Are you in need of hand pain relief?
Contact Therapy West Physical Therapy + Sports Medicine today!
Do you find yourself unable to use your hands or perform tasks that were once simple? Do you have pain and stiffness in your hands that you can’t seem to shake? If pain interferes with your enjoyment of life and makes routine chores more challenging to complete, Therapy West Physical Therapy + Sports Medicine in Gunnison, Ephraim, Mount Pleasant, Richfield, and Manti, UT can assist you in finding hand pain relief!
We understand that hand pain can make even the most basic tasks difficult or impossible. The good news is that physical therapy can help you get the relief you need from your hand pain and get back to doing what you love!
What are common causes of hand pain?
Our hands are essential to our daily lives. Any hand injury has the potential for severe limitations and loss of function. Proper identification and treatment of traumatic and overuse hand injuries is critical for avoiding loss of function, potential nerve damage, joint restrictions, and chronic pain.
There could be a number of causes for your hand pain. Some of the most common causes of hand pain are as follows:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Do you notice your hands and fingers ache daily or that typing and holding things with your hands has become particularly difficult or uncomfortable? If so, you may have carpal tunnel syndrome.
The carpal tunnel is a narrow opening on your wrist that runs along the palm of your hand. It helps to protect the median nerve, blood vessels, and tendons that allow you to bend your fingers.
When the median nerve becomes irritated or compressed, carpal tunnel syndrome develops. Tingling and numbness in your fingers or hand are common symptoms of this condition. Typically, the symptoms are felt in the thumb and index fingers, as well as the middle and ring fingers.
Excessive pressure on the median nerve makes it difficult for it to function. For some, the condition will worsen, causing hand weakness and people to drop items.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is frequently associated with overuse injuries, particularly among construction and manufacturing workers who must lift, grip, and perform forceful wrist motions. Overuse of the wrist and regular, repetitive activities such as typing or writing can lead to this condition. Or sports such as golf, tennis/pickleball, and rock climbing.
Therapy West Physical Therapy + Sports Medicine will safely and comfortably treat your carpal tunnel syndrome without surgery.
Tendonopathy
Tendonopathy is a medical term that refers to any problem with a tendon, such as disease, injury, or disorder. The following are the most common tendon injuries:
Tendonitis: Tendinitis is defined as tendon inflammation. Acute injuries, such as minor or partial tearing, can cause an inflammatory response and pain, especially if the affected area is moved.
The rate at which this condition heals is one way to identify it. These kinds of injuries heal quickly because they progress from inflammation to tissue repair.
Tendinosis: Tendinosis describes a dysfunctional tendon. It is commonly used to describe overuse conditions. According to recent research, most overuse tendon pathologies lack inflammatory cells.
It is important to note that overuse tendon disorders frequently take a long time and are a slow process to heal. In some cases, treating degenerative collagen with anti-inflammatory medications like corticosteroid injections or oral medications can hinder healing!
Tendon injuries to the hand and fingers can be especially incapacitating. These tendons have a lower tolerance than some of the larger tendons in the body, so special care must be taken to avoid long-term problems or disability.
Our physical therapists at Therapy West Physical Therapy + Sports Medicine will provide you with the necessary guidance to ensure that you fully recover from your condition!
Nerve injuries
The ulnar, radial, and median nerves are the nerves that run from the neck through the upper arm, elbow, wrist, and into the hand. If these nerves are not properly cared for, they can harm the hand and cause significant disability.
The most common nerve injuries are caused by falls or power tool accidents. Traction and compression injuries are also common, particularly in athletes who apply forceful, repetitive stresses to their wrists, hands, and fingers.
Numbness, tingling, or temperature loss are common symptoms of nerve injuries. Overuse nerve injuries (carpal tunnel syndrome or De Quervain’s disease) are accompanied by swelling that impairs the nerve’s ability to function correctly. In cases of severe nerve injury and paralysis, muscle function is disrupted.
Fractures
Hand fractures are frequently caused by falls and crush injuries. Many injuries are caused by extending your hands to catch and break your fall. This can result in finger and hand fractures.
Hand fractures are also associated with twisting injuries or other hand impacts, such as punching (i.e., boxer’s fracture) or jamming the fingers while playing sports such as basketball or football.
In some cases, casts, splints, or other forms of immobilization are required to allow the bones to heal properly. When the hand and fingers are immobilized for an extended period of time, they are more likely to be stiff and weak.
Fortunately, our physical therapists understand how to reduce any restrictions or weaknesses you may be experiencing and ensure that you recover!
Physical therapy can help you get rid of hand pain
Physical therapy and hand therapy can support healthier joint function in a variety of ways for those who suffer from hand pain.
- It expands your range of motion. Through manual therapy techniques, physical therapy is an excellent way to increase your range of motion (i.e., soft tissue work and joint mobilizations). These techniques encourage increased blood flow, which aids in healing and joint function.
- Therapy boosts muscle strength. Weakness in the hand and forearm muscles can make simple tasks like gripping and squeezing difficult. It can also cause joint pain even with minor movements like writing or picking up an object. Fortunately, our physical therapist knows how to maximize your strength so that you can regain function while also supporting your joints.
- Hand rehab therapists use specialized treatments to help you feel better. Hand therapy necessitates an understanding of the intricate coordination of muscles and joints required to perform complex movements. Modalities, manual therapy, and splint fabrication are common treatments used to help relieve hand pain while maximizing the practical use of our hands.
- Physical therapists are experts at determining the cause of hand pain. Working with an experienced physical therapist can assist you in determining the source of your pain. We will treat the entire upper extremity to ensure that we address all of the factors that are causing your condition. Your therapist can assist you in identifying changes that will help you reduce your level of discomfort and achieve your goals!
Contact Therapy West Physical Therapy + Sports Medicine right away if you are suffering from hand pain
Physical and hand therapy are both targeted and personalized treatment options that are designed to meet your specific needs. If you have hand pain that is interfering with your daily life, it is time to see a physical therapist.
Your Next Steps…
Request An Appointment
Receive A Custom Treatment Plan
Work Hard and Progress In Your Recovery
Recover & Enjoy Life Pain-Free!
