肘の痛み　内側上顆炎　

Elbow pain Medial epicondylitis

上腕骨内側上顆炎は、手首を手のひら側に曲げたり、重たい物をもって、肘を曲げたりすると、肘の内側に鋭い痛みがでます。日常生活では、物を握って持ち上げる、タオルや雑巾を手のひら側に絞るなどで、痛みが誘発されます。繰りかえし、肘にストレスをかけて動かしたときに痛みを感じますが、症状が強くなると安静時でも、痛みを感じることがあります。
ゴルフのスイング動作で、痛みがでることから、ゴルフ肘とも呼ばれます。上腕骨内側上顆には、手首を手掌側にかえす筋肉、指を曲げたり、握ったりする筋肉が付いています。この筋肉を使う動作を繰り返し、酷使すると、筋肉が骨に付いている部分が、繰り返し引っ張られて、炎症を起こし、痛みが生じます。今症例では、柔道の投げ技、背負い投げの練習中に、内側上顆炎を使い過ぎて痛みが出てしまい来院となりました。しかし、運動をしなくても、更年期や、加齢による筋力低下でも、肘の痛みはでたりします。痛みは肘の内側から前腕にかけて痛みや圧痛を生じることが多いです。鍼灸治療では、症状の疼痛緩和と、肘回りの痛んだ筋、靭帯、腱へ、鍼で血流の改善を図り、手技療法で周りの筋肉の緊張を除去していきます。疼痛期間は、肘関節の曲げ伸ばしを繰り返す動作は、控えてもらうようになります。

Medial epicondylitis of the humerus causes sharp pain on the inside of the elbow when the wrist is bent toward the palm or when the elbow is bent with a heavy object. In daily life, pain is triggered by grasping and lifting an object or squeezing a towel or rag toward the palm of the hand. Repeatedly, pain is felt when the elbow is stressed and moved, but when symptoms become severe, pain may be felt even at rest.
It is also called golf elbow because the pain occurs during the swinging motion of golf. The medial epicondyle of the humerus is attached to the muscles that turn the wrist palmarly, bend the fingers, and grip the hand. When these muscles are used repeatedly and overworked, the area where they attach to the bone is repeatedly pulled, causing inflammation and pain. In the present case, the patient came to our clinic because of pain caused by overuse of medial epicondylitis during practice of the back-support throw, a judo throwing technique. However, elbow pain can also occur during menopause or with muscle weakness due to aging, even without exercise. Pain is often felt from the inner side of the elbow to the forearm, causing pain and tenderness. Acupuncture and moxibustion treatment is used to relieve pain, improve blood flow to the painful muscles, ligaments, and tendons around the elbow with acupuncture needles, and remove tension from surrounding muscles with manual therapy. During the pain period, patients are asked to refrain from repetitive bending and stretching of the elbow joint.