Elbow Pain, Hand Pain, Wrist Pain

Preventing Hand , Wrist and Elbow Injuries

• Do exercises to keep these areas strengthened (without overdoing it)
  
• If you perform a job that requires repetitive motion in these areas, take frequent rests or breaks
  
• Use protective equipment to help prevent stress and damage from repetitive motions
  
• Practice good posture. Remember that the hands/wrists/elbows are not designed to carry a great deal of weight
  
• Seek medical attention when you have chronic or unusual pain in your wrists, hands or elbows
  

Two Main Types of Hand Injuries

Physical therapists typically deal with two types of hand/wrist/elbow injuries:

1. Traumatic Injuries - includes fractures, lacerations, amputations, etc. and always require immediate medical attention
   
2. Repetitive Motion Ailments - includes trigger finger (a form of tendinitis), DeQuervain's Disease, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, etc. and can often be effectively treated with long-range therapy and prevention plans

Common Elbow , Hand and Wrist Ailments

Tennis Elbow is caused by repetitive motion of twisting the elbow that puts strain on the cartilage, ligaments and tendons surrounding the joint. Pain is caused by swelling and inflammation as a result. It can lead to possible tissue damage if left untreated.

Sprains occur when a ligament is stretched beyond it's normal limits. These often occur as a result of sports injuries. Sprains can take weeks to heal properly.

Colles' Fracture is a fracture of the bones in the forearm near the wrist that can be caused by falling on your outstretched hand. Clean breaks can be treated with immobility by use of a cast or splint. In more severe cases, surgery may be required. In either case, physical therapy to restore proper movement and strength will be required.

Jammed fingers typically caused from sports accidents and usually affects the DIP joint (finger joint closest to the fingernail). If jammed to the point that the finger droops, the tendon may be torn and usually requires splinting for 6-8 weeks to heal properly and prevent permanent drooping of the finger.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is probably the best known of the repetitive stress injuries, it is caused by swelling of the tendons in the carpal tunnel, a narrow channel running through the wrist. Swelling causes pressure on the median nerve which can result in symptoms of numbness, weakness, tingling and burning in the hands/fingers. Preventative measures can drastically reduce your chances of experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome.