Pronator Teres Syndrome is a condition of pain in the forearm, possibility including thumb and first three fingers caused by entrapment of the median nerve.

The primary cause of the condition comes from repetitive movements involving pronation and supination of the forearm; i.e.: moving your forearm to allow the palm face the floor or ceiling.

Injury Can Come From:

  • Pain comes from over use – you’re probably involved in an activity that requires repetitive twisting of the forearm muscles – playing a racket sport, lifting weights, throwing a baseball.
  • Common in non-athletes – painters, construction workers, gardeners.
  • Poor posture – causing muscle imbalances (weakening of upper arm, shoulder) that result in the elbow not being properly stabilized.

Symptoms:

  • Pain in the forearm and or thumb, first three fingers.
  • Pain can be dull achy sensation, numbness, tingling in palm or thumb/fingers.
  • Problems with grip, lifting and grasping. Pain can occur with twisting motions – shaking hands, turning a door knob or screw driver.
  • Problems with using pinching thumb to fingers.

The Cause of Pronator Teres Syndrome:

  • Repetitive activities resulting in localized stress in the pronator teres/pronator quadratus.
  • Localized stress can cause inflammation.
  • If untreated, the continuation of the activity can result in micro tears in the extensor muscle.
  • With micro tears the tendon of the extensor muscle will thicken.
  • If micro tears go untreated, the tendon of the extensor muscles will degenerate. The body responds to this degeneration by replacing normal tissue with scar tissue.  Scar tissue will not allow the extensor muscle to move correctly.

I approach treating your elbow pain to your presentation, which involves:

  • Analyzing your posture – is rotary cuff weakness playing into your pain?
  • Discussing potential lifestyle dynamics impacting the effected the forearm.
  • Understanding how other factors such as other entrapment sites are playing into your pain.
  • Muscle testing the muscles for weakness and pain.
  • Targeting effected muscles, releasing motor points, trigger points and relaxing the fascia

Providing exercises to continue treatment success between acupuncture treatments.

Call (914) 572-5137 today or click here to schedule an appointment & learn more about how we can help you.