No one should have to live with hand and wrist pain – not in the busy world we live in today. However, let’s be real here: injuries can occur at any time; your body can’t fight off damage because you’re too busy. You may be telling yourself, “I live a pretty mundane life. How could I sustain serious injury to my hands?” Luckily for you there are physiotherapist services similar to Evoker that can speed up your pain problem and work on your recovery. Continue reading to find out more about how pain affects every semblance of everyday life as we know it and discover the six typical causes of arm and wrist pain everyone should be aware of.
Nothing can change your behavior and entire lifestyle like pain. Hand and wrist injuries are the most common work-related injuries, with more than 8000 people admitted to hospitals per year. This amount does not include the number of people who don’t need hospital attention for said pains and seek treatment elsewhere.
A hand injury can quickly become debilitating, to the point where the most menial tasks, such as cooking or writing a shopping list, are filled with extreme pain. So, what causes hand and wrist pain?
- Falling on an outstretched hand. Who hasn’t been there? From children falling off the monkey bars or not entirely sticking the landing from the slide to wait-staff slipping on spilled water in the workplace, we all stick our arms out to lessen the impact of a fall.
- Direct blow to fingers or the thumb. For parents with sons and daughters playing cricket, AFL, netball or, hockey, the chance of hitting the ball awkwardly and watching the thumb bend at a very unpleasant angle is always there.
- Repetitive stress on hands (such as lifting, mousing, typing, and writing). Working from home over the last year has stretched the work-life balance as we knew it. We were accustomed to driving or taking public transport to work, spending seven and a half hours on the computer, and heading home. However, working in the office offered the opportunity for exercise that’s hard to come by when working from home – there was no walking to the cafe across the road or having a smoke break with colleagues during lockdown 2.0. If your hands are not killing you following a year of working from home, you’re one of the lucky ones!
- Weight-bearing activities, such as push-ups or getting out of a chair. Awkward push-ups are a sure way to bend fingers oddly and cause significant arm strain. So is putting your hands under your thighs and lifting yourself from your computer chair.
- Complex and skilled activities (throwing, catching, and climbing). Has your expert rock-climber friend invited you to go for a climb? Did you agree, without knowing what rock climbing entails? While intimidating for a novice, dealing with subsequent pains isn’t worth it. Get yourself prepared before trying new sports.
- Arthritis and other chronic pains. Ah, the pains of getting old. Or, for some, dealing with rheumatoid arthritis (a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily attacks joints) has been a part of life before reaching the age of 30.