Hand and Wrist Pain Treatment in Knoxville

Are you experiencing pain, tenderness, loss of motion, tingling, or loss of sensation in your wrist or hand? You may be exhibiting symptoms of some type of condition or injury to either your hand or wrist. Here at Knoxville Spine & Sports, we have a great team of clinicians between our chiropractors and physical therapy staff who can help figure out what is causing these problems and will create a plan to get rid of these pestering symptoms.  

There could be many different reasons that the symptoms you are having could be happening. Some of the most common causes of these problems are carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, De Quervain’s, sprains/strains, and Dupuytren’s contracture.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

There is a small passageway in the wrist that encompasses a nerve (median nerve) and the tendons that cause the fingers to bend. This nerve inside of this tunnel is what gives the first four fingers feeling on the palm side of the hand and helps move some of the smaller muscles at the bottom of the thumb. If the space in this passageway is lessened by swelling of the tendons, trauma to the wrist, or overuse the median nerve gets squished. When this happens, you may experience tingling, burning, numbness, pain, or weakness.

CTS can be treated with chiropractic care and physical therapy. One of our chiropractors or physical therapists can examine and evaluate what is going on with your wrist and hand, then come up with a treatment plan to help alleviate your symptoms by reducing the pressure on the median nerve. A treatment plan for CTS can include:    

• Chiropractic manipulation to the elbow, wrist, and sometimes even the neck to reduce pressure on the nerve
• Ice massage to reduce inflammation
• Exercises and stretching to improve strength and range of motion
• Bracing/splinting to allow the tendons to heal by reducing the hands' ability to move
• Tips on ergonomic changes to avoid positions that may cause pressure on the nerve
• Soft tissue mobilization techniques to help reduce pain and inflammation

Trigger Finger

Stenosing tenosynovitis, more commonly known as trigger finger, occurs because of a repetitive motion or strong use of the fingers. This condition can also occur if there is inflammation or swelling in the tendons of the fingers. If over time, there is scarring to the tendons it can affect the tendon’s movement. Symptoms that may occur with this condition are:

• Locking of the finger and inability to straighten it
• A painful snap or click when bending or straightening fingers
• A nodule at the bottom of the finger that causes soreness
• Stiffness, more so in the morning due to lack of movement overnight

Treatment for Trigger fingers can vary depending on the severity of this condition. If the symptoms aren’t too severe, they can be treated with rest, NSAIDs, stretching exercises, splints, Active Release Technique, and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization. If need be, one of our chiropractors can refer you to have a steroid injection. If the symptoms are severe enough to need surgery, our chiropractors and physical therapists can help you recover after surgery through the use of our class IV laser, soft tissue mobilization, scar tissue mobilization, exercises, and stretches.

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s can be caused by many things such as overuse, direct trauma to the thumb, inflammatory conditions (Rheumatoid arthritis), gaming, repetitive tasks, sports involving rackets, and gardening. This condition can be the result of inflammation of the tendons in the wrist and the lower part of the thumb. The swelling tends to cause pain in the wrist and thumb. Other symptoms can be decreased mobility and weakness, especially when trying to grasp or pinch something.

Chiropractic care and physical therapy treatments for De Quervain’s can include:

• Strengthening exercises
• Splinting
• Ice massage
• Dry needling
• Soft tissue mobilization
• Stretching
• Tips on positioning 
• Adjustments to the wrist bones