Nothing will make you realize how much you use your elbows, wrists, and hands throughout the day quite like feeling the aches and pains within them. Just imagine your typical morning: you get out of bed, brush your teeth, shower, get dressed, make breakfast, and begin your commute to work. At this point, you’ve already used your elbows, wrists, and hands hundreds of times – and you’re just getting your day started!
Whether you’re experiencing pain due to an injury, ailment, or some other underlying condition, it can greatly impact your quality of life. Luckily, you can find relief and recovery for your elbow, wrist or hand aches and pains by working closely with a licensed physical therapist or occupational therapist. Contact Eastside Sports Rehab in Bellevue, WA today if you are interested in finding out more about how our physical therapy or occupational therapy treatments can help make your elbow, wrist, and hand pain disappear!
How does elbow, wrist, and hand pain develop?
An injury may result in short-term pain in your elbow, wrist, or hand, but any chronic or persistent pain lasting three months or longer may indicate illness or another underlying condition. You may consider your pain level to be between mild and severe, and it may also be intermittent, meaning it comes and goes at different points throughout the day.
Another common symptom that comes along with elbow, wrist, or hand pain is a numbness or tingling in the extremities, especially in the fingers. This can make it difficult for you to perform physical tasks at your normal levels of function, which in turn can create issues at work or home, depending on the seriousness of your condition.
What causes elbow, wrist, and hand pain?
Your elbows, wrists, and hands are comprised of such a large variety of muscles, tendons, bones, and joints, that it may be difficult to determine exactly where your pain is coming from.
Below are a few of the most common conditions that may be the cause of your pain:
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) – According to the American Physical Therapy Association, carpal tunnel syndrome impacts approximately 5% of all Americans. The main job of the carpal tunnel is to protect the median nerve on the inside of your wrist, in addition to the tendons you use to bend your fingers. Unfortunately, it is possible for the carpal tunnel to become constricted, which can result in pain within the nerve that can stretch throughout your entire arm. Carpal tunnel syndrome is typically caused by an injury or by repetitive job-related use, such as assembly-line work, keyboard-heavy work, or driving heavy machinery.
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome – Much like carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome is another common form of nerve damage that can lead to elbow, wrist, and hand pain. It is caused by repetitive pressure on the ulnar nerve, which is located on the place inside of the elbow that is commonly referred to as the “funny bone.” When pressure is put on the cubital tunnel and surrounding nerves, it can cause pain, numbness, and tingling.
- Elbow Bursitis – At the end of everyone’s elbow is a fluid-filled sac called the “bursa” that serves as a cushion to the elbow bone, also known as the “ulna.” When that bursa is compressed due to an injury or repetitive motion, it can lead to pain and swelling. Because of this, it is common to see the condition in athletes and students. Elbow pain can be called many things, depending on what activity caused the pain. For example, a tennis player may refer to their pain as “tennis elbow,” a golfer may call their elbow pain “golfer’s elbow,” a student may say they have “student’s elbow.”
- Arthritis – According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis is the most common form of disability in the United States. It affects approximately 53 million Americans. There are many different forms of arthritis, but it is typically caused by repetitive motions or an injury that impacts the cartilage within the joints of the elbow, wrist, or hand.
- Strains/Sprains – Strains and sprains to the elbow, wrist, or hand can also result in pain.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms caused by the conditions above, or if you have persistent pain in your elbow, wrist or hand that won’t seem to go away, contact our Bellevue, WA physical therapy office. Relief may just be a phone call away.
How will I benefit from physical therapy treatments?
Whatever the cause of your elbow, wrist, or hand pain, physical therapy can help you. Our specific and effective approach to treatment at Eastside Sports Rehab can help restore your range of motion, relieve your pain, and get you back to living your life. In many cases, physical therapy treatments can even help patients eliminate the need for harmful drugs or invasive surgical corrections for nerve-damaging conditions, such as CTS.
Our dedicated physical therapists will create a personalized treatment plan unique to the recovery needs of your condition. This may include any combination of specialized treatments, such as manual therapy, IASTM, ultrasound, ice and heat therapies, or targeted stretching exercises.
Don’t let elbow, wrist, or hand pain reduce your quality of life any longer! If you are looking to find relief for your discomfort, contact our Bellevue, WA physical therapy office today to schedule an appointment and meet with one of our dedicated team members. Eastside Sports Rehab will be happy to get you back to living the healthy and physically active life you deserve!