Patient Education

By Marcia Miller, PT, MS, CHT
Tidewater Physical Therapy, Williamsburg Hand Therapy Center, Clinical Director

Wakes up. Checks phone. Runs shower water. Checks phone. Brushes teeth. Checks phone. Makes toast. Checks phone. Types quick email for work. Checks phone. Heads to the car for work.

Sound like the morning narrative of patients you treat?

Hands are one of the most used parts of the body, and it’s easy for our patients to forget how often they use hands in every day life. That is, until they develop arthritis and each of those seemingly innocuous morning activities comes riddled with pain.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 52.5 million adults in the U.S. reported being told by a doctor that they have some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.

At Tidewater Physical Therapy’s Williamsburg Hand Therapy Center, we utilize research-driven treatment protocols to get patients back to their active lives. But more than that, we utilize education.

We’ve comprised a list of some of daily living activities that could cause patients problems and how we, as part of a patient’s complete medical team, encourage them to change their habits to keep them moving as pain free as possible.

Prepare the Hands. Prepare the Body.
Before taking on any activity, especially a long day at the computer or in the garden, patients should prepare their hands in the same way an athlete might prepare their legs for a long run.

1. Practice several stretches: thumb bends, make a fist over and over and stretch wrists.

2. Take mini-breaks throughout the day.

3. Get a “prescription” for specific exercises from a physical therapist.

Gardening.
Weeding, planting and digging are repetitive motions that can cause repetitive strain injuries. Prevent those injuries and exacerbating arthritis with these tips:

1. Wear task appropriate gloves.

2. Use good posture.

3. Use tools with padded handles to protect small joints.

4. Use long handled gardening tools to shift the pressure from hands to shoulders.

Cell Phone Use.
Even though people generally text with both of their thumbs, most people tend to put greater pressure on their dominant hand. These repetitive joint movements could eventually develop tendonitis, a condition that can be treated with physical therapy or prevented with these tips. Add in arthritis and the pain intensifies. Patients should consider the following:

1. Keep arms in front of body to minimize looking down.

2. Write extensive emails from computers, not phones. Use the “talk to text” tool.

3. Use headset or speakerphone.

4. When texting, support arms, hands and phone on a briefcase or lap.

Computer Use.
Many professions now require employees work from a computer for eight hours which can cause inflammation in the hands and wrists.

1. Take multiple three-minute breaks.

2. Maintain good posture – spine against the back of the chair, elbows resting along the sides of the body with wrists straight and typing materials at eye level. Keep neck flexible and upright to maintain circulation and nerve function to arms and hands.

3. Keep hands and wrists in a relaxed position.

4. Cut mouse pad in half to reduce the range of movement.

Marcia Miller, PT, MS, CHT is the Clinical Director of the Tidewater Physical Therapy Williamsburg Hand Therapy Center. Tidewater Physical Therapy features more than 30 Physical Therapy Clinics, five Aquatic Therapy Centers and three Performance Centers from Virginia Beach to Richmond. Learn more at www.tpti.com.