How common are elbow, wrist and hand injuries?
These types of injuries are commonly occurring in sedentary, recreation, work as well as in sports and not only include traumatic injury but are resultant from overuse injuries and can gradually onset with symptoms progressively worsening over days to weeks.

What are warning signs of a possible elbow, wrist and hand injuries?
Warning signs typically include but are not limited to loss of range of motion, pain with resistance or as when completing grasping activities, point tenderness of the area in question, or a loss of strength.

What are common causes of elbow, wrist and hand injuries?

Overuse/Repetitive motions
Acute Injury
Fractures
Surgery

Why address concerns immediately will it improve on its own with rest?
Because elbow, wrist and hand injuries are common many elect to treat their symptoms through home treatments of heat, ice and rest. Even many athletes will elect to forego treatment or seek medical advice with the belief that it will improve on its own. However due to the many arteries, veins and nerves present this could lead to long term debility and disability which could progress to a point of permanent damage and loss of function.

What are treatments that I can expect at physical therapy?
Manual Therapy Techniques
Strengthening and stretching activities specific to the motion impaired
Modalities to include Moist Heat, Ice, TENS, and other various electrical modalities aimed at decreasing pain
Comprehensive Home Exercise Program so that patients can begin to manage their conditions by activities at home
An evaluation by a physical therapist prior to an activity work, sport or recreational could prevent many of these injuries.

What types of injuries are treated by physical therapists?
Physical therapists treat limitations of motion and strength following fractures and surgery
Wrist Sprains
Thumb Sprains
Treatment following scaphoid fractures, carpal fractures, and metacarpal fractures
Dislocations of PIP joint
DeQuervain’s Syndrome (as seen in athletes with racquet sports or with grasping with repetitive rotating)
Elbow tendonitis such as inflammation of the muscles and tendons that attach to the medial and lateral epicondyles
Elbow dislocations to include radial and ulna either individually or as a joint complex
Nerve entrapments about the elbow
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Finger injuries related to baseball, basketball and football (Baseball finger/Mallet Finger, Jersey finger, Boutonniere deformity or Swan neck deformity)