The hands are essential to many of our daily tasks, but they can also be a source of pain. Dealing with hand pain is something that hand physical therapy can help with.
Many people are likely to develop a condition that causes them hand pain. For instance, it’s estimated that up to 40% of people will develop hand osteoarthritis as they age. Physical therapists can help you learn more about some conditions that commonly cause hand pain. Certified hand therapists also offer hand physical therapy that can help treat these conditions.
Hand physical therapy can help treat these three conditions
With all the ligaments, bones and other structures in the hand, it’s no wonder there are so many conditions that can cause hand pain. Some issues that physical therapists typically see in people’s hands include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome — This condition is common in people who do repetitive wrist movements. Carpal tunnel syndrome also tends to cause pain in the thumb, index and middle fingers.
- Hand osteoarthritis — As was mentioned earlier, this condition is a very common one. Hand osteoarthritis is often a natural result of the wear and tear of aging. It can also be more likely if you’ve previously injured your hands.
- De Quervain’s tenosynovitis — This condition occurs when trauma or repetitive movements inflame the tendons at the base of your thumb. De Quervain’s tenosynovitis can lead to swelling, pain and numbness around the base of the thumb.
What can be involved in hand physical therapy for these conditions?
Treating these hand conditions is something that often takes many different techniques. Fortunately, physical therapists have many treatment methods at their disposal, and some of the methods that could be included in your therapy program are:
- Ergonomic recommendations to help make your workspace safer and less likely to cause future hand injuries.
- Therapeutic exercises that focus on stretching and strengthening the forearms, wrists and hands.
- Joint mobilization to improve mobility and function in the fingers and wrist.
- Soft tissue mobilization that can help reduce tension on tendons and ligaments in your hands.
- Dry needling to create a local twitch response in soft tissue that can help reduce pain.
Ready to try hand physical therapy? Excel PT can help!
Are you looking for effective physical therapy for your hands? Our teams at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy in St. Peters and Wentzville, Missouri, have certified hand therapists who can help you treat many hand conditions. We offer free screenings intended to pinpoint which hand problem you have. Additionally, we are adept at building individualized therapy plans designed to reduce pain and improve function.
Contact our team today for more information about the hand issues we can help you treat or to schedule your initial appointment.
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