Whether you wake up in the middle of the night with a burning sensation or just have a bit of trouble flexing your fingers, you instinctively know you have to take action. Your hand is an essential part of daily movement; from holding the steering wheel to holding a fork, you cannot afford to have pain, stiffness or immobility. If you notice a problem, the best place to start your rehabilitation journey is with an occupational hand therapist, like those at Hands On Therapy.
Occupational hand therapists specialize in treating conditions of not only the hand, but also the arms and upper body. In today’s article, we’ll share a few common hand and wrist conditions that our Miami occupational therapist treats.
Carpal Tunnel Therapy – Miami
Repetitive motions at the keyboard, repetitive motions on the construction site or in the factory – if you make the same motion with your hands and you don’t have proper ergonomics while doing it, there’s a good chance you will end up with carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when there is extra pressure on your median nerve, which runs through your arm through the carpal tunnel and into your hand. Since it controls movement and feeling in your fingers, problems with it can be debilitating. You may wake up with hand numbness, a burning sensation or constant tingling, all of which make daily tasks a nightmare.
That’s why our occupational therapist in Miami specializes in carpal tunnel therapy. Our non-surgical methods can relieve the pain and help you get back to sleep at night and back to work, pain-free.
Trigger Finger
This condition is what it sounds like – your finger (or thumb) gets stuck in a bent position, as if you were pulling the trigger on a gun. You may be able to straighten it (or bend it) with some effort, but you’ll probably hear a snap. The condition arises from inflammation near the tendon in the finger and is more commonly found in people whose work or hobbies require a lot of gripping – for example, farmers, musicians and factory workers.
Many times this condition can be treated with occupational therapy, but sometimes it does require surgery. If surgery is necessary, patients should additionally return to our Miami occupational therapist after surgery to regain full range of motion.
Flexor tendon injuries
An injury to the flexor tendon, which enables you to make your hand into a fist, means you probably will not be able to bend your fingers or thumb. Obviously, this can be detrimental to your quality of life.
Since such injuries usually arise from deep cuts on the finger, palm or even wrist, surgery is often necessary to repair and reconnect the tendon. Afterwards, it is essential to begin occupational therapy to ensure you regain full use of the hand and fingers.
Occupational hand therapists are trained to help you use your hand, arm and upper extremity properly after an injury. Our Miami occupational therapist, Dr. Hoang Tran, has years of experience in treating carpal tunnel, trigger finger and other hand and wrist problems and wants to help you eliminate the pain as you get back to living your best life. To make an appointment, contact us today.
