Do you suffer from hand or wrist pain

Do you suffer from hand or wrist pain?

Do you suffer from hand or wrist pain? Whether you’re catching or throwing a ball, standing on your hands, lifting heavy weights, or working at a computer, everybody uses their hands and wrists in their day-to-day life.

Due to the complex and multitude of structures in the wrist, it can often be difficult to determine the exact cause of your wrist pain. However, a better understanding of what is causing pain in your hand and wrist can give you a better idea of what needs to be done to manage your pain.

Types of Injuries:

Fracture:

Fractures usually happen after falling over and landing on the hand, during high impact sports, or during a car or motorbike accidents. Fractures are usually found in the lower forearm bones or the small wrist bones. This type of injury is normally accompanied by swelling, bruising, tenderness, and great difficulty moving the wrist. It’s important that broken wrists are treated as soon as possible so that bones heal properly and there are no permanent problems.

Sprain:

A sprain commonly involves a ligament injury. Ligament are soft tissues which hold bones together. This can happen after a traumatic event such as a fall, finger dislocation, or jarring a finger. Symptoms of ligament injuries vary from person to person but it is usually accompanied by swelling, bruising, clicking sensation, loss of grip strength, a snapping or popping sensation, or pain when twisting your wrist.

Arthritis:

There are different types of arthritis that can affect your wrist and fingers. Osteo-arthritis (OA) is an age related symptom and is not necessarily the source of symtoms. We all have a varying degree of OA depending on our age. The three most common types of arthritis that affect the wrist are Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis. In the age where the majority of people are using hand-held devices and with the increase in number of office workers, the prevalence of hand and wrist osteoarthritis is becoming greater and greater. The most common symptom that suggests the presence of arthritis is swelling and a deformity of the hand. Other symptoms include tenderness, redness, warmth, and stiffness.

Muscle overuse:

People who are involved in repetitive jobs involving their hands through the day are most susceptible to suffering overuse injuries. This can range from office workers who are constantly typing and using pens, construction workers who are continuously hammering and lifting objects, and even mothers who are constantly picking up their newborn babies. Prolonged periods of high load or stress on the muscles and tendons can cause them to become irritated and inflamed and cause changes to the structure. Common symptoms of overuse problems include pain, tenderness, and decreased strength.

Nerve pain:

There are multiple nerves which provide muscle strength and sensation to the hand and nerves. When injured, these can cause pain, sensory changes and weakness. Nerves can be injured from trauma such as being cut, crushed, or overstretched but can also be injured from prolonged periods of pressure, especially in office workers who are pressing against their nerves when they are typing all day. When the nerves are injured, they are unable to deliver messages properly to the hand resulting in burning or freezing sensation, pins and needles, numbness, decreased strength, un-coordinated movement, and reduced ability to feel sensations or surfaces.

Contact Us:

For more information on how we can further assist you, please call our clinic number on 0479 080 800  or send us an email on [email protected] for further details. Our Physiotherapists are Medicare, NDIS, DVA and Work Cover approved, specialising in injury management and rehabilitation to get you back on track.