Typing too much? Hand physical therapy may be the answer you're looking for

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people working from home has nearly tripled. Prior to the pandemic, almost 9 million people in the U.S. worked from home offices, while a reported 27.6 million people today work from home. Many of these people work at computers in home offices, typing emails, making phone calls and creating progress reports. However, all of this typing leaves workers vulnerable to hand injuries. If you’re one of the many who’ve developed a hand injury, physical therapy may be the answer to your problems. Here’s what else you need to know about hand injuries and the role PT plays in treating them.

What are some of the top hand injuries that people at desk jobs might experience?

There are a few hand injuries that someone working at a desk frequently might experience. Each of these injuries might necessitate physical therapy to improve function and reduce pain in the hand. These injuries include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome — One of the most common hand injuries that people working desk jobs sustain is called carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that occurs when the median nerve becomes compressed or pinched. The symptoms of this condition include numbness, tingling and even a burning type of pain. It’s thought to develop due to frequent, small movements, like typing on a keyboard. That’s why people who work at computers develop this condition so often. When left untreated, this condition is likely to worsen, so getting treatment from a physical therapist is so important. 
   
• De Quervain's tenosynovitis — Another common type of hand injury in computer workers is De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. It affects the tendons on the side of your wrist where your thumb is located. This condition typically arises as a result of repetitive tasks and movements with your thumbs and wrists and can make using your thumbs and wrists to grasp objects feel painful and difficult. The pain that De Quervain’s tenosynovitis causes can also be described as pinching or tenderness. This condition can even cause swelling at the base of your thumb.

How can physical therapy help someone with a hand injury from typing too much?

Fortunately, physical therapy can be used to help someone with a hand injury improve their condition no matter the cause. Here’s what PT can do to help someone improve their hand:

• Relieve tension — One way that physical therapy can help someone who has sustained a hand injury from typing too much is by relieving tension around the hands. Often, frequent, repetitive use of the hands and wrist can cause muscle tension to build up and cause discomfort and pain. An experienced physical therapist will guide you through exercises and movements to reduce muscle tension in your hands.
   
• Relieve pain — When a condition like carpal tunnel syndrome or De Quervain’s tenosynovitis causes hand, finger or wrist pain, PT can help reduce inflammation and pain with gentle stretching and strengthening exercises.
   
• Improve range of motion — Physical therapy can also help improve your range of motion in your hands, fingers, and wrists. If inflammation and swelling make your hands difficult to move without discomfort, a physical therapist can use exercise to reduce the inflammation. They’ll help you strengthen your muscles and improve your flexibility so that you can move your hands more easily.
   
• Improve strength — PT is also useful for building strength in your hands. Increased strength capacity can reduce your chances of developing inflammation in the tendons, muscles, ligaments and joints in your hands.
   
• Teach you how to prevent future injury — If working at a computer is the source of your hand injury, a therapist can teach you strategies to help you avoid re-injuring yourself.

Alliance PTP can connect you with the physical therapy practice you need for hand injury treatment

Ready to try in-person physical therapy for your injury or condition? You’ll find plenty of options to choose from among the Alliance Physical Therapy Partners practices nationwide. 

Our team can quickly put you in touch with one of our partner clinics near you, and their friendly and knowledgeable local staff can help you find care for your hand injury caused by working at a computer every day.

Don’t have the time to see a physical therapist in person? Not a problem. Alliance PTP and its partners can also see you virtually in nearly every state. 

Still have questions about what we and our partners can do for you? We’re ready to answer them and help you find the physical therapy you need.