Wrist pain can impact your day-to-day life more than you might expect. You don’t realize how vital your wrists are to your regular activities until you experience a wrist injury. Although some minor wrist injuries will heal on their own without much help, most can benefit from physical therapy. Here’s how physical therapy can help your wrist pain.
Improve Range of Motion and Mobility
Depending on the severity of your wrist pain, you may not be able to use your injured hand as it heals. If your wrist is in a cast, your physical therapy won’t begin until your cast is removed. Or you may need to wear a brace while it heals. The main goal of physical therapy for wrist pain is to regain a normal range of motion and mobility in your wrists without pain. That may take time, so you shouldn’t expect to be able to use your wrist normally at first.
Exercises for Wrist Pain
Physical therapy for wrist pain includes exercises to regain a normal range of motion and mobility. Your therapists may use different equipment to aid your exercises, like bands or exercise machines. Never do exercises that haven’t been recommended or approved by your therapist. You could inadvertently worsen your wrist pain.
Physical Therapy for Pain Management
Some swelling typically accompanies wrist pain. Keep in mind that this swelling could increase during physical therapy since exercising and stretching your wrist could lead to new swelling. Most of the time, ice can help with the swelling, but be sure to listen to the advice of your physical therapists. Be honest about your pain during therapy. If something is adding to the intensity of your pain, be sure to tell your therapists. Everyone is different, so your treatment plan will be modified over the course of your visits.
Are you experiencing wrist pain? Give Activity First a call today to get started with physical therapy.