Hand and wrist injuries can limit your functioning in leisure and work activities. Sports, repetitive movements, genetics or falls can cause a multitude of hand and wrist injuries. There are some common problems that can injure you temporarily or permanently that can be helped to heal naturally through physical therapy. Here are some common hand and wrist injuries and what you can do with physical therapy and other treatment methods.
Thumb Sprains
Thumb sprains usually occur when you break your fall with your palm, or fall while your hand is strapped to a ski pole or something else. The collateral ligament is usually what gets sprained. This ligament is responsible for helping your thumb to function properly.
If your thumb gets sprained, you may lose some ability to grasp between your thumb and index finger. Hand and wrist injuries are best handled in a timely manner as not to loose function in your extremities.
Wrist Fractures
Many wrist fractures occur in the scaphoid bone, which is just one of eight small bones that make up the wrist. This usually occurs from a fall where the wrist is outstretched to break the fall. Depending on the angle in which the wrist hits the ground will determine the severity of the injury. The more your wrist is bent back, or extended, the more the bone is likely to break. If you do fall, it is best not to extend your arms and hands out to break your fall because it can cause more injuries.
Wrist fractures are not always obvious because there may be no obvious swelling. If you have any symptoms of broken or sprained wrists or are in pain, it is best to get it checked out, so that your hand or wrist can heal effectively.
Hand Fractures
Most hand fractures occur in the bones in your hand just before your knuckles, also known as the metacarpals. These are most common in sports injuries and can also occur in your phalanges, or the bones between the joints of your fingers. Similar to wrist fractures, you should have your hand checked out by a doctor, even if you think you may have just sprained your hand.
Baseball or Jersey Finger
Baseball or mallet finger often occurs during baseball when something hits the tip of your finger, bending it down. Bending your finger does not automatically cause a baseball finger, but the added force of a ball can push it beyond the limit. The tendons may tear or may even pull pieces of bone away as well.
Jersey finger is the opposite and occurs when the ring finger is forcibly extended. It is called jersey finger because it can occur from your finger getting caught in an opponents jersey causing the flexor tendon to be pulled away from the bone. Jersey fingers will cause you to be unable to bend your finger without assistance.
Carpal Tunnel
This is usually the result of repetitive motions during work or other activities. This usually builds over time but can also be dependent on genetics, sex and age. Pressure on the median nerve causes carpal tunnel which can cause symptoms such as numbness, tingling and weakness in the hand and arm. Symptoms can start gradually and happen occasionally but become more constant over time.
Healing Hand And Wrist Injuries With Wasatch Peak
We specialize in hand and wrist injuries and therapy treatments. Our hand therapist is certified and has over 4,000 hours of clinic experience, ensuring that you get physical therapy that gets your life back on track. The hands are the most-used extremities that help us to complete day to day tasks. Without the full use of your hands or wrists, it can be hard to live your best life. Our team has years of experience to help patients of all ages and conditions and work to help them feel like the best version of themselves.
You can schedule a consultation with our therapist to ensure that we have the best treatment plan in mind for you. Wasatch Peak will work to restore range of motion, reduce inflammation and promote healing through safe treatments. We want our patients to gain a better quality of life through physical therapy and exercise.
Working with our team gives you an individualized experience with trained professionals for your hand and wrist injuries. Our team wants to hear from you. Expressing your needs and how you want your treatment to go is important to us.
Meet our team here. You can contact us at all 4 of our locations or on our website.
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