肘関節と小指の痛み

Elbow joint and little finger pain

鉄道の軌道工事の仕事。整形外科では肉体労働を続けたことによる肘関節の使い過ぎが原因でではないかと言われている。医師による湿布と投薬治療を続けてきた。20代の時から軌道工事の仕事をしていて、50～60歳代頃から肘が痛くなった。現在は、肘の状態は悪化していると感じている。肘関節を形成している骨の先端は関節軟骨に覆われており、衝撃を緩和するクッションの役目を果たしています。その関節軟骨が肘の酷使によりすり減ると、肘に痛みを感じたり、骨と骨がぶつかり合って骨のトゲ（骨棘）ができたりします。加齢変性も加わり、肘関節の骨が変形する症状を「変形性肘関節症」と呼びます。肘の痛みを放置すると、肘の変形が進み、日常生活に支障がでてきたりします。発生した骨棘が尺骨神経を傷つけると、小指などにしびれを感じたり、握力が低下するなどの「肘部管昇症候群」が引き起される場合もあります。肘は、手首や指の曲げ伸ばしなどの動作にも関係があるためです。肘は、膝関節や股関節のような体重が多くかかる関節ではないため、変形性肘関節症を発症する割合は高くはありませんが、骨折、脱臼などのケガや肘を酷使する過度な運動、重労働などにより関節軟骨や靭帯が傷つくと変形性肘関節症を引き起こすことがあります。本症例は、鍼灸治療を施し、肘関節の筋、腱、靭帯、神経の疼痛緩和と症状の改善を目的に施術、致しました。

Worked as a railroad track construction worker. Orthopedic surgeon says it may be due to overuse of elbow joint from continuous physical labor. He has continued to receive compresses and medication from his doctor; he has been working as a track construction worker since his 20s, and his elbow has been painful since he was in his 50s or 60s. Currently, he feels that his elbow condition is worsening. The tip of the bone forming the elbow joint is covered with articular cartilage, which acts as a shock-relieving cushion. When that articular cartilage wears away due to overuse of the elbow, the elbow may feel pain and bone spurs (osteophytes) may form as the bones collide with each other. The term "osteoarthritis of the elbow" refers to the deformation of the bones of the elbow joint caused by the addition of age-related degeneration. If elbow pain is left untreated, elbow deformity can progress and interfere with daily life. If the bone spurs that develop injure the ulnar nerve, they can cause "elbow tunnel syndrome," which can lead to numbness in the little finger and other parts of the body, as well as a loss of grip strength. This is because the elbow is also involved in the bending and stretching of the wrist and fingers. The elbow is not a weight-bearing joint like the knee or hip joint, so the incidence of elbow osteoarthritis is not high. However, injuries such as fractures and dislocations, excessive exercise that overuses the elbow, and heavy labor can cause damage to the joint cartilage and ligaments, which can result in elbow osteoarthritis. In this case, acupuncture and moxibustion treatment was applied to alleviate pain in the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves of the elbow joint and to improve symptoms.