We use our hands each and every day for countless tasks, so if you’re dealing with a dull or nagging pain in your hand or wrist, that discomfort is going to be with you throughout your entire day. Although hand discomfort may be more common as we get older, that doesn’t mean it’s a natural part of the aging process that you just have to deal with. Below, we explain how our physical therapists can help reduce or eliminate your lingering hand pain with the help of targeted physical therapy.
Treating Hand Pain With Physical Therapy
Your hand and wrist are comprised of 27 bones and 14 joints, and all it takes is damage to one of these areas to cause pain and discomfort. Damage can come in the form of acute trauma like a crush injury, or it can develop as a result of microtrauma and degeneration over a number of years. The latter is especially common in individuals who have been working with their hands for decades, and it often rears its head in the form of arthritis.
Our physical therapists can help with much more than just arthritis of the hand or wrist. If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms, consider talking with a PT about your treatment options.
- Chronic pain
- Numbness
- Tingling sensation in the hand or fingers
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Difficulty performing normal hand movements
- Hand weakness
So how can help from a physical therapist who specializes in treating hand problems help with your issue? First, we’ll begin by reviewing your medical information and asking about your symptoms. From there, we’ll conduct some baseline testing to see what actions you’re capable of performing and which movements cause symptoms to appear. Once we’ve established your baseline, we’ll move forward with a rehab program that targets one or more of the following aspects of your case, depending on your individual needs.
- Targeted Exercise – Targeted stretching and exercise can help your hand and wrist regain lost range of motion and calm irritated muscles and joints.
- Manual Therapeutic Techniques – Using a combination of skilled hand movements and passive hand movements, physical therapists will work to improve joint function, range of motion, reduce swelling and decrease pain and swelling.
- Splinting – Used to limit movement or help control pressure and inflammation in an area, a splint can be a vital component of a physical therapy care plan for hand ailments.
- Structure Reeducation – We can help retrain muscle groups and improve the mechanics of your motions so that typing or other fine motor skills aren’t painful.
- Home Programs – To help you continue your progress when you’re not at a session, we can help you develop a home training program. Using a combination of stretching and stabilization exercises, we can help your rehab continue and give you the tools to help put an end to your hand discomfort
Remember, daily hand pain is not normal, and it’s not likely that it will go away on its own, so confront the issue head on with the help of a physical therapist. For more information, or for help with your hand pain, get in contact with OrthoRehab Specialists today.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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