It’s Time To Put An End To Your Wrist Pain
Is wrist pain interfering with your daily life? Is it preventing you from achieving fitness goals or completing daily chores? Wrist pain is frustrating, but at Full Potential Physical Therapy, we offer evidence-based approaches to wrist pain relief that will ensure you get the results you’re looking for.
Wrist pain is a common complaint affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. Various factors, including repetitive motions, injury, arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome, can all cause it. Because it has so many potential sources, exact symptoms will vary, but can include the following:
- Pain or tenderness
- Swelling
- Stiffness or decreased range of motion
- Numbness or tingling
- Weakness
Wrist pain’s effects can be quite far-reaching, impacting everything from sports performance to your ability to hold a toothbrush. Fortunately, our results-oriented approach to physical therapy will help you manage your pain and improve your functional ability.
When you come in for your initial consultation, our therapists will work to determine the exact cause of your wrist pain using a comprehensive physical examination. From there, we’ll work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan to address your specific needs and goals.
At Full Potential Physical Therapy, we focus on treatments that work. We know you’re eager to get back out and live your life, so we pull from the latest research and focus on helping you achieve your particular performance and rehabilitation goals.
Contact us today to schedule your initial evaluation at our Holland, MI physical therapy clinic!
Common Causes of Wrist Pain
Several injuries and conditions can cause wrist pain. To receive the most effective care, it’s important to fully understand the source of your wrist pain. That way, our therapists can address your pain at the source and provide long-lasting results rather than merely treating your symptoms.
Here’s an overview of some of the most common causes of wrist pain and their particular symptoms:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
This condition occurs when the median nerve is compressed as it passes through the wrist. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand.
Wrist Sprain
A wrist sprain is an injury to the wrist’s ligaments and usually happens due to a fall, sudden impact, or repetitive stress. Symptoms include swelling, pain, and limited range of motion.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis refers to inflammation of the tendons in the wrist. It’s brought on by repetitive motion, such as typing or playing a musical instrument. Symptoms include pain, stiffness, and swelling.
Arthritis
The wrist joint can be affected by two of the most common forms of Arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both conditions will cause pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion.
Fractures
Wrist fractures are common and usually result from a fall. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and limited range of motion.
If you’re experiencing wrist pain, reach out to the physical therapists at Full Potential Physical Therapy. We will be able to evaluate your symptoms, identify the cause, and develop an appropriate course of treatment.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Treat Your Wrist Pain
When you come into your first appointment at Full Potential Physical Therapy, you can expect a comprehensive physical evaluation, including a detailed medical history review, an in-depth discussion of your symptoms, and a series of hands-on tests to assess your wrist’s strength and range of motion.
Why do we perform such a detailed evaluation? Because we want to get to the root of your pain. We need to fully understand your impairments and concerns to develop the best treatment plan possible. Furthermore, our treatment plans are always customized to suit your needs and address your goals.
When developing your treatment program, we pull from several evidence-based approaches, including the following:
- Therapeutic exercises and mobilizations: Research shows that for most wrist injuries, early mobilization improves recovery. We’ll provide a tailored program of strengthening and stretching exercises to reduce pain and improve your wrist’s range of motion.
- Manual Therapy: Our physical therapists will also use various manual techniques to alleviate pain and restore mobility, especially if your pain is too intense for active exercise. Manual therapy techniques include joint mobilizations, soft tissue manipulation, and more.
- Modalities: Depending on your condition, we may use ultrasound, lasers, heat, or ice to help reduce inflammation and pain and prepare your body for exercise-based treatments.
- Education: Wrist pain is often a result of repetitive-use injuries or improper mechanics. We’ll provide strategies and modifications to prevent reinjury and ensure lasting results.
The results-oriented approach to physical therapy at Full Potential Physical Therapy means we’ll work with you to find the right blend of treatment approaches to optimize your rehabilitation goals. Our therapists in Holland, MI will carefully record your progress and suggest treatment adjustments as needed.
Don’t let wrist pain hold you back! Call (616) 392-2172 today to schedule an appointment!
A Better Life is Only Four Steps Away
Physical therapy can be an unfamiliar experience for many. To orient new patients to the process, we have divided their rehab journey into four segments called “The Four Phases of Getting Better.” It is important to note that while there are four phases utilized over the course of your care, they are not totally separate. They move gradually toward greater strengthening and function, which is the end goal to return confidently to the life you desire to live.1
Pain Relief
The first focus in getting better is pain relief. After your evaluation, your physical therapist will use hands-on techniques or manual therapy, light therapeutic exercise, and education on how to modify your activity and posture in order to give you more control over your pain. In this stage, modalities like ice, heat, myofascial release, electric stimulation and kinesiotape may be used.
2
Improve Mobility/Flexibility
The second step in this method is to improve mobility and flexibility. Your therapist will design a progressive program of range of motion and light stretching to restore mobility and reduce pain.
3
Improve Strength/Control
In the third step of this method, muscle weakness will be addressed to help you maintain the gains and momentum you achieve through phases one and two. A thorough strengthening process is the step that gives results that last, and this will prepare you for more functional training – the final step.
4
Functional Training
Now that your pain is resolved and you have the necessary mobility and strength, your program can be advanced into functional training. Whether you are returning to work, returning to life after post-op rehabilitation, getting back into recreation or sports, or simply returning to the activities of daily life, this step helps ensure your success after graduation and empowers you to be confident in your abilities again.
Reach Your Full Potential & Live Pain-Free!
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