Wrist pain can get in the way of lots of everyday activities. Nearly everyone — office and construction workers, athletes, musicians, and crafters — all need healthy, functioning wrist joints to perform their daily activities. So what should you do if you’re experiencing wrist pain? Thankfully, there are many different treatment options out there, including chiropractic care, to help you get back to normal.

Causes

Wrist pain can be caused by many different types of activities or underlying conditions. Here are some of the most common:

• Repetitive movement: Repeating the same movements over and over again can cause inflammation or stress fractures. These movements could be everyday activities related to work or hobbies such as typing on a keyboard, playing an instrument, using a screwdriver, knitting, or hitting a baseball.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: This condition causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues. Wrists are commonly affected in those with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Sudden impact: If you fall forward onto your hand, you may sprain, strain, or fracture your wrist. These injuries can also be caused by car accidents.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: This occurs when there’s increased pressure on the median nerve, which runs from the forearm to the palm of the hand. This pressure can be caused by high-force activities such as hammering and may lead to numbness, pain, or weakness in the hand, wrist, or fingers. Previous injury to the wrist increases the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Chiropractic Treatments

The type of treatment for wrist pain varies widely depending on its cause. Minor sprains and strains often heal on their own when treated with ice, rest, and over-the-counter pain medication, but other conditions need specialized care from a medical professional. Chiropractic care has been shown to be effective in treating a number of different causes of wrist pain.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Chiropractic care has been useful in treating carpal tunnel syndrome. Chiropractic adjustments can decrease inflammation in the wrist and relieve pressure on the median nerve. 

Repetitive Stress Injuries

Patients with injuries caused by repetitive movement can also benefit from chiropractic care. Adjustments can provide relief from pain and discomfort, decrease inflammation, and increase joint flexibility and range of motion as you recover. 

Because repetitive stress injuries result in stiffness, soreness, and stress in affected joints, chiropractors may use both manual therapy (joint manipulation) and soft tissue therapy (massage) to relax muscles and release tension.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

If you have wrist pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis, gentle chiropractic techniques may help you find relief; however, manual therapy on active flare-ups should generally be avoided since it can further damage fragile joints.

Even if the chiropractor never directly touches the affected joint, treatment of the surrounding area is still beneficial. For instance, if a patient is experiencing pain due to rheumatoid arthritis in their wrist, they might compensate for lack of range of motion by overusing their elbow, shoulder, or finger joints. Chiropractors can treat those secondary pains, decreasing the patient’s overall level of discomfort.

Additionally, chiropractors can use specialized treatments such as ultrasound waves, electrotherapy, lasers, or infrared saunas to treat rheumatoid arthritis pain.

Other Injuries

Chiropractic care can also help those experiencing wrist pain due to a fracture, sprain, or strain. As you heal, chiropractors can relieve pain and help you regain strength and range of motion. Like in instances where wrist pain is caused by rheumatoid arthritis, these injuries may lead to secondary pain elsewhere in the body, and chiropractors can treat these areas as well.

Prevention

Building bone strength can help prevent wrist fractures. Getting 1,000-1,200 milligrams of calcium a day can help make sure your bones are strong enough to withstand sudden impacts.

The type of gear and equipment you use in your everyday activities can also make a difference. Using protective gear such as wrist guards when doing athletic activities can prevent stress injuries and cushion falls. Ergonomic keyboards and wrist supports help wrists stay in a relaxed, neutral position, making it less likely to develop pain from repetitive movement.

Chiropractic care has also been shown to prevent injuries throughout the body by correcting misaligned joints, which helps injuries heal quicker and prevent new injuries from occurring. Elevate Wellness specializes in sports therapy, which is helpful for anyone looking to prevent future injuries.

Whole-Body Wellness

Elevate Wellness is dedicated to helping patients in the Bountiful, Utah, area achieve their health goals and receive care for their individual needs. If you’re exploring treatment options for pain or injury, consider Elevate Wellness to help you live your best, pain-free life!

For those who experience physical pain or have limited mobility, choosing between chiropractors and physical therapists could be confusing. Each of these manual therapies has its benefits, but they also have differences that can affect their effectiveness for specific patients. Both practices focus on helping patients gain a better quality of life. 

Each therapy type is considered holistic healing and can be helpful in helping patients avoid surgery. Learn more about what chiropractors and physical therapists do in this blog. 

Chiropractors Focus On Subluxations

Subluxations are partial dislocations in the body. They typically occur in a joint and this is what a majority of people seek chiropractic care for. These dislocations and other misalignments of the body and spine can lead to significant pain.

While many people think that chiropractors just crack backs, there is a lot more that goes into this natural healing process. Chiropractors are knowledgeable about the health of your spine and how to treat it without causing further damage. 

The overall goal of chiropractic treatment is to help limit inflammation, help patients better manage pain, and give them a better range of motion. 

Education Is Required For Both Chiropractors And Physical Therapists

No matter if you are looking into a chiropractor or a physical therapist, each provider needs education, training, and certifications in order to work with patients. This ensures that they understand bodily anatomy, how the joints and muscles work together, and that they don’t further injure patients. 

Chiropractors and physical therapists require a college degree and certifications to practice. In certain states, there may be additional courses or certifications that allow them to work on children or pregnant mothers.

Chiropractors: Focus On Nerves, Vertebrae, and Spinal Cord

Each profession has a different approach to healing. This does not make one better than the other, but depending on your needs, one might be better for your specific situation. Chiropractors focus on your spine and the nervous system that works with your spine. Your body is made up of many interconnected systems, so when one system is blocked or stifled, other parts of your body can suffer as well. 

Chiropractors work to limit inflammation that can cause blocks, and align your spine so that your spine can communicate with the brain. They also focus on restoring movement. Because chiropractors have a holistic approach, they also encourage patients to improve their diet and lifestyle while seeking chiropractic treatment. 

Spinal Decompression

Chiropractic treatments can be more effective when paired with spinal decompression, especially for spinal disc conditions such as bulging or herniated discs. Spinal decompression therapy, which uses slow, controlled stretching to ease pressure on spinal discs, can even help you avoid the need for surgery.

Non-surgical decompression therapy helps restore the spine to its proper state and releases tension by using a sophisticated machine that calculates the correct amount of force to use by sensing muscle resistance. 

Elevate Wellness also offers laser decompression therapy, which uses light energy to penetrate damaged tissue in the muscles and spine, stimulating the body’s natural healing capabilities. By healing inflammation, you may experience a greater range of motion and decreased pain.

Physical Therapists: Focus On Soft Tissue And Muscles

Chiropractors and physical therapists work with their hands, but physical therapists focus more on muscles and soft tissue, rather than systems in the body. They also work to improve mobility but use stretches, exercises, and other mobilization techniques. Many physical therapists use tape, heat, ice, and electric physical aids for their clients.

Physical therapists also help patients to avoid injury in the future. By providing stretching and mobility techniques to people like athletes, their bodies will be better prepared for rigorous activity and can make potential injuries much less severe. 

Different Approaches To Treatment

While both chiropractors and physical therapists can use their hands in treatment, physical therapists often rely more on machines or other physical aids during treatment. Each therapy type has developed over time and continues to adopt new practices and tested treatments that they feel can help their patients. 

Before you see any chiropractor or physical therapist, make sure to check their credentials and do as much research as possible. This will ensure you get the best treatment for your specific pain. 

The two treatment approaches go hand in hand, and you may have to try both before determining which is best for you. Your doctor can help you decide which treatment options are likely to be most effective for your specific condition or symptoms.

Chiropractic With Elevate Wellness

Our chiropractor at Elevate Wellness has seen how chiropractic care can help after an injury. Dr. Casey Simmonds then started his own journey to become a chiropractor and opened his own practice. 

In addition to standard chiropractic adjustments, Elevate Wellness offers specialty care in these areas:

Sports Therapy

Close to 90% of athletes utilize chiropractic care to increase performance and treat and prevent injuries. Sports therapy at Elevate Wellness can correct misaligned joints, which helps injuries heal quicker and prevent new injuries from occurring. 

Neuropathy Treatment

Neuropathy is a nerve condition that causes numbness and tingling. Unlike medication, which only masks the pain and does not repair the underlying nerve damage, chiropractic adjustments help heal the nerves, leading to greater pain relief.

Prenatal and Pediatric Chiropractic

Chiropractic care can help ease pain caused by changes in the body during pregnancy and help expecting mothers stay comfortable. Additionally, some patients report smoother, shorter labor and delivery processes after receiving spinal and pelvic adjustments.

Infants and children can also benefit from chiropractic care. By making gentle adjustments, chiropractors can help young patients find relief from colic, reflux, digestive issues, or ear infections and can even help regulate their nervous system by making sure their spine is properly aligned.

Working in an office or manufacturing job where you repeat specific tasks or motions multiple times a day, puts you at risk for repetitive motion injuries. Typing, assembling, sewing, or construction workers are all high-risk jobs. Many people in these industries wonder if there are ways to prevent these muscle and tendon strains and avoid excruciating pain. Some exercises can help limit tense muscles while you are at work, but chiropractic care can also help slow the development of these injuries and limit your pain. 

Elevate Wellness provides high-quality chiropractic care for a variety of injuries. We can help your body have better alignment and limit inflammation in some regions of the body. Read this blog to learn more about how to prevent repetitive motion injuries while you work. 

What Are Repetitive Motion Injuries?

Injuries like Carpal Tunnel, Tendinitis, Bursitis, and Rotator cuff injuries come from repeated motions. Other tasks that can cause these injuries include lifting heavy objects, maintaining bad posture for long periods of time, typing, or packaging items. 

These injuries are caused by strained and torn tendons, nerves, and muscles. This causes shooting pains, numbness, and limited mobility in your arms and legs. You may also feel pain in your elbows, knees, fingers, and shoulders. 

Tasks That Can Cause Repetitive Motion Injuries

One of the most common jobs that see repetitive motion injuries is an office or typing job. The process of typing, holding the phone, looking down at a computer screen, and bad posture can all lead to RSI’s. 

Manufacturers can also develop carpal tunnel or tendinitis by doing the same installation or building motion all day. Drilling, cutting, and shoveling can all cause strained muscles. Doing things over and over can cause built-up tension and something as simple as picking up a pen could throw out your back. 

Learn About Proper Work Ergonomics

Developing bad posture while working at a desk or standing in a manufacturing line will lead to pain in multiple areas of your body. One way to limit repetitive motion injuries is to learn proper ergonomics and sitting positions. 

Some ways to improve your posture at work include:

• Don’t sit with your legs crossed
• Take time to stand and move around
• Organize your workstation so you don’t have to overreach
• Place your monitor at eye level
• Use a headset to answer phone calls rather than cradling it between your shoulder and ear

Look For Ways To Modify Tasks

Modifying your typing, assembling, writing, or bending can help you avoid pent-up tension and the need for surgery. Implement proper lifting techniques into your routine or do stretches on your lunch break. 

If you are constantly doing the same task at work, look into how you can mix it up, or do a different job for one week. Switch between tasks more often, or look into taking a break from work altogether. Doing so will help limit the early onset of these injuries.

Take Stretch Breaks

Taking breaks from your desk and performing stretches during the day will help you avoid injuries and muscle tension. Wrist stretches, walks, or seated stretches will help keep your muscles strong and avoid strain on muscle groups. Staying in one position for too long can lead to cramps or spinal misalignment.

Stretching before the workday is also a great way to help get your blood flowing and prevent muscle weakness. Doing some yoga or mild stretching before working at a desk or on a production line will help you feel awake and rejuvenated. 

Chiropractic Care From Elevate Wellness For Injuries

Our team at Elevate Wellness works to treat a variety of injuries and help limit inflammation in the body. No matter where you are experiencing pain or if you don’t currently have symptoms of any injury, our tested chiropractic methods can help you gain a better quality of life. 

Chiropractic is not just for back pain, it can be an excellent tool for many different struggles. Car accidents, repetitive motion injuries, torn muscles, scoliosis, and more can all be made more manageable with the right chiropractic care. If you think that chiropractic is right for you, give us a call and schedule a consultation!