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  • 08
  • Aug
Repetitive Strain Injuries
ps General Comments Off on Repetitive Strain Injuries

Repetitive Strain Injury – Prevention if Better Than The Cure

A 2008 study showed that 68% of UK workers suffered from some sort of Repetitive strain injuries (RSI), with the most common problems areas being the back, shoulders, wrists, and hands. A study in Canada (2000) revealed 2.3 million Canadians had a repetitive strain injury in the 12 months prior to the study, and 10% of them had a repetitive strain injury so bad it impaired their daily activities.

Repetitive strain injury also known as cumulative trauma disorder (CTD), occupational overuse syndrome (OOS) and musculoskeletal disorder (MSD), is an umbrella term for a group of disorders caused by repetitive movements that affect muscles, tendons and nerves which often occur over an extended period of time. These repeated movements can be actions, tasks or exposure to compressive or vibratory forces, or sustained awkward posture.

Repetitive strain injury can occur in any parts of the body, but the most common places are back (low back pain), neck (neck strain), elbow (Golfer’s Elbow, Tennis Elbow), wrist (de Quervain’s, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome), and fingers (Trigger Fingers).

What Are The Common Causes of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)?

Usually, the type of RSIs that one suffers from is very specific to one’s occupation and work, poor postural or ergonomical habits, and presence of stress and / or poor stress management.

Occupational and Work Related RSI

The type of job one does maters. For example in an office, personnel who are predominantly long-term computer users often suffer from back and neck pains as well as non-specific shoulder and elbow pain. Administrative staff may suffer from very specific RSI type, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, de Quervain’s or Trigger Finger from their daily use of stapling, filing. Cleaning aunties often develop Golfer’s and Tennis Elbow from the pushing and pulling loads and incessant mopping.

Poor Postural Or Ergonomical Habits

Sometimes, it is poor habits that contribute to the development of repetitive strain injuries, such as clamping our phone between our shoulder and neck when conversing on a telephone call, reading articles on our phones with extreme neck flexion or “over-doing” a task by taking 10 steps to finish it when it can be finished in seven steps with the same results.

Stress Increases Risk of RSI

Stress caused by fast work pace, ambiguity in roles, work-related anxieties, and monotonous tasks are associated with RSI, especially so if the individual feels overwhelmed at work. Higher stress levels often correlate directly with increased intensity of executing job functions, e.g., typing, filing or stapling harder, strained necks, and decreased rest time increases risks.

“Gan cheong” personality-types or people who tend to be more anxious are more prone to developing repetitive strain injuries. They are often more anxious, aggravated, impulsive and want to do today’s tasks like they were due yesterday – causing the physical body to be more tense. This has a cascading effect of additional strain and load on the muscles, joints and other soft tissues.

Lastly, one can also sustain a repetitive strain injury through a direct trauma, such as accidents and falling on a specific body part, or being hit by an object(s) directly at a body part.

Whatever It Is, It Can Hurt A Lot

Depending on the type of repetitive strain injuries, symptoms during an acute bout of RSI can include short bursts of severe cramping and excruciating pain over a specific location; pain intensifies with activities or use; and noticeable weakness in the affected limb. Some can have numbing sensation or electrical, shooting like pain that travels over a location. Some people get severe headaches.

What You Can Do

  • Pay a visit to a specialist to assess the severity of the condition, and they can provide you the appropriate treatments to the problem.

  • “RICE” Method

    a. Rest the painful area, avoid or minimise using the affected area for about two weeks.
    b. Ice it intermittently with an ice pack wrapped in a towel for about fice minutes.
    c. Compress and elevate to decrease swelling

  • Lifestyle Change

    a. Micro-breaks – Every 3o minutes, take one minute to stop and stretch muscles.
    b. Adequate sleep helps your body to heal from injuries, big or small.
    c. Exercise at least three times a week to increase your strength, stamina, and health.
    d. Plan and Prioritise – Schedule your important tasks first, and complete them first.

  • Improve Ergonomics

    Can you identify if there is a specific activity, device or pattern you realised is causing you pain? Can you change it, replace it or modify it? Think creatively how you can do things better. An example is, if you seem to be getting numbness in your forearm because you realised that you’ve been resting your entire body weight on your forearms as you type, can you bring your keyboard tray forward for you to easily reach and type without resting your forearms and body weight on the edge of your table?

Book Appointment Online for RSI Treatment

  • 05
  • Aug
Men Don’t get Osteoporosis?
ps General Comments Off on Men Don’t get Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones become weak and brittle. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a fracture (crack or break in the bone) occurs, typically in the hip, spine and wrist. One in three persons with hip fractures suffers considerable loss of function and becomes dependent on others, while one in five people dies within a year of sustaining a hip fracture.
Bone mass peaks between the ages of 25 to 30. After that, any additional calcium that a person takes is only used for replacing the bone tissues. Thus, the foundation for good bones at a later age begins now. To prevent osteoporosis, get enough calcium and vitamin D, engage in weight-bearing & resistance exercises, and avoid smoking and limit alcohol intake.

Men don’t get Osteoporosis? Think Again

While women are more likely to get osteoporosis compared to men, men also suffer from osteoporosis. Worldwide, osteoporosis affects approximately one in three women and one in eight men over the age of 50. Osteoporosis in men related to a decrease in testosterone. Compared to women, osteoporosis develops at a later age in men. Although both men and women lose bone density with age, since men begin with a higher bone density, they reach osteoporotic levels later. Additionally, unlike women who undergo rapid bone loss after menopause, men don’t. Besides age, it can affect men who have eating disorders.

How do I check whether I have Osteoporosis?

You can do a Bone Mineral Density scan (specifically a densitometry or DEXA scan) which is used to determine your risk of getting osteoporosis.

Bone Mineral Density Scan + Specialist Consultation @ $379 ONLY

Currently, we are offering a price of $379 for a hip and spine scan including a consultation with our specialist for the explanation of the result.Book Appointment Online

  • 05
  • Aug
Is it advisable to wear high heels everyday?
ps Lower Limb Comments Off on Is it advisable to wear high heels everyday?

Question: “I wear 3 inch heels everyday. Is this advisable? I have backaches but when I switch to flats, they worsen. What do I do?”

Wearing high heels on a daily basis can shorten your leg muscles and alter your posture. After a prolonged period of wearing heels, your muscles will adjust to this position. Once the muscles have adjusted to wearing high heels, wearing flat shoes can cause pain.

To reduce the pain in your back. It is important that you change the shoes slowly. Wearing high heels may feel more comfortable, but in the long term, it will cause more problems. I would advise wearing slightly lower heels for a few months, and performing calf muscle stretching 2 – 3 times a day to allow the leg muscles to adjust to the change. After 3 months, you should be able to slowly start wearing flat shoes. When wearing a flat shoe, however, do not choose those with a very thin sole like a ballet flat. Instead choose a shoe that has plenty of cushioning. If you are unable to make the change from high heels to more flat shoes, you should consult an orthopaedic specialist to have a proper foot and leg assessment as there may be other causes as to why you are experiencing pain when in flat shoes.

Call (+65) 80859224 to fix an appointment with our orthopaedic specialist, Dr. Kevin Yip, today.

  • 04
  • Aug
Help! My Feet Hurt!
ps Lower Limb Comments Off on Help! My Feet Hurt!

Having flat feet is a common foot condition.

Socrates once quipped, “When our feet hurt, we hurt all over.” According to Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Kevin Yip, this greatly emphasises the importance of foot care. “If our feet are not healthy, then other areas of the body can also be affected,” says Dr. Kevin Yip, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Gleneagles Medical Centre, who treats orthopaedic injuries.

What does it mean to be flat footed?

While most people’s feet have an arch or curve between the big toe and heel, flat footed people will find that theirs are very low. Though it may not be obvious when seated, the absence of an arch is noticeable when standing up. This condition is called flat feet, or fallen arches. “In some severe cases, the arch can touch the ground. It’s also common for feet to turn slightly outwards,” Dr. Kevin Yip informs.

Most babies are born with flat feet, but as the child ages, the foot’s soft tissues tighten and eventually form an arch. Congenital flat foot is when someone is when some people never form arches in their feet. Adult-acquired flat foot occurs when adults who have gone through foot injuries, pregnancy, arthritis and even aging lose their arches.

There are some flat footed people who experience no pain at all. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for everyone with flat feet.

What are the causes and symptoms?

“Flat feet are usually genetic. If your parents have flat feet, then it is highly likely that you will have them. Adult-acquired flat feet is when the posterior tibial tendon has become stretched and loose over time. The purpose of this muscle is to pull the arch of the foot up as we walk. If this is placed under stress, occasionally it can stretch and cause the arch to collapse,” informs Dr. Kevin Yip.

Pregnancy can also lead to flat feet. Firstly, the extra weight being placed on the feet can cause the arch to lower. Secondly, during the last trimester of the pregnancy, the female body releases chemicals to cause the ligaments in the hips to become very stretchy. This is important as the hips will need to stretch to allow the baby through. The problem with this is that the chemicals are not selective and cause ligaments all through the body to become stretchy. In our feet, we have ligaments to hold our bones together. When these ligaments are stretched, the foot can become very wide and the arch can become lower.

While symptoms may vary depending on how severe your condition is, common symptoms include pain in the ankle, arch of the foot, calf, knee, hip and back. People with flat feet have also experienced stiffness in one or both feet. And as your body weight is distributed unevenly, you may find that our shoes wear out unevenly.

Why are arches important?

The arch gives us spring and distributes the weight of our body across our legs and feet. It gives us balance and posture, determining how we carry out our daily activities such as standing, walking and running. The structure of our arches should be sturdy enough to take on various surfaces and pressures. It decreases the impact on our lower back, knees and ankles. Without an arch, the likelihood of developing other condition increases.

Pain can occur even in the legs and lower back because our posture consists of not just our back, neck and shoulder but also our hips, knees and feet. If our feet have poor posture and alignment this can cause problems further up the body. They cal also contribute to other foot problems such as these:

  • Arthritis:

    Arthritis is degeneration of the joint. This often happens in the big toe of people with flat feet who walk with too much pressure on the inside of the foot. This can eventually lead to arthritis.

  • Hammertoes:

    If some of your toes curl upwards at the joint, you may have hammertoe. As shoes tend to feel ill-fitted, it may cause pain and discomfort to your feet.

  • Bunions:

    Bunions commonly affect the joints at the big toe. Flat feet cause your shoes to fit improperly and this will place pressure on the joint  at the base of your big toe. This causes the joint to enlarge and push the big toe towards the other toes.

  • Shin Splints:

    A shin splint is an inflammation of the muscle that supports the arch. This is also because of excess pressure placed upon the arch of the foot. Symptoms of shin splints include pain to the shin and in the lower leg when bending the foot.

  • Calluses:

    Calluses are thick, hardened layers of skin that develop on your feet. This is due to the friction from rubbing against the inside of the shoe.

For treatments to flat foot, call +65 80859224 to see Dr. Kevin Yip Today.

  • 28
  • Jul
Wound Dressing 101
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Keep It Clean and Comfortable

After the initial shock and pain of getting wounded comes the worst part, dessing your wound. Wound dressings are one of the most important parts of wound care. It is necessary to take extra care to clean your wound before simply covering it. If you’re not very careful, the wound can become infected very quickly, causing more problems and discomfort.

Proper Safety Precautions

  • Clean your hands thoroughly. Wear gloves if possible.
  • If necessary, stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound.
  • Cleanse the wound, careful not to aggravate it.
  • Place enough sterile gauze or dressing over the wound and saturate it thoroughly with water or some type of wound cleanser.
  • Gently dab the wound for several minutes to remove any debris that may be embedded in the wound. Rinse the wound with water for at least five minutes. It will also help remove dirt or foreign matter that might be in the wounded area. Use a pair of tweezers if necessary.
  • Dry the wound with a clean cloth or gauze.
  • In some cases, an antiseptic ointment should be applied to the wounded area before placing a dry bandage or sterile gauze onto the wound.
  • Use a  dressing pad that is soft, absorbent, and does not stick to the skin. Some dressing pads available nowadays offer comfortable, easy to use and non-adherent varieties.
  • Once the wound has been properly cleansed and dressed, change the dressing every day or every few days, depending on the severity of the wound.

The number one thing you need to avoid is infection. Infection triggers inflammation and inflammation causes fluid build up. Observe good hygiene. If infection occurs, consult our specialist.

Call +65 80859224 for an appointment to see our specialist regarding your wound infection. Email: ps@orthopaedicsurgeon.com.sg

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Email: ssoc_enq@bone.com.sg

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