Tackling Wrist Tendonitis
- Posted on: Oct 11 2013
If you notice your wrist throbs after you’ve spent time at your computer—or after you’ve played a game of catch with your child—you might have tendonitis, or inflammation of the wrist tendons, the fibrous cords that attach muscle to bone.
Tendonitis is a common injury, and it often results from improper wrist positioning when using your computer mouse or from repetitive motions like throwing a ball, bowling and sewing. Signs of the condition include pain or tenderness near your wrist; stiffness that reduces your range of motion; and mild swelling near the joint.
Fortunately, physical therapy and acupuncture can alleviate the pain and help you heal. Your therapist will offer an exercise plan that will strengthen the muscle groups surrounding the injured tendon and help maintain overall muscle tone. Gradually, you’ll begin to exercise the tendon. Exercises might include a wrist roll, in which you rotate your wrist in a clockwise direction; finger stretches, in which you stretch your fingers back toward your elbow; and wrist flexing, in which you bend your wrist up and down.
Also helpful is acupuncture, a Chinese technique in which very thin needles are inserted into the skin in certain parts of the body. A recent trial of 52 people with tendonitis found acupuncture more effective than a placebo. Another study found that the benefits lasted for three months after treatment ended.
If you’d like to learn more about how physical therapy or acupuncture can help with wrist pain, contact us here.
Tagged with: acupuncture, physical therapy, tendonitis, wrist pain
Posted in: Acupuncture, All Posts, Elbow/ Wrist/ Hand
