Hobbies that Cause Neck, Back, & Joint Pain
If you suffer from neck, back, or joint pain, then trying to do the things you love can become frustrating. You don’t want to give up playing the guitar, gardening, or hiking in the Adirondacks… But, after about an hour of engaging in your favorite pastime, you’re cursing yourself for what must have been a temporary lapse in sanity. The good news is you don’t have to give up doing the things you love. You just might need to modify how you do them. Listed below we’ve outlined some beloved hobbies that can contribute to neck, back, or joint pain. We’ll explain how these cherished activities place strain on your spine and joints and what you can do to lessen the load on your bones. Tennis & Tennis Elbow Tennis elbow occurs when the tendons that connect to the outside of your humerus suffer from wear and tear. Because these tendons attach to a bony knob on the inside of your elbow known as the lateral epicondyle, doctors sometimes call this condition lateral epicondylitis. These pesky tendons also attach to the extensor muscles in your forearm and wrist… Meaning, that backhand stroke that you’ve perfected over the course of many months? Now causes you excruciating pain. Both on and off the court! If you have severe tennis elbow, then your doctor may recommend taking a short break from playing tennis. But, after about 1-2 weeks of rest, you can perform exercises to strengthen the extensor and flexor muscles of your forearm. (See our “At Home Treatments for Tennis Elbow” blog for sample exercises.) Then, when you return to play, start slowly, making sure that you don’t overdo it. For example, begin by using only double-handed backhands and work on mastering your technique. For single-handed backhands, make sure that you are hitting the ball with a straight wrist. And, engage your shoulder and torso to maximize your return power. Also, consider wearing an elbow brace or buying a larger (not a heavier) racket. While it seems like a smaller racket would be easier on the wrists, larger rackets actually absorb more impact from the ball. Golf & Golfer’s Elbow Golfer’s elbow is pretty much the reverse of tennis elbow. Golfer’s elbow involves the tendons that connect the flexor muscles of your forearm to the medial epicondyle on the inside of your elbow. As such, this condition causes pain in the arms or hands when you’re swinging a golf club. Or, a gradual loss of hand strength that affects your ability to grip that 9 iron. As with tennis elbow, your doctor may suggest that you take a brief break from golf if you have a particularly bad flare up. When your doctor clears you for gentle exercise, you can begin by strengthening your wrist and forearm muscles. With your palm face up, for example, you can perform eccentric wrist flexion by gripping a light weight (<3 lbs) and flexing your wrist toward the sky. Or, you can practice squeezing a tennis
