Injury of the week...

Scaphoid fracture

 

The scaphoid is a bone in the hand near the base of the thumb, as you can see below. Make a "thumbs up" and the scaphoid is right at the base of the hollow area.

A scaphoid fracture is usually caused when an individual falls on their outstretched hand with the weight landing on the palm.

Signs and symptoms of this fracture include pain and swelling at the base of the thumb. It might not be obvious the bone is fractured because there usually is not a visible deformity.

Physical therapy is a treatment option for scaphoid fractures. Patients would learn exercises to maintain range of motion at their wrist and fingers and strengthen muscles in the hand.

One great exercise is with a rubber band. For this exercise, you wrap a rubber band around all the fingers; then you open your hand making a bigger circle. After, slowly close your hand again making sure to control the motion.

 

Russian Twist

Hi All!


Checkout our new YouTube video! This week's exercise is the Russian Twist; it's a great core exercise!


https://www.youtube.com/RussianTwist

Injury of the week...

Knee Synovitis
 

Knee synovitis occurs when the synovial membrane, which lines and lubricates the knee joint, becomes inflamed, which you can see in the picture below.

The cause of this diagnosis is usually secondary and will result from another condition, such as arthritis and joint replacement surgery. Some common symptoms of this are swelling of the knee, pain, stiffness and possible warmth to touch.

Treatment for knee synovitis could include rest and physical therapy. Physical therapy will introduce modalities such as ice, heat, and exercises to decrease pain and increase range of motion.

One helpful exercise for this condition would be TKE (terminal knee extension). This is an essential exercise for strengthening the quadriceps. As seen below, with a resistance band wrapped behind the knee, bend knee forward slightly, then extend back, holding the quads tight for about 5 seconds.