loved ones. However, when the upper limb doesn’t work as well as it should, the impact on our daily lives can be significant. This section will break down what can go wrong with the upper limb and then look to how massage can help.
The shoulder joint is formally known as the glenohumeral joint. This refers to where the head of the humerus (the upper arm bone) fits into the glenoid fossa (a cavity) of the scapula (the shoulder blade). It is a ball and socket joint, meaning it allows for a wide range of movement. In fact, the shoulder joint has the greatest range of movement of any joint in the body. It enables the arm to flex, extend, abduct, adduct, internally and externally rotate, as well as circumduct. But because of this ability to move so much, sometimes the shoulder can be prone to such dysfunctions and injuries, such as dislocation, frozen shoulder, and rotator cuff tears or tendinopathy. The shoulder joint can also be susceptible to overuse injuries and arthritic changes. When such problems occur, there can be acute pain and stiffness, as well limited movement of the joint.
The elbow joint is actually comprised of three joints (the humeroradial, humeroulnar and proximal radioulnar) due to how the humerus connects to the radius and ulnar (the two bones of the forearm). Primarily, the elbow is a hinge joint, which allows the arm to extend and flex and reach for objects. Although the elbow is more limited in its movement, pain can still be brought on by overuse injuries, such as Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis elbow) and Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s elbow), which affect and inflame the tendons of the joint. The elbow can also be affected by rheumatic (arthritic) conditions and irritation of the ulnar nerve (Cubital Tunnel Syndrome). When such problems occur, pain can be felt around the elbow, leading to difficulties in lifting, bending, extending and twisting your forearm. The ability to grip small objects can also affected.
The wrist joint is formally known as the Radiocarpal joint. This joint is formed by the radius bone and three of the eight carpal (wrist) bones. It is a condyloid joint, which functions similarly to a ball and socket joint. Like the shoulder, the wrist can flex, extend, abduct, adduct and circumduct. However, it is unable to rotate. With the increase in use of modern technology, the wrist has become more prone to overuse dysfunctions. One of which is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is where the median nerve (which controls sensory and motor functions of the thumb, fore and middle finger, and the lateral side of the ring finger) becomes impinged within the wrist. Being pregnant or overweight, having diabetes or arthritis can also be a cause of this condition. The wrist joint can also be susceptible to tendon sprains and inflammation. When such problems occur, there can be tingling, numbness and pain felt in the hand and fingers. The hand can also feel weak, with the ability to grip affected too.
My role as a massage therapist is to support you in your recovery from injury or joint dysfunction. Massage can help to calm the nervous system and provide temporary relief from pain signals. However, what perhaps play the greatest part of this process is listening to you as a client. During our first session, there is extra time given for me to listen and us to talk, so I can make sure I know exactly what you hope to achieve in terms of your physical health. Furthermore, as a member of the Sports Therapy Association, I stay up to date with the latest information and evidence about massage and manual therapies. This means you will receive a thoughtful and bespoke treatment, which will help your individual needs.
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