About two months ago my middle finger on my right hand started hurting. I have no idea why.
At first , I made fun of by asking my family if they think I have been overusing this particular finger. LOL
The humor did not last long.
The pain started to keep me up at night. Throbbing pain when I was not even using it.
Then I could not: lift my cat,
Open jars
Type on my computer
Open the car door
Scratch my head
Clean the sink
The limitations from pain in this one finger was growing exponentially.
My husband, Thomas Primavera, who is a Hand Therapist said “That is enough! We are going to splint it and treat it.”
Three days ago he fitted my finger with a splint and gave me some movements to do and told me what to stop doing.
Three days ago, I would not have believed this pain could go away. I would have said it would take a miracle. I was convinced this was just another crappy
thing about getting old and I was going to have to live with it.
Wrong wrong wrong! The pain is nearly gone. I have returned to doing all those things that I took for granted.
Thumb pain can be relieved by a variety of methods, including:
Rest and ice: Take a break from activities that may be causing the pain and apply an ice pack to the affected area for 15-20 minutes, several times a day.
Sports taping/ kinesio tape
Splints or braces: Wearing a splint or brace can help stabilize the thumb and reduce pain.
Hand therapy/ occupational therapy: Exercises and stretches prescribed by a hand therapist can help improve thumb strength and flexibility.
Deep tissue laser therapy. Ask us if you are a candidate for a free session.
Manual therapy by a hand therapist.
Assisted devices recommended by your hand therapist
It is important to consult with a hand therapist to determine the best course of treatment for your specific condition and symptoms.
Call and schedule a free consultation with one of our occupational / hand therapists 360 279 8323
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be triggered by a variety of factors, including:
Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and thyroid disorders, can increase the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Repetitive motions: Repeating the same hand and wrist movements, such as typing or using a mouse, can put pressure on the median nerve.
Pregnancy: Swelling and fluid retention during pregnancy can put pressure on the median nerve.
Wrist injury: Fractures, sprains, or other wrist injuries can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Wrist position: Maintaining an awkward or bent wrist position for prolonged periods of time can compress the median nerve.
Obesity: Excess weight can increase the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Age: As we age, the tissues in the wrist can become less flexible, increasing the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.
It is important to take steps to prevent or manage carpal tunnel syndrome, such as taking frequent breaks from repetitive activities, maintaining good posture, and using ergonomic equipment. If you are experiencing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, it is important to see a hand therapy specialist for an evaluation and treatment.
It’d be hard to overstate the importance of our hands. We use them for everything, from performing our most basic functions like eating and drinking to putting food on the table, literally and figuratively. It’s hard to imagine a job that doesn’t require the use of your hands, or a day that could go by without using your hands hundreds of times. It’s no wonder, then, that ordinary wear and tear can cause issues like carpal tunnel syndrome or “tennis elbow,” or that people suffer from chronic issues, like arthritis, as a result. Accidents or trauma can also damage your hands.
How you go about treating that damage can be tricky. Operations are expensive and can sometimes leave you less mobile than before. No matter what, there’s always a risk, and even if the operation is successful, you’re still going to need therapy to get back to normal.
Our clinic can help. From basic therapy for all kinds of hand injuries and hand pain, to instructions on exercises and stretches to do at home, to postoperative therapy, we have the ability to help your hands. Even difficult issues, like nerve damage, that’s left you unable to feel properly, can be addressed with the right treatment plan and a good occupational/ hand therapist. We use all kinds of techniques to get your hands back to where they should be. Exercises, splints, edema control, hot and cold packs, sensory education, laser treatments, and work stimulation are just a few of the many tools in our toolbox, and we’ll find the ones that work for you and your specific medical needs. Often splinting is needed and we can make you a custom splint that will address your specific condition.
Don’t spend another year worrying about the state of your hands or suffering from pain that we can help with. Get in touch today, and start 2018 with hand therapy that will work for you.
Rue and Primavera Occupational and Physical Therapy
Whether your job requires you to spend your day cranking out content on a keyboard or you’re a full time parent with a kid on either arm, you don’t realize how much you use your hands and wrists until they start to hurt. Many people deal with upper extremity pain, but a lot of people don’t know that occupational therapy can offer solutions. From carpal tunnel to post-surgery recovery, occupational therapy can help you get back to your daily actives and live a pain-free life.
First of all, what is occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy is a type of therapy that helps people recuperating from illness perform daily tasks that various ailments and conditions might otherwise prohibit them from completing. Basically, occupational therapy helps you perform activities that pain has previously stopped you from doing.
How is it different from physical therapy?
Many people don’t know the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy. While they are both practices that help people rehabilitate and regain function, the two practices have some core differences. Physical therapists generally work with people to recover from injuries. They are focused on healing the physical injuries, such as damaged tissues or other physical problems. Occupational therapists are focused on helping a person be able to perform their daily tasks despite physical setbacks. Where a physical therapist might help someone be able to bend and straighten their elbow after a broken arm, an occupational therapist might help the same person be able to button their shirt, cook, or complete other tasks while recovering.
What are the benefits of occupational therapy?
Oftentimes, we don’t realize how much we use our hands and wrists until they hurt. When you feel pain when typing on your keyboard, brushing your teeth, or performing other basic functions, it can take a toll on you and your family. The goal of occupational therapy is to get you back to what you want to be doing, and enable people to participate fully in their everyday lives.
How does it work?
Occupational therapy can happen in a number of different ways, but at Rue and Primavera we typically offer 45 minute sessions in our large, open occupational therapy space. Sessions can also be done in private, but many patients enjoy this open, relaxed environment. We have three occupational therapists whose with expertise treating upper extremities on our staff. Our goal is to understand your condition and work to increase your mobility and decrease pain.
What sort of hand and wrist injuries can occupational therapy help you recover from?
Occupational therapy can help people recover from a variety of hand and wrist injuries.Common ailments include carpal tunnel, ganglion cysts, sprains, fractures, dislocations, tennis elbow, recovering from surgery, and others.
If you have upper extremity pain or are recovering from hand or wrist surgery, occupational therapy may be able to help. Our therapists would love to help you thrive in your daily life so contact us today!
Your hands are constantly at work, and they are an integral part of everything you do! But our hands can be injured or limited by painful joint pain such as arthritis, significantly reducing your ability to move and function in everyday life.
Arthritis and joint pain affects millions of people around the world. In the U.S. alone, more than 52.5 million adults report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis, and it is estimated that by the year 2040, about 78 million adults will have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Many people can’t or don’t want to use medication to relieve the extreme (sometimes debilitating) pain caused by arthritis, and studies have found that a hands-on approach can naturally relieve arthritis pain symptoms.
This hands-on approach is known as hand therapy, where an occupational or physical therapist will perform rehabilitative, manual therapy to the hands and upper extremities. According to an article from altMD.com, “Hand therapy helps to maintain movement through hand exercises … It offers acute or chronic pain management techniques, desensitization as a result of nerve injury or trauma, sensory re-education following a nerve injury, a personalized exercise program designed to increase dexterity and manual strength, and most importantly, an opportunity to retrain a person to handle the tasks of everyday life—any household or personal task, whether it is personal hygiene care, or vacuuming, or washing dishes.”
Hand therapy incorporates a variety of techniques such as mobilization and stimulation of soft tissues, hand exercises, re-training, stretching and even splinting to help you regain comfort and functionality in your hands, pain-free!
The benefits of hand therapy for arthritis treatment are particularly notable:
Can be used as a preventative or conservative treatment method
Manages and/or reduces acute and even chronic joint pain
Desensitizes nerves after injury or trauma, for correct sensory re-education
Increases motion, dexterity and strength
Thoughtful home exercise programs for quicker rehabilitation and muscular conditioning
If applicable, customized splinting to prevent or correct injury
Education and training to learn and adapt for success at daily life skills
To learn more about hand therapy with Rue & Primavera, or to book your next hand therapy appointment or initial consultation, please click here to contact us or call 360-279-8323.
