The forearm, wrist and hand are vital to most of your daily activities. I'd be hard pressed to think of a task we perform on a daily basis that does not require the use of this area.
Mobility, strength and dexterity of the forearm, wrist and hand are critical whether you’re a desk jockey or a labourer, and regardless of whether your leisure time is spent knitting or gaming. This region is frequently exposed to repetitive movements and loads and as such, has one of the highest rates of repetitive strain injuries. These sorts of injuries can make it hard to participate in many aspects of daily life.
This area is as complex as it is vital... there are a great number of joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles that cross these 3 inter-related areas. Nerves that exit our spine, branch out to the upper limb, traversing the whole region and supplying our shoulder, arm, forearm, wrist and hand as they go. If these areas are not moving and functioning well then this can also lead to nerve irritation and increased sensitivity.
This video demonstrates ways in which osteopathy can aid in improving movement through joint articulation treatments. The 1st technique aims at improving radial head movement followed by a high velocity, low amplitude manoeuvre to restore movement the joint. The 2nd technique is mobilisation of the wrist or 'carpus'. This sort of technique improves the gliding movements between the joint surfaces.
Osteopathy can help to alleviate forearm, wrist and hand symptoms by treating the soft tissues and joints locally in the hand and wrist area using the sorts of techniques shown. Where nerve sensitivity is a critical factor in your pain, we can also use desensitising treatments for the nerves themselves. Either way, it is important that we also look at the 'big picture' and assess the arm, shoulder, neck and upper back to ensure the hand and wrist are not being compromised due to poor function in one of these areas.
If you're suffering with forearm, wrist or hand pain, come in to see one of our osteopaths at Melbourne Osteohealth. We are highly experienced in helping patients recover well from these sorts of conditions.
For more information or to find out how we can help you recover from wrist or hand pain call us on 03 8370 3044.
11 сен 2024