Prevent Overuse Injuries in Your Elbows
People who experience frequent episodes of elbow pain are probably carrying this problem for a while. If you want to prevent this lingering elbow pain that worsens with physical activity, here are some recommendations you should follow. They are meant to save your articulations from overuse injuries:
- Pay attention to mild but recurrent joint pain issues: Elbow pain is not a common type of joint pain. At least it doesn’t happen all of a sudden. You can sometimes feel discomfort in your hands if you work with them. You could experience back pain if you’re sitting for many hours a day. But why would you feel elbow pain all of a sudden? Even if it is mild pain, be aware and seek medical attention if it becomes recurrent. Maybe there’s something to solve in your articulation and the best moment to start treatment is when the problem is not yet severe.
- Keep a good posture: Ergonomics is essential in preventing elbow pain and many other joint problems. If you work with your hands every day and do not have a proper posture, there’s a chance that you’re placing an excessive burden on your articulations. Optimize the workstation to maintain a good posture, especially if you use a computer daily.
- Take regular breaks: It doesn’t matter what type of job you have. If you’re using your hands and elbows frequently in overhead work, you probably need to take regular breaks from activity to rest your articulations. As mentioned above, repetitive activities are the leading cause of overuse injuries to your elbows. But the chances are much lower if you take regular breaks from painting or doing overhead work. So, instead of going through a 2-hour chore, break it into intervals of 30 minutes. That will be easier on your joints and reduce the stress on the elbow.
- Switch the load: We usually do everything with our dominant hand because it feels more natural. But if you can switch the load to the non-dominant hand and use it more, you will give your elbow a rest and reduce the chance of overuse injuries. Indeed, not all activities can be done with the non-dominant hand, but try to share the load as much as possible.