Your arm joints are among the most used axis points in your body. If you’re awake, they’re usually moving, even when you’re at rest. Whether you’re typing on your computer, participating in sports, doing the dishes, or even walking from room to room, your shoulder and elbow joints are typically engaged in some way.
As such, it’s not uncommon for Utah patients to develop pain and stiffness in these joints as they age. Depending on a person’s habits and genetics, they might start experiencing pain in their 20s or 30s that can lead them to need orthopedic surgery in Utah later in life.
The best way to maintain your movement and vitality is to take care of your shoulder and elbow joints now. Here are a few simple ways you can prevent the need for an orthopedic surgeon in Utah.
1. Work on Your Posture
The job growth in Utah is incredible, even in the midst of a pandemic. There’s a very low rate of unemployment and Utah boasts the second strongest job growth in the nation, according to a Gardner study. More than two-thirds of jobs occupied in the state involve sitting at a desk for the majority of it.
If you’re lucky enough to hold a desk job, your posture is likely to suffer. Being hunched over a computer screen for hours each day can cause your neck muscles to pull on your shoulders, causing pain in the muscles and joints there. Additionally, many computers are not set up ergonomically, so the elbows and shoulders are put into awkward positions that can cause pain and stiffness in the joints after a while.
To avoid complications with your shoulders and elbows, pay attention to how you’re sitting day in and day out. This slight change in mindfulness can mean significantly reduced pain in your arm joints.
2. Monitor Repetitive Movements
Repetition injuries are some of the most common causes of elbow surgery in Utah. Commonly called tennis elbow, this joint injury doesn’t always occur from playing tennis. It’s any repetitive element that puts stress on your elbows, whether it’s a sport, painting your walls, or working on a manufacturing line. The same can be said for repetitive movement of the shoulders.
To prevent an elbow tendonitis injury, monitor the way your joints are being used throughout any activity. Seek ergonomic methods of doing a strenuous activity like painting or lifting things. Ensure you’re doing the movements right in exercise or sports to avoid injury. This is the best way to keep you away from orthopedic surgery in Utah!
3. Perform Daily Stretches (with Medical Guidance)
Under the advice of your orthopedic specialist in Utah, you might begin daily stretches that can strengthen the muscles and tendons around your shoulders and elbows, limiting stress on the joints.
Some of the most common stretches work on flexibility, including the “sleeper stretch” that’s performed while lying on the floor and bending your arm to the ground.
For elbow pain, try any stretches and strength exercises that focus on strengthening the arm as a whole. It might surprise you to learn that stretching the wrist is one of the best ways to prevent tennis elbow. Work on finger stretches, wrist flexor, and extensor strengthening, and other correctly performed activities.
4. Exercise Regularly
Any orthopedic surgeon in Utah will tell you the importance of exercising regularly to prevent and mitigate shoulder and elbow pain. As you work on strengthening the muscles and tendons surrounding your joints, significant stress will be removed from this body part.
This is particularly important for your shoulders. Lifting weights under the guidance of your orthopedic specialist or a personal trainer can be one of the best things you do to prevent shoulder surgery in Utah!
5. Avoid Poor Sleeping Positions
You spend at least a third of your life sleeping, and proper alignment while asleep is essential to minimizing pain throughout the body. Your shoulder and elbow joints can experience great stress if you put too much pressure on them while sleeping.
Those who sleep with a partner are more likely to experience shoulder and elbow joint pain if their partner sleeps on their arm or shoulder through the night. The excess weight and potentially odd angles can cause harm in the long term.
Sleeping on your stomach is also not advised. Not only is this bad for spine alignment, but your arms can become twisted under your body, causing strain on the joints and tendons in your shoulders and elbows.
6. See a Utah Orthopedic Surgeon
One of the best ways to avoid potential shoulder or elbow surgery is to seek counsel from a Utah orthopedic specialist. They can assess your current elbow or shoulder pain and make recommendations for mitigating the pain and avoiding future problems.
Early intervention is often key! If you need an orthopedic surgeon in Utah, contact us today!
Early intervention is often key! If you need an orthopedic surgeon in Utah, contact us today!