Hand Rehab: How To Recover From A Hand Injury
- Making a Fist. To make a fist, close your hand gently, then wrap your thumb carefully across your closed fingers. Hold...
- Thumb to Fingers Touch. When you touch your thumb to your fingers, you are focusing on mobility. Move your thumb to...
- Stretch Your Wrists. A hand injury doesn’t affect just your hands or fingers. In many...
How to heal an injured hand?
Mar 19, 2015 · Zipping and buttoning pants can seem like an impossible task for someone who has lost or injured a thumb; brushing the teeth can be quite the challenge for a person who has injured their dominate hand and must brush with the non-dominate hand. While minor hand injuries can be treated at home with rest, ice, over the counter pain medications, and simple …
What is hand rehabilitation after an injury?
Treatment and Management. You can use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which can relieve pain and inflammation, causing the swelling. Using a splint can also help to keep the extended finger straight and rest the tendons. Additionally, using …
How to rehabilitate your hands and fingers?
Jul 13, 2016 · Various arthritic conditions can cause pain in the joints of the hand. Some of these injuries and conditions require surgery, while others can be managed with conservative treatment methods like rest, injections, and pain medications. Regardless or the treatment you decide upon, physical therapy is always a good accompaniment.
How to do hand exercises in physical therapy?
May 01, 2017 · In these circumstances, it is best to train with (1) very light weights, (2) higher repetitions, (3) not-to-failure with (4) adequate rest times (>3 minutes between sets) to minimize chance of re-injury. Obviously, higher intensity increases risk, as well as going to failure when you are fatigued, and less rest times (as your muscles may fail).
How do you rehab a hand?
Grip StrengthenerHold a soft ball in your palm and squeeze it as hard as you can.Hold for a few seconds and release.Repeat 10 to 15 times on each hand. Do this exercise two to three times a week, but rest your hands for 48 hours in between sessions. Don't do this exercise if your thumb joint is damaged.Oct 5, 2020
How long does it take to recover from a hand injury?
Without complications, most people will return to their normal activities, including sports, in 6 to 8 weeks. Full recovery time for a broken hand may take longer when the injury or fracture is severe, requiring extensive therapy to regain function, or if there are complications.
How do you treat a hand injury at home?
The RICE protocol involves:Rest: Rest the injured area and avoid the activity that caused the injury.Ice: Apply ice to the area for 20 minutes, several times a day. ... Compression: Wear a compression bandage to prevent swelling and additional blood loss.More items...
How do you speed up tendon healing?
Strengthening exercises to help you rebuild tendon strength and avoid future injuries. Ultrasound heat therapy to improve blood circulation, which may aid the healing process. Deep massage to boost flexibility and circulation and prevent further injuries. Endurance activities, such as riding a stationary bike.Jun 28, 2020
How do you know if you have damaged a tendon in your hand?
If your extensor tendons are damaged, you'll be unable to straighten 1 or more fingers. If your flexor tendons are damaged, you'll be unable to bend 1 or more fingers. Tendon damage can also cause pain and swelling (inflammation) in your hand.
Is my hand broken or sprained?
Severe swelling, or bruising over the top of the bone, numbness or tingling. A "cracking" (not "popping") sound at the time of the injury. The area looks lopsided or "deformed," or the bone is poking through.Jul 20, 2021
What is the most common hand injury?
Hand injuries come about for various reasons, including work, trauma, overuse, or sports. The three most common hand injuries are fractures/avulsions, tendinitis, and dislocations/deformities.May 27, 2020
What does a sprained hand feel like?
Symptoms of Hand and Wrist Sprains Tenderness. Stiffness. A sensation of popping or tearing. A feeling of warmth near the injury.
How to get your hand to move?
Move your hand fully up and down, first with your palm facing down, then with your palm facing up. Wrist Movement- Like the above exercise, place your wrist/forearm on a folded up towel, this time with your hand sideways and your thumb pointing up. Then, wave your hand up and down through the full range of motion.
How to get your hands to feel better?
Repeat this exercise about 8-12 times for each hand. Thumb Touch- With your hand in an upright position, stretch each of your fingers to touch your thumb. Claw Stretch- With your palm facing out, move your fingers into a claw-like position for 30-60 seconds. Grip Strengthening- Squeeze a grip-strengthening ball as tightly as possible 10-15 times ...
How to make a fist?
Making a Fist- It’s as simple as it sounds. Start with your hand in a stretched position, then make a fist. Finger Stretch- Starting with your hand in a normal position on a flat surface, slowly straighten your fingers. Hold this straightened position for about a minute, then switch hands. Finger Lift- To improve your flexibility, place your hand ...
Where did Mitchell Keschner go to medical school?
He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his medical education at Tufts University School of Medicine.
How to strengthen your grip?
Grip Strengthening- Squeeze a grip-strengthening ball as tightly as possible 10-15 times with each hand. Pinch Strengthening- Pinch a soft foam ball between the tip of one of your fingers and your thumb. Do this for about one minute, repeating it for about 10-15 times.
How to rotate your arms?
Wrist Rotating- While standing or sitting with your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle, rotate your arms by placing your palms up, then down, and so forth. Thumb Extension- Move your thumb from its normal position to the center of the palm and back.
Can hand surgery be done?
At Central Orthopedics, our hand surgeons are uniquely qualified to perform restorative surgeries that will help you to resume your normal lifestyle. There are simple steps that you can take to expedite your recovery in a painless manner. Based on your individual injury, performing one or more of these hand exercises is imperative for a quick recovery.
Types of Hand and Wrist Injury
Hand and wrist injuries can prevent day to day activities. The hand and wrist make up one of the most active balance joints. Hand exercises help with improving mobility and general functional ability after an injury. Some of the injuries that can affect the hand and wrist are:
Trigger Fingers
Trigger fingers lead to pain, stiffness, and locking of the fingers where it bends or straightens with a snap. This condition is also referred to as stenosing tenosynovitis, and it mostly affects the thumb or the ring fingers.
Ulnar Wrist Pain
Ulnar wrist pain occurs on the pinkie-finger side of your wrist. The pain varies depending on the cause, and it can worsen when trying to twist your wrist or grip something. It can be a challenging condition to diagnose because it is linked to many injury types.
Wrist Sprains
When the ligaments supporting the wrist stretch beyond their capacity, they can tear, leading to wrist sprains. Twisting or bending the wrist forcefully, mostly from a fall, can cause this condition. They are common injuries ranging from mild to severe.
Wrist Pain
Often, sprains and fractures lead to wrist pain. It can be a sudden injury. Long-term problems such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and repetitive stress can also lead to wrist pain.
Hand and Wrist Therapy Exercises
Hand injuries pose many challenges. Recovering from an injury or reconstructive surgery requires hand therapy. The PT assesses your range of motion, posture, strength, and nerve sensation during therapy, depending on your condition. They also discuss your medical history and expectations for hand and wrist therapy.
What are the benefits of hand therapy?
Last updated on November 6, 2020. Hand therapy exercises can help improve strength and dexterity in the hands and fingers. They are especially helpful for improving fine motor skills after a neurological event like stroke or brain injury. Furthermore, hand strengthening exercises like these can also help prevent conditions like arthritis ...
How to strengthen your hand?
For a basic hand strengthening exercise, squeeze a therapy ball with your fingers and thumb. Focus on pressing the pads and tips of your fingers into the ball. Pick a ball with thickness that makes you feel challenged. 20.
How to help paralyzed hands?
For those with paralyzed hands from neurological injury like stroke, you should start with passive exercise. This means using your unaffected hand to help your affected hand complete the exercises.
How to get your hand to be more dexterous?
For this gentle hand dexterity exercise, start with your forearm on a table. Let your hand hang off the side of the table with your palm down. Then, move your hand up and down, bending at your wrist. When you’re done, repeat with your palm facing up.
How to get your arm to move?
Then, practice moving your thumb over to your little finger, signaling the number 4. Continue to move your thumb back and forth between these 2 positions. 3. Inner Arm Stretch.
How to stretch your arm?
Place your hands in your lap and interlace your fingers. Then stretch your affected arm palm-side up. You should feel this stretch all the way up your inner arm. Hold this stretch for 20 seconds and release. Then, repeat on the other side.
What are some games that require fine motor skills?
If you want to make things more fun and interesting, play board games like checkers or chess which require you to practice your fine motor skills as you move your pieces and activates your brain for scanning, decision making and sequencing tasks.
Hand & Wrist Pain
Here are a few of the most common injuries and conditions that can cause wrist pain:
How Physical Therapy can Help
Whether you’ve just had a surgical procedure on your wrist, or you are recovering from an injury, physical therapy can be instrumental in making a full recovery. Strategic exercises from a skilled rehab specialist will help you regain mobility and reduce your pain.
How to move a finger that is not affected?
Place the hand with the affected finger flat on a table, palm up. With your other hand, press down on the fingers that are not affected. Your affected finger will be free to move.
How to make a fist with your fingers?
Place your good hand on a table, palm up. Put your hand with the affected finger on top of your good hand with your fingers wrapped around the thumb of your good hand like you are making a fist.
How to do dip flexion?
slide 3 of 9, DIP flexion, With your good hand, grasp your affected finger. Your thumb will be on the top side of your finger just below the joint that is closest to your fingernail. Slowly bend your affected finger only at the joint closest to your fingernail. Hold for about 6 seconds.
How to make a towel out of a towel?
Fold a small towel in half, and lay it flat on a table. Put your hand flat on the towel, palm down. Grab the towel, and scrunch it toward you until your hand is in a fist. Slowly straighten your fingers to push the towel back so it is flat on the table again. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
How to make a fist?
Make a fist by bending your knuckles. Your thumb can gently rest against your index (pointing) finger. Unwind your fingers slightly so that your fingertips can touch the base of your palm. Your thumb can rest against your index finger . Move back to your starting position, with your fingers and thumb pointing up.
How long does it take for a sprain to heal?
The injury starts to heal rather quickly and by 1-2 weeks is fully healed. Moderate injury — Movement quality may remain impaired but does improve after the injury with movement. May take a little bit for the pain to dissipate. Movement removes some of the pain, but not all of it with movement.
How to get rid of a swollen finger?
Manual resistance (use your other hand to isolate and provide light resistance) Slowly finger curling a very light dumbell. Deloaded hangboard work where you use weight from a pulley or assist or just put light weight on the fingers while standing on the ground. All of these are solid options.
Who is Steven Low?
Steven Low, author of Overcoming Gravity: A Systematic Approach to Gymnastics and Bodyweight Strength (Second Edition), Overcoming Poor Posture, and Overcoming Tendonitis is a former gymnast who has performed with and coached the exhibitional gymnastics troupe, Gymkana. Steven has a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland College Park, and his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland Baltimore. Steven is a Senior trainer for Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification (PCC). He has also spent thousands of hours independently researching the scientific foundations of health, fitness and nutrition and is able to provide many insights into practical care for injuries. His training is varied and intense with a focus on gymnastics, parkour, rock climbing, and sprinting.
Is pain an indicator of injury?
Pain is not necessarily an indicator of injury, but it is usually present when an acute injury occurs. As the rehabilitation process goes on, it tends to lessen as an indicator. Obviously, one of the goals of most is to climb pain free, so it can be one of the goals as you improve.
Do not stop working out?
What I mean by “do not stop working out” is that you should continue with your non-climbing activities if at all possible. This includes workouts. Getting out of the habit of working out and taking a long time off of rest is a bad idea because it leads to quick deconditioning which will negatively affect you when coming back. Losing your overall body strength, endurance, and other attributes is bad.
How to pull a shirt over your head?
Leaning forward creates space to slide the shirt over the hand, and then up the arm. Once the shirt is pulled up toward the shoulder, an individual can pull it over their head, and then place the non affected arm into the other sleeve, gently tugging the shirt down around their body until it is on.
How to remove water from a towel?
Place the towel onto the hook, then stand in front of it, moving the body side to side while holding the other end of the towel taut. If available, the use of a hairdryer, directed at the body parts that need to be dried, can be an easy and soothing method of removing water!
What is button down shirt?
Button-down shirts have the added challenge of buttons that need to be fastened! This type of shirt can be pulled on around the wearer’s back, and closed in the front. If the shirt has only two or three buttons placed closer to the neck, put it on as you would any other non-buttoning shirt (see above) .
Where is Martin Jansen?
Martin Jansen was born in the Netherlands. After graduating from the Occupational Therapy college in Amsterdam he has worked throughout his 31 year career in acute rehab hospitals, acute care hospitals as well as outpatient services with a wide variety of illnesses and disabilities. He continues to work full time as an Occupational Therapist. Martin is passionate about helping patients regain their independence as much and as quickly as possible. He has received additional training in the use of medical equipment and enjoys the opportunity to write about his experience and help others problem solve any difficulties they experience as a result of some form of physical limitation.
Can you tie shoes with one hand?
Tying shoes is another difficult task to do with one hand. However, one handed shoelace tying is possible! It only requires re-lacing the shoes , and tying off in a single-loop closure .
How much strength can you transfer from a limb to a limb?
With a unilateral exercise, you can train your unaffected limb and maintain neurological strength in the affected limb. Approximately 10 to 20 percent of your strength may transfer from limb to limb.
Can trigger points be painful?
Active Trigger Points can be painful even if you don’t touch them. You might feel the pain with movement, or the trigger can restrict movement rather than cause pain, telling your brain that something’s not right and signaling it to take caution. Latent Trigger Points are triggered by touch applied to the muscle.
Can you work on a hand injury?
But if you’ve jammed a finger playing flag football or hurt your shoulder in a game, there are things you can do to work around your injury and stay on track.
