Wrist Physical Therapy Basics for Patients

Many people are susceptible to problems with their wrists and hands. If you work with your hands then your wrists may be vulnerable to strain and injury. In this article you will learn more about the basics of wrist physical therapy as well as preventative measures to keep injuries to this area from occurring. First it helps to get an overall picture of what this area looks like and how it works. The hand and wrist are complex, more so than many people realize.

There are eight bones in the wrist called carpals. They provide support for the carpal tunnel, which you've probably heard of and may even be having problems with. This tunnel serves as a tube which holds the median nerve and tendons. It is covered by a flat transverse carpal ligament that runs horizontally across the wrist. The hands are formed from metacarpals and phalanges, which you may remember from anatomy class as the bones of the fingers. The thumb only has two, the rest of the fingers have three.

If you type all day, do production work, assembly line work or any other repetitive tasks you may be at risk for injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress injury. Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by burning pain and numbness in the hand and wrist. Repetitive stress injury may manifest the same way, so it is often necessary for a formal diagnosis to be made. A physical therapist can examine your wrist and hand and order imaging tests if necessary to find out exactly what the problem is. For those not suffering from injury there are plenty of exercises that can be done before, during and after the repetitive activity to help avoid problems down the road.

Once the diagnosis has been made, a wrist physical therapy plan will be devised to meet the needs of the individual. This plan may include certain exercises to strengthen and stretch the hands and wrists. The therapist may also teach the patient about proper ergonomics when working or playing sports. There are all kinds of ergonomic products on the market these days, including chairs, mattresses, cushions, keyboards, mouse pads and more. Physical therapists may also use treatments like ultrasound, hydrotherapy and electrotherapy depending on your problem. These strategies are preferred over surgical intervention whenever possible as they are non-invasive.

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