The wrist, hand, and fingers are made up of numerous small bones, as well as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Because we use our hands in practically every activity, experiencing pain in the wrists, hands, or fingers is pretty common.

Unfortunately, this also means pain in these areas can be very disruptive to daily life. Some other symptoms individuals may experience related to pain in these areas include:

• Swelling
• Achy or sharp pain
• Stiffness and low mobility
• Numbness or tingling
• Weakness or low grip strength
• Clicking or popping with movement
• Tenderness
• Changes in appearance

Luckily, pain in the hands, wrist, and fingers can be better managed with physical therapy. How your physical therapist will go about treatment will depend on the cause and symptoms of your condition.

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There are many things that can cause pain or complications in the wrists and hands. Some common causes include overuse, repetitive motions, injury, or strain. Some examples of causes or conditions that can contribute to pain in the wrist or hands include:

• Overuse injuries: Repetitive movements, such as with sports or jobs, can cause overuse injuries that may result in pain, straining or other symptoms.

• Accidental injuries: Falling onto the hands or experiencing other impacts to the hands or wrists can cause fractures or broken bones, resulting in lasting symptoms if not taken care of properly.

• Arthritis / osteoarthritis: Arthritis is a common experience in the wrist or hands and can cause stiffness, pain, swelling, and low mobility.

• Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease that is common in the hands or feet. The cause of this condition is unknown, and it can cause flare-ups of painful swelling in the joints.

• Carpal tunnel syndrome: A condition formed when pressure is pushed onto the median nerve. This can lead to pain, numbness, or tingling in the hands, wrist, or fingers.

• Tendonitis: A condition where inflammation occurs in the tendons of the wrist, hands, or fingers. Tendonitis causes pain, swelling, and discomfort and is often caused by repetitive motions or sharp movements.

• Ganglion cysts: Cysts that commonly form in the wrist. They can cause discomfort and pain, which may worsen with movement.

• Trigger finger: A condition where your finger becomes stuck in a bent position, which can also feel like a locking or catching sensation when bending or straightening the finger. It is more common in people with arthritis or who perform a lot of motions involving gripping, squeezing, or lifting.

• Climber’s finger: This injury is associated with those who rock climb, as the injury is formed by impact or overload while climbing or grabbing. This condition causes pain and swelling in one or more fingers, and may result in a finger position described as “bowstringing.”

Physical therapists are experts in musculoskeletal health and can be highly beneficial in addressing pain in the wrist, hand, or fingers. After a thorough evaluation with your physical therapist, you can expect an individualized care plan to help treat or better manage your symptoms.

Your plan of care will be designed to relieve pain, regain function, and improve range of motion for your wrist, hand, or fingers.

To improve the function and flexibility of these areas, your physical therapist will guide you through exercises to strengthen the muscles of the hand and wrist, as well as stretches to regain mobility and relieve stiffness.

Depending on the cause, you may need to address other areas of the body such as the elbow, shoulder or neck.

Physical therapists are also very skilled in a variety of pain-relieving treatments such as dry needling or tissue scraping, which can help manage pain from overuse, injury, or chronic conditions. This can be especially helpful for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, which can have unexpected flare-ups.

If your pain is created from an injury that requires surgery, your physical therapist can support you throughout the healing process to ensure effective healing. They will guide you through safe exercises to help you regain normal movement and function.

Your physical therapist can also teach you essential posture, ergonomics, or other behavioral modifications that can reduce strain on this part of your body and help prevent future injury.

Our physical therapists at Hive Therapy and Wellness use a unique combination of treatments that are personalized to the needs of each patient. While visiting Hive to relieve wrist, hand, or finger pain, you can expect to experience any of the following treatment techniques:

• Dry Needling
• Cupping
• Manual Therapy 
• Spinal Manipulation 
• Electrical Muscle Stimulation
• Tissue Scraping 
• Exercise Prescription
• Behavioral Modifications
• Therapeutic Modalities
• Neuromuscular Re-education
• Biofeedback (part of neuromuscular)
• Therapeutic Activity