Upper and Lower Limb Archives - Healthhype

Slow Blood Flow, Sluggish Circulation in the Legs (Diagram)

Dr. Chris — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:47:16 +0000

The legs, particularly the lower leg and foot, are the most prone to circulatory problems due to its distance from the heart and the range of disorders that may arise within the long and extensive network of leg arteries and leg veins. This can therefore affect the flow of blood from the heart to the legs via the arteries or from the legs to the heart via the veins. When the blood flow is hampered, it is essentially slowed down and may not reach the leg at a rate that is sufficient to maintain the oxygen and nutrient supply to the tissues of the lower leg or feet. This is seen in poor leg circulation problems affecting the arteries – arterial insufficiency. If the flow back to heart is disrupted, due to problems in the vein(s), the blood will pool in the legs and the circulation becomes sluggish. This is seen in venous insufficiency as a result of varicose veins, superficial thrombophlebitis or deep vein thrombosis. Leg Artery Problems Arteries carry oxygen and nutrient rich blood to the legs from the heart. When the flow of blood to the legs is compromised, the tissues of the legs become starved for [...]

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Wrist Joint, Hand and Finger Joints and Bones (Pictures)

Dr. Chris — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 19:09:31 +0000

Joints are the flexible parts of the body that allow for various degree of movements between two or more bones. In order to understand the anatomy of the wrist and hand joints, it is first important to identify all the bones in this part of the upper limb. The bones of the forearm include the radius and ulna which extend from the elbow joint to the wrist joint where it articulates with the wrist bones (carpal bone). The wrist itself is known as the carpus and is made up of eight carpal bones. It also articulates with the hand bones known as the metacarpals of which there are five in the human hand. These metacarpals in turn articulate with the finger bones known as the phalanges (singular ~ phalanx). In the four fingers, excluding the thumb, there is three finger bones known as the proximal, middle and distal phalanges. The thumb has only two finger bones – the proximal and distal metacarpals. Wrist Joint Wrist Bones The wrist is made up of 8 carpal bones. Four of these bones known as the pisiform, triquetrum, lunate and scaphoid form the proximal row of bones that lie next to the radius and [...]

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Sore Feet – Causes of Aching in the Toes, Sole, Ball and Heel

Dr. Chris — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:13:54 +0000

The lower limb is the area from the hip to the tip of the toes – pelvis, hip joints, buttocks, thighs, knees, lower legs, ankles, feet and toes . It is mainly composed of muscle and bone with a network of blood vessels, lymphatics and nerves supplying the area. The lower limbs bear most of the body weight with the feet carrying all of this weight and distributing the force to the ground. The force is multiplied with walking and even running and it is fair to say that with regards to mobility and weight bearing functions, it is the lower limbs that are the hardest working parts of the body especially in an active person. Soreness is therefore common and often associated with strain and overuse of the muscles. Meaning of sore feet Sore feet is any discomfort, ache or pain in the ankles, top of the foot, soles and/or the toes. It is more common after a period of long walking, running or other physical activity leading to overuse of the lower limbs. This may vary from person to person where a fit person is able to tolerate greater exertion. In most of these cases, the pain is [...]

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Shin Pain and Shin Splints Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Dr. Chris — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 22:51:56 +0000

The term shin pain and shin splints are often used interchangeably with a preference for the term shin splints to describe any pain at the front of the lower leg. However, shin splint is a distinct problem and the most common cause of shin pain. It is associated with excessive force on the shinbone due to physical activities like running and is therefore more common in athletes. Therefore not every case of shin pain is due to shin splints. What is the shinbone? The correct anatomical term for the shinbone is the tibia. It is the larger of the two bones that make up the lower leg – the area between the knee and ankle. The other smaller bone of the lower leg is the fibula. The tibia is also called the shankbone, although this term is usually reserved for four-legged mammals. The part of the shinbone that can be felt through the skin at the front of the lower leg is the anterior border of the shaft of the tibia. It is known for its strength, being strong enough to bear several times the body weight, which is necessary to withstand the force of running. What is shin pain? [...]

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Finger Anatomy, Bones, Joints, Muscle Movements and Nerves

Dr. Chris — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:14:57 +0000

What are the fingers? The human finger is a flexible, long and thin extension of the hand commonly referred to as the digits. The fingers on the hands correspond to the toes of the feet. Humans have five fingers on each hand and a significant feature in humans is the opposable thumb. Apart from the flexibility of the human fingers which make it such a useful appendage of the hand, there is also a high concentration of receptors in the finger which means it is also an important sense organ. Anatomy of the fingers The human finger is mainly a bony structure with multiple joints giving it strength and flexibility. A digit includes the hand bones but these bones are not separated into individual appendages like a finger. Instead it is contained within a single structure – the hand. Tendons attached to muscles within the hand and forearm are responsible for the different movements of the fingers. The five fingers include : 1st finger – thumb (polex) 2nd finger – index finger (digitus secundus manus) 3rd finger – middle finger (digitus medius) 4th finger – ring finger (digitus annularis) 5th finger – little finger / pinky (digitus minimus manus) There [...]

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Finger Swelling – Causes and Other Symptoms of Swollen Fingers

Dr. Chris — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:08:14 +0000

The fingers are thin appendages at the end of the hand. Each digit is individually controlled by various muscles with a long tendons lying in the hand or forearm. Most of the finger is occupied by bone, tendons, ligaments with fascia and varying amounts of subcutaneous fat. There are no muscles in the fingers of despite the digits being the most flexible parts of the human body. It also has a high concentration of sensory receptors particularly on the pads of the fingertips thereby making it one of the most parts of the body, second only to the genitalia. Although the fingers are such small structures, it is highly prone injury as it is the most active parts of the body. Why do the fingers swell? Swelling is the accumulation of fluid within tissue thereby causing it to increase in size and compress against surrounding structures. In terms of that fingers, the swelling may be in the tissue around the bone (soft tissue swelling), in the bone itself (bony swelling) or the joints of the fingers (joint swelling). It is important to identify exactly which areas swollen as the causes and differ for each location of swelling within the finger. [...]

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Varicose Veins (Bulging Leg Veins) Information and Dangers

Dr. Chris — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:15:45 +0000

The veins in the leg carry low-oxygen blood laden with wastes and carbon dioxide back to the heart just as do other veins in the body. However, the leg veins are a bit different in structure from veins elsewhere in the body. This is due to the fact that the blood has to return back to the heart against the force of gravity and has a long distance to travel – from feet to the heart. Special valves in the veins of the leg ensure that blood is gradually pushed up bit by bit towards the trunk of the body. Muscles in the feet and legs act as a pump which gradually push up the blood with every step and movement of the leg. The valves ensures that the blood does not flow backwards to the feet in the time in between each leg movement. Sometimes these valves become dysfunctional and the circulation in the legs becomes sluggish. One of these problems with poor blood flow in the lower limb is varicose veins which appears as unsightly bulging veins in the legs. What are varicose veins? Varicose veins in the leg are abnormal enlargement of the leg veins that lie [...]

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Peroneal Nerve Location, Injury, Causes of Pain and Palsy

Dr. Chris — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:48:27 +0000

Overview The peroneal nerve, also known as common fibular nerve, is one of the branches of the sciatic nerve. It is the most commonly injured nerve of the lower leg due to its location. Peroneal nerve injury and disease may arise due to various possible causes ranging from trauma, compression or infection. Apart from sensory symptoms such as pain, tingling and numbness with peroneal nerve disease there are other major motor symptoms since the peroneal nerve supplies the muscles that control the movement of the foot. These motor symptoms are known as foot drop. The Peroneal Nerve The peroneal nerve is the smaller terminal branch of the sciatic nerve, which arises from the lumbar and sacral spinal nerves (L4 to S2). The other terminal branch of the sciatic nerve which is much larger is the tibial nerve. It has two branches – superficial peroneal nerve and deep peroneal nerve. The proper term for the peroneal nerve before it terminates into the superficial and deep branches is the common peroneal nerve. It also gives off another branch which is known as the lateral sural cutaneous nerve. Location of the Peroneal Nerve The peroneal nerve begins at the top of the popliteal [...]

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Thigh Pain Symptoms with Movement and Causes of Pain in Thighs

Dr. Chris — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:41:46 +0000

What is thigh pain? Thigh pain is any discomfort, soreness or pain in the area lying between the pelvis and knee. In most instances it is due to muscle and tendon pain, but can be associated with any disease or disorder of the ligaments, bone, joints, blood vessels or nerves in the thigh. Sometimes the problem may originate from the pelvis, groin or lower back and radiate to the thigh or cause referred pain to the thigh. The thigh is the part of the lower limb between the pelvis and a knee. It is mainly a muscular part of the body with a single long bone known as the femur. The thigh carries the weight of the upper body, transfers it down to the lower leg and feet, and also aids with mobility. The muscles of the thigh can be divided into three separate compartments, each of which has its own blood and nerve supply. It has some of the largest muscles of the body, which aid with abduction and adduction, flexion and extension at the hip and knee joint. Symptoms of thigh pain Pain in the thigh may be felt in the front (anterior), back (posterior), outer thigh (lateral) [...]

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Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

Dr. Chris — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 23:39:10 +0000

Definition Lateral epicondylitis, commonly referred to as tennis elbow, is a condition where the tendons that attach to the bony bump on the outer side of the upper arm bone are irritated. The muscles of the tendons involved are also strained and both structures undergo some degree of degeneration. Tennis elbow arises with overuse of the hand. Contrary to its common name, tennis elbow more frequently affects people who do not play the sport of tennis. Most cases are due to occupational rather than recreational activities. Tennis elbow causes elbow and forearm pain with the most tender area being at the lateral epicondyle of the humerus (upper arm bone) where the affected tendons attach. Incidence Tennis elbow is the most common repetitive strain injury and may affect as much as 3% of the population in the United States. It is mainly seen in the 30 to 50 year age group with most cases occurring after the age of 40 years. Although some reports indicate that more men are affected, the condition may affect both males and females equally. However, men are often more likely than women to be involved in occupations where tennis elbow is a hazard. Pathophysiology A group [...]

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