User's Guide: Disorders

Tendinitis

disorder1Tendinitis is an inflammation of a tendon. Tendons are structures that connect muscles to bones. Most muscles has two tendons, one at each end. When a muscle and its tendons are used repetitively, they are susceptible to tendinitis. There are some tendons that are more at risk than others with VDT use. The areas most at risk are shown here.

When you are working at a VDT, you bend and straighten your figure and thumbs hundreds to thousands of times per day.

Many of the muscles that move your wrists and fingers attach by tendons to the outside and inside of your elbows. If these tendons become inflammed, the conditions are commonly called "tennis elbow" (outside) or "golfers elbow" (inside).

The muscles that bend your fingers have tendons at the other end that pass through a tunnel-like structure at your wrist before they attach to your fingers. They are susceptible to developing tendinitis in this area. This will be discussed further in the next section on nerve compression.

disorder2There are also some tendons at the base of your thumb that are susceptible to tendinitis (figure above). When these tendons are inflamed, it is commonly referred to as de Quervain's disease.

You may think that because tendinitis is an inflammatory process, there should be swelling. In actuality, there usually is not much observable swelling with tendinitis at the elbow, wrist and hand. Pain is the most common symptom. If you have tendinitis, you will also probably note decreased ability to perform tasks that require you to use those tendons. If you continue your daily tasks in the way that caused the problem in the first place, it is likely that the tendinitis will get worse.

Nerve Compression Syndrome
nerveThe tendons which bend your fingers, pass through a tunnel in your wrist. This tunnel is called the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is a rigid tunnel formed by the bony arch of wrist bones and a tough band of tissue called a ligament. In addition to the tendons there is also a nerve, the median nerve, that passes through this tunnel. If the tendons become inflamed, they will swell inside the tunnel, and because the tunnel is so rigid, the nerve will be compressed and irritated. This may result in carpal tunnel syndrome. Therefore, you can see that carpal tunnel syndrome is sometimes caused by a tendinitis. It can also be caused or affected by other factors that decrease the space inside the tunnel (e.g. fluid retention during pregnancy, a previous wrist fracture, arthritis, etc.). People with carpal tunnel syndrome usually experience pain in the wrist and hand, and a numbness/tingling sensation in the thumb and first two fingers.


Postural Syndrome
The term postural syndrome relates to conditions of pain and discomfort that are attributed, at least in part, to poor posture. When sitting or standing, your muscles and ligaments (which are supportive structures surrounding the joints in your body) are constantly working to hold you upright. There are certain sitting and standing postures that help to minimize the work on the muscles and ligaments (Figure below). Deviations from these postures can put added stress onto muscles and ligaments resulting in pain and discomfort.


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