I'll be brutally honest, we HATE when most wrist injuries walk into our office. It's not because we aren't comfortable treating them or we don't have the tools to handle it. It's because they are more tricky and complex than people think! Wrist injuries are something most of the general population thinks will heal in a few days, maybe a few weeks. What little don't realize is that MOST wrist injuries in athletes and weightlifters last months. Yes, you read that right, months.
Let's dive deeper into hand and wrist injuries.
First and foremost the biggest concern is making sure nothing is fractured (broken). Being such small structures, the bones in the carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges can be compromised quite easily. In sports, it's also much easier for fractures to occur to due trauma such as getting hit by a baseball and a finger getting slammed between 2 football helmets.
Second, the tiny ligaments and tendons in the hand and wrist do not get the best blood supply so they do not heal quickly and take time to full-recovery.
Third, the rehab of hand and wrist injuries requires certain equipment, that although cheap, isn't always available to use. In addition, most of these exercises seem so basic and simple that most patients end up not doing them.
Fourth and finally, certain modalities are way better than others at treating hands and wrists because they are so small and bony. (good thing we have all the best equipment and multiple options).
This is just a list of WHY we say wrists and tricky and are harder than people think, however, let me tell you how we can really help and why we're a great choice for your healing and rehab. The biggest thing is we have every tool you need to heal as fast as possible and get stronger as fast as possible. We have all the modalities that you could need AND all the hand and wrist rehab tools available.
Some of the best modalities for hand and wrist injuries are the WINBACK Tecar therapy, REMY Class IV Laser, and the Pulse PEMF unit. These all focus on the deeper, physiological level to help speed up or induce the healing process.
In addition, FlexEx hand bands, Flexbars, gyroballs, and other various rehab tools are excellent tools we have available to strengthen the wrist and forearm as much as possible to tolerate loading in different positions. BFR is also a great tool to utilize to ensure the muscles of the hand and forearm are getting efficient work without forcing excessive load throughout the rehab process. Again, none of these exercises are “cool” or “sexy” compared to most rehab for injuries, but they are extremely important to perform.
Following working on the area of pain and injury, it’s also crucial to assess mobility and stability upstream to determine if there are any biomechanical flaws in the shoulder or elbow to enhance optimal mobility and stability. All important factors in helping reduce the risk of future injuries or recurring pain and injury.
If you’re an athlete or health-oriented person looking to get rid of your wrist pain or heal from an injury, Strength & Spine Chiropractic is THE place for athletes to rehab.
Dr. Cameron Gholampour DC, MS, CCSP, CSCS
International Certified Sports Chiropractor
Strength & Spine Chiropractic
Strengthchiro.com
