3 non-negotiables if you have chronic hand pain
The other day, I found myself small talking with a fellow mom of little ones at one of the playgrounds we frequent (side note: As a mom of three kids 5 & under, you better believe I have scouted out all the best playgrounds around us!).
When she asked what I did for work, I paused.
Admittedly, we occupational therapy professionals often find ourselves having a hard time explaining what exactly it is we do.
I...help clients do whatever activity is most meaningful to them?
Too woo-woo.
I help people's hands??
Too vague.
Then there's the camp of well-intentioned people who burst out with "OH! You help people find jobs. That must be what occupational therapy is."
Too literal!
Here is what I told her:
"I teach people with chronic hand pain my framework for how to exercise, support, and protect their hands so they can get back to doing their favorite activities."This seemed to suffice, and the conversation moved along accordingly.
Here is why I believe it is absolutely essential to include each of these three pillars in your daily routines if you have a chronic condition affecting your hands.
1. Exercise: strengthening the muscles surrounding your hand joints can actually act as an already-there joint support.
Strong muscles support joints in a way that can actually relieve and prevent pain.
The key here is doing so in a way that doesn't flare up your symptoms.
2. Support: having effective hand supports for certain activities is a game changer in preventing disease progression and stopping pain.
I am a firm believer in having multiple different types of supports for different activities.
For example, your sleeping splint would be very different than the kinesiotape thumb support you find helpful during sewing.
3. Protect: Look at your hand right now. Each hand alone has roughly 29 joints. THAT'S A LOT OF JOINTS for such a tiny area. Compare that with the rest of your arm - ONE elbow joint and ONE shoulder joint.
Our hands take the brunt of many forceful activities, and oftentimes while having strong hand muscles is helpful, we need an extra layer of joint protection.
This can look like carrying your grocery bags on your shoulder rather than tightly gripping them with your hand, or using an ergonomic jar opener to open a sealed lid.
I'm curious - which of these tips (1 - exercise, 2 - support, or 3 - protect) from my framework do you find most helpful in your own life? Let me know by commenting with just the number 1, 2, or 3!
