Hand and Wrist Pain
Hand and wrist pain have many similar causes to elbow pain, these include fine and intricate movements such as writing, typing, and using a mouse; larger movements such as opening jars, gripping a screwdriver or sports equipment, and carrying heavy objects.
Hand and Wrist Pain | Osteopath Sutton
Problems in the hands may be caused by many different factors including ‘wear and tear’ and arthritic conditions, lack of blood flow to the fingers, trauma such as falling on an outstretched hand, or problems in the forearm, elbow, shoulder or neck. Pins and needles in the hands can be a result of nerve compression in the hand, forearm, upper arm, shoulder, neck muscles, the neck itself, diabetes, pregnancy or thyroid issues.
Causes and symptoms of hand & wrist pain can include: pins and needles or numbness in the hand or fingers, stiffness or difficulty bending the fingers or wrist, sharp pain when putting pressure down through the hands, difficulty holding objects including drinks or cutlery, stiffness lasting up to 60 minutes in the morning, to sharp pain when performing heavy tasks.
The hands are often the location for systemic symptoms to present such as pins and needles, swelling, or hypersensitivity to temperature changes. Your osteopath will take a thorough case history to rule out any more serious pathology before starting treatment.
Treatment: Osteopathy can be incredibly helpful in treating and managing hand & wrist pain. As mentioned above, a proper assessment of the hands, forearms, elbows, shoulder and neck will reveal the root cause of the symptoms in the hands.
Improving the mobility of the wrist and all associated joints through osteopathic mobilisation techniques can free up the muscle and nerve tension and improve blood flow through the hands. Manipulation techniques can also be used to improve joint alignment and reduce muscle tightness.
Grip strength and wrist mobilisation exercises may be given in order to improve strength, muscle endurance and stability of the wrist. Stretching advice may be given to promote ease of motion of the elbow, forearm and hand muscles.
Advice on how to make subtle modifications to your daily activities that may be irritating the area can also be given.
