Activity Modifications
You have a complete article about hand pain prevention coming to our blog in the following days. However, let’s take a brief look at the most common activity modifications to reduce hand pain at home:
- During the acute symptoms, it is essential to stop active gripping and other hand movements (painting, typing, opening jars). Rest your hands as much as possible.
- Use your brace or splint as instructed by your doctor. Depending on the type of hand pain, you might need a permanent brace or a night splint.
- If you work in an office, use a mouse cushion and avoid holding an awkward position of your wrists when using your keyboard.
- Maintain a neutral wrist position as much as you can.
- Take regular breaks if you use your hands repeatedly and alternate with other types of activity. If you suffer from hand arthritis, remember that prolonged immobilization causes stiffness and may trigger hand pain.
- In hand arthritis, moving your hands is essential to increase blood circulation and reduce the sensation of pain, especially after waking up every morning with stiffness.
As you can see, activity modifications can be different in each case. Thus, the best you can do is to talk to your doctor, get a diagnosis, and receive recommendations adapted to you.