| I'm often surprised that people do not consider | | | | That tells us we use our thumbs a lot. Over time |
| chiropractic care for hand and wrist pain. We do | | | | the wear and tear stress upon that joint makes is |
| more than just low back and neck pain. We are | | | | vulnerable to degenerative or arthritic changes. |
| taught to address the spine and most other joints | | | | Finger pain shows up now and then. Typically, the |
| of the body including the hand and wrist. | | | | finger doesn't bend all the way. The pain is usually |
| Hand and wrist pain for the sake of this article is | | | | not disabling but annoying. I had a patient with |
| not about carpal tunnel syndrome. That is another | | | | such a case. He had low grade finger pain for |
| topic for another day. Besides which, most carpal | | | | over 20 years. He thought there was no cure. |
| tunnel syndromes involve the neck. Hand and | | | | Just on a whim he ventured to ask if anything |
| wrist pain can be independent of the neck. | | | | could be done for it. One treatment and the pain |
| What are the some of the more common hand | | | | was totally gone and hasn't returned since. |
| and wrist pain cases that a typical chiropractor | | | | A typical treatment protocol for hand and wrist |
| would treat? For one, overuse or repetitive strain | | | | pain is of course chiropractic adjustments. I use |
| syndromes that can manifest either as hand/wrist | | | | the Activator (hand held device) which pinpoints |
| or elbow pain. The typical scenarios can be sports | | | | the joint accurately. I also use the "speeder |
| injuries, falling and catching oneself with the hand | | | | board" which is like a mini-drop table. This helps to |
| extended, weight lifting or lifting heavy items | | | | jog loose the joint that maybe stuck. Soft tissue |
| (such as with a recent move to another house). | | | | work is also helpful to reduce inflammation, break |
| Even repetitive activities such as knitting, | | | | up adhesions, reduce muscle spasm, increase |
| crocheting, computer usage can add to repetitive | | | | vascularity to the tissues and most importantly |
| strain. Massage therapists also are at risk for | | | | reduce pain. Checking other related structures can |
| repetitive strains with the heavy usage of their | | | | ferret out contributing causes to the pain. |
| hands, forearms and elbows. | | | | Typically, the elbow, shoulder and neck are the |
| Pain along the thumb (usually of the dominant | | | | usual suspects. |
| hand) is another typical pain syndrome seen by | | | | In more advanced cases, testing for loss of |
| chiropractors. This is usually an inflammation of | | | | strength and other orthopedic tests to rule out |
| the extensor hallicus longus tendon - translation: | | | | nerve entrapment syndromes, carpal tunnel |
| inflammation of the tendon that goes to the | | | | syndrome, and thoracic outlet syndrome may be |
| thumb. This is usually of a chronic nature. Difficulty | | | | necessary. |
| writing, picking up objects, performing fine motor | | | | The point of this article is to speak up to your |
| skills with the thumb can be painful. The joint | | | | chiropractor about any hand or wrist pain that |
| where the thumb attaches to the hand is the | | | | you may be having. You might be surprised. |
| most commonly degenerative joint in the hand. | | | | |