Physical Therapy for Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist, and Hand

If you are suffering from pain, stiffness, or limited mobility in your shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand, you may benefit from physical therapy services. Physical therapy can help you restore your function, improve your quality of life, and prevent further injury. Here at Apex Physical Therapy, we treat many of the common conditions that affect these areas of the body.  Some of these conditions include:

  • Rotator cuff tear: This is a tear in the group of muscles and tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. It can cause pain, weakness, and difficulty raising the arm above the head. Physical therapy can help you strengthen the surrounding muscles, improve your range of motion, and reduce inflammation.
  • Tennis elbow: This is a condition that causes pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow. It is caused by overuse or repetitive stress on the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the elbow. Physical therapy can help you stretch and massage the affected area, apply ice or heat, and use braces or splints to support the elbow.
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome: This is a condition that causes numbness, tingling, or pain in the hand and wrist. It is caused by compression of the median nerve that runs through a narrow passage in the wrist called the carpal tunnel. Physical therapy can help you perform exercises to relieve pressure on the nerve, improve your posture and ergonomics, and use splints or devices to keep the wrist in a neutral position.
  • Trigger finger: This is a condition that causes one or more fingers to lock or catch when bending or straightening them. It is caused by inflammation or thickening of the tendon that controls the finger movement. Physical therapy can help you perform gentle stretching and strengthening exercises, apply heat or cold therapy, and use splints or injections to reduce swelling and pain.

These are just a few examples of how physical therapy can help you with your shoulder, elbow, wrist, or hand problems.

Patient’s Guide To Hand & Wrist Therapy

Hand and wrist problems are common among US adults and can affect their quality of life and productivity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during 2019 – 2021, about 1 in 5 US adults (21.2%) or about 53.2 million people had doctor-diagnosed arthritis, which is one of the main causes of hand and wrist pain and disability. In addition to arthritis, many other hand and wrist disorders are quite common, including:

  • Boutonniere Deformity
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Dupuytren’s Contracture
  • Guyon’s Canal Syndrome
  • Mallet Finger
  • PIP ( proximal interphalangeal joint) Injury
  • Trigger Finger/Thumb
  • Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury

Learn more about hand and wrist diagnosis and treatment in our Patient’s Guide or schedule your initial assessment today.

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