Hand Tendinopathy - or commonly tendonitis- is a clinical condition of one or more tendon of the wrist or fingers. The muscles that are commonly affected are:
- Ulnar Flexor
- Flexor Carpi Ulnaris
- Extensor Carpi Ulnaris
- Extensor Pollicis Brevis and Abductor Pollicis Longus - De Quervain's Syndrome
What Are The Symptoms of Hand Tendinopathy ?
The main symptom is pain which appears :
- when moving the hand
- constantly even when the hand does not move
- during the night
- as pain radiating to the elbow
The patient may have weakness in certain movements of the hand, depending on the affected muscle.
In acute conditions there might se swelling in the wrist area, and pain when palpating.
Risk factors for Hand Tendinopathy
Tendinopathy to those muscles is caused because of intense labor with movements that cause shear forces to the tendons, or because of a direct hit.
How Can Physical Therapy Help With Hand Tendinopathy ?
First priority is pain relief, because pain in some patients can be very acute. That is achieved through a combination of methods used, such us specialized massage, and electrotherapy. Exercises are introduced that control pain and mobilise the joint. Later general hand strengthening will avert future incidents. The interventions used are :
Differential Evaluation
Evaluation by the Physical Therapist is done by taking medical history, clinical examination, and clinical tests that will indicate the muscle in condition, and potential other conditions of the hand.
If you are experiencing symptoms of Hand Tendinopathy Contact PhysioDanali today for expert consultation.
References
Woodley BL, Newsham-West RJ, Baxter GD. Chronic tendinopathy: effectiveness of eccentric exercise. Br J Sports Med. 2007 Apr;41(4):188-98; discussion 199. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2006.029769. Epub 2006 Oct 24. PMID: 17062655; PMCID: PMC2658941.
Cook JL, Purdam CR. Is tendon pathology a continuum? A pathology model to explain the clinical presentation of load-induced tendinopathy. Br J Sports Med. 2009 Jun;43(6):409-16. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2008.051193. Epub 2008 Sep 23. PMID: 18812414.
Khan KM, Cook JL, Maffulli N, Kannus P. Where is the pain coming from in tendinopathy? It may be biochemical, not only structural, in origin. Br J Sports Med. 2000 Apr;34(2):81-3. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.34.2.81. Erratum in: Br J Sports Med 2000 Aug;34(4):318. PMID: 10786860; PMCID: PMC1724184.