Attention New Parents: Raise your hand if you have wrist and thumb pain while caring for your new baby? Quite common to new parents, deQuervain’s Tenosynovitis is caused by overuse of the thumb tendons at the wrist when you repetitively lift the newborn from the floor, crib, or car seat with your hands under…
Elbow, Wrist and Hand
Hand Therapy for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Wrist pain due to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a condition that causes pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your hand. This occurs when the median nerve, which runs along the length of your arm, gets compressed in a passage at your wrist called the carpal tunnel. The median nerve is one…
Physical Therapy for Golfer’s Elbow
Golfers elbow is a term used to describe pain on the inside of the arm. Although it is commonly seen in golf, this injury is not limited to those who play the sport, or any sport at all. Also known as medial epicondylitis, golfer’s elbow is frequently diagnosed in baseball players due to repetitive throwing….
Ergonomics and Arm Pain: How to arrange your workstation for optimal safety & efficiency
Ergonomic adjustments to your everyday life can improve & prevent arm pain and other symptoms. Remember that song, “the hip bones connected to the knee bone”? Your body has many interconnecting parts. If one part is not where it should be, it will not be able to do its job to the best of…
Smartphone Hand Pain: Advice from a Hand Therapist
Whether you’re checking your email, texting family and friends, or connecting on social media, the reality is your phone may seem like an extension of your body. Unfortunately, repetitive use of electronic devices can lead to undesired consequences in your hands and arms. A hand therapist can help you modify how you use your phone…
Kinesiology Tape: What is It & How Can It Help Arm Pain?
Kinesiology tape was designed to provide continued treatment between therapy visits. It is believed to relieve pain, support weak or injured tissues, inhibit overactive muscles, excite underactive muscles, help manage scars, and reduce swelling. Frequently asked questions: How does it help with arm pain? Tape can help relieve pressure on the muscle by decreasing…
Patient Success Story: Meet Hannah
“I have played the violin nearly all my life. In 2015, I received a Doctorate in Violin Performance from Arizona State University. As a professional violinist, I work in a wide variety of settings—from teaching young students to working with college-age students, and performing regularly with the Portland Opera and Oregon Symphony. In 2017, I…
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis (Part 2) – Splinting
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is a painful tendonitis on the thumb side of your wrist. This inflammation causes the lining (sheath) around the tendon to thicken and become rough, making it difficult for the tendons to glide through the sheath as they move your thumb. Some of the associated symptoms may include: May have swelling near…
Ulnar Wrist Pain
Pain or discomfort located on the small-finger side of the wrist is commonly categorized as ulnar wrist pain. It is named after a bone in the forearm, the ulna, which runs from the elbow down to the wrist bones. There are many mechanisms or causes of ulnar wrist pain. Injuries may occur suddenly, as with a sprain…
Tennis Elbow (Part 2) – Splinting
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis (epi-con-dy-li-tis), is a painful condition which occurs when the tendons on the outside of your elbow are overloaded with mechanical stresses. This is usually caused by repetitive motions of the elbow and wrist. Symptoms usually develop gradually, beginning as mild and slowly worsening over weeks or months. At…