The wrist and hand is an incredibly complex and versatile system of bones, joints and tendons that along with the joints of the elbow allows us to orientate the hands where ever we like and have incredible strength when we need it but minute fine movements and dexterity as well.  Along with coming up onto two legs this is partly what has allowed us to evolve in the beings that we are.

Because of the complexity of the area we commonly see quite a variety of problems in this area that require treatment.  Traumatic injuries to the wrist and hand are relatively common as should we be unlucky enough to fall over the instinctive thing to do is to reach out with the hand with the wrist bent backwards.  Fractures to the distal radius (forearm) and scaphoid (base of thumb) are common and require a period of time immobilised in a cast or splint. Physiotherapy including manual therapy, strengthening, and range of movement exercises are required to regain full movement and function once this immobilisation period is over.

Less common but still seen at our clinics are injuries involving deep cuts / lacerations in the area which can severe tendons and nerves. These injuries generally require surgery to repair the tendon or nerve followed by an intensive physiotherapy programme including various manual therapy techniques, soft tissue therapy, and specific exercises in order to regain and relearn normal movement again.

Wrist and hand pain such as tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome tend to develop more gradually often due to over-use repetitive strain problems and are common amongst musicians, those performing repetitive occupational tasks, as well as the millions of us that sit in front of computers all day typing. In these cases identification of underlying causes such as poor sitting posture, and an adverse workstation / desk environment is important.