Your hands and wrists play a vital role in many essential everyday activities. From typing and texting to lifting, carrying and cooking, you likely use your hands and wrists throughout most of the day, even when you’re not consciously thinking about them. As a result, hand and wrist pain due to injury can cause major disruptions in your activities. Soft tissue injuries around the hands and wrists are not uncommon, especially for someone leading an active lifestyle. Research shows that injuries to the hand and wrist constitute up to 25% of all athletic injuries.
In addition to pain, hand and wrist injuries can also lead to symptoms like weakness and stiffness. Fortunately, these injuries can be treated with physical therapy. A licensed physical therapist can help reduce pain, improve function and prevent future problems. Learning about the conditions physical therapists treat can show how physical therapy may help you heal.
4 types of hand and wrist injuries treated by physical therapists
- Carpal tunnel syndrome — Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most well-known hand and wrist issues. It happens when the median nerve, which is a major nerve that runs through your wrist, becomes compressed or irritated. This can lead to burning or shooting pain in your wrist and hand. You may also experience numbness and tingling in your fingers. Carpal tunnel syndrome is often caused by repetitive hand movements, poor wrist position or swelling in the wrist area. It’s common in people who type for long periods. A physical therapist can help treat carpal tunnel syndrome by managing pain and reducing inflammation around the median nerve. They might use techniques such as gentle stretches and manual therapy to directly address your condition.
- Thumb tendinitis — Tendinitis occurs when tendons become irritated and inflamed. Thumb tendinitis, also known as De Quervain’s tenosynovitis or tendinosis, is a type of tendinitis that affects the tendons along the thumb side of the wrist. These tendons help you move your thumb, especially when gripping or pinching. If you have thumb tendinitis, you may notice pain or swelling at the base of your thumb. Your pain may become worse when turning your wrist or making a fist. Like other kinds of tendinitis, thumb tendinitis is typically caused by overuse. Repetitive, stressful wrist movements may contribute to tendon irritation. If you have thumb tendinitis, a physical therapist can help address your symptoms. They can also help you avoid future flare-ups through posture and ergonomic training.
- Wrist overuse pain — Do you feel a sharp or nagging pain in your wrist when doing pushups, planks or yoga poses? If so, your pain may be caused by bearing too much weight on your hands during workouts. Many factors can contribute to overuse pain, including joint irritation, muscle weakness and poor exercise form. If you experience wrist pain while working out, it’s important to take your pain seriously. Trying to ignore your pain or “push through” the pain can cause it to worsen. Physical therapy can help you identify the source of your pain and get you back to your workouts safely.
- Nerve irritation — The cause of pain isn’t always in the area where you feel it. Sometimes wrist or hand pain isn’t just a local issue. It may be connected to nerve irritation in an area that’s directly connected to your hands, like in the neck or shoulder. While it’s not a hand or wrist injury, strictly speaking, a compressed nerve in your neck or shoulder can lead to persistent, shooting pain and other symptoms in your hands and wrists. With physical therapy, you can identify the source of your nerve pain and get treatment to ease any irritation. By targeting the root cause of your pain, your physical therapist can help reduce your hand pain and improve your arm functionality.
How hand exercises and ergonomic changes can help
Physical therapists can treat hand and wrist pain with several different techniques. In addition to hands-on manual therapy, physical therapists often prescribe simple exercises to build strength and flexibility. Some common exercises include:
- Wrist curls and extensions to build forearm strength
- Finger stretches to reduce stiffness and improve circulation
- Grip squeezes with a soft ball to strengthen hand muscles
- Thumb stretches and resistance work to support the base of the thumb
- Nerve glides to improve nerve mobility
Your physical therapist will choose the best exercises based on your injury and needs.
Ergonomic assessments can also make a big difference. Whether you work at a desk or you spend your day moving, small changes can help reduce stress on your hands and wrists. For example, your physical therapist might recommend:
- Adjusting your keyboard and mouse height
- Using padded wrist rests
- Changing how you hold tools
- Taking regular breaks to stretch
With guidance from your physical therapist, you can learn how to move in ways that protect your hands and prevent future pain.
Forever Fit treats hand and wrist injuries
At Forever Fit, we understand how important healthy hands and wrists are to your daily life. Whether you’re dealing with carpal tunnel, thumb tendinitis or pain from your workouts, we’re here to help you feel better and move better.
Contact our team to learn more about how we treat hand and wrist injuries or to schedule an initial appointment.