Of all the hand injuries that workers can sustain at work, crush injuries are among some of the worst. A crush injury can occur when parts of the hand, or the entire hand, become caught between heavy machinery and another hard surface. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, crushes were the cause of over 26,000 hand injuries in 2017, making them the third most common cause of hand injuries. While this injury is more likely to happen to people who work with heavy machinery, a crush injury to the hand could happen to anyone.
Crush injuries are so devastating because when your hand becomes crushed, it does more than simply break bones. As a result of a crush injury, you may suffer from muscle and tissue damage, nerve damage, and lacerations. Severe crush injuries can even result in permanent disfigurement or disability.
Recovering from a crush injury to your hand may take a long time, and it may be difficult to perform simple tasks after your injury. Thankfully, visiting a physical therapist can help you work toward healing as well as regaining the full function of your hand.
How can physical therapy help me recover from a crush injury to my hand?
Depending on the severity of your crush injury, you may need to wear a splint or cast on your hand for some time. However, it is important to begin physical therapy as soon as possible after your injury. This will help ensure that you can restore as much of your hand's full function as possible and get on with your everyday life quicker. A physical therapist can help you achieve this goal using a variety of methods. Here are three roles that physical therapy can play in your recovery:
- Strengthening through therapeutic exercise ” Exercises are one of the most important parts of physical therapy for a hand crush injury. Your therapist can guide you through exercises that are designed to strengthen the muscles and joints of your hand, as well as reduce stiffness as your hand heals.
- Nerve reeducation ” Nerve damage is often a symptom of a crush injury to the hand. Your hand may not be able to feel things as easily as it could before your injury. That is why you will need to relearn many of the everyday tasks that you have always relied on your hand for. A physical therapist can guide you through reeducating your senses and using your hand after your injury.
- Pain management ” Healing from a crush injury to your hand will take time, and you will most likely experience pain as your hand recovers. Instead of reaching for prescription pain medication, a physical therapist can treat your pain using safe and effective techniques. Manual therapy and electrical stimulation are examples of the treatments that your physical therapist might use to help treat your hand pain.
Alliance PTP is ready to help you find top-notch PT for recovering from a crush injury to your hand
At Alliance Physical Therapy Partners, we're proudly bringing together physical therapy practices across the country to help people get the high-quality PT they need. Want to see a physical therapist in person? We can put you in touch with an Alliance PTP partner that's close to you and that can help you address your rehabilitation needs after a crush injury to your hand.
Not keen on in-person PT sessions or not close to an Alliance PTP partner? No worries. We also offer effective and affordable virtual physical therapy through our Agile Virtual Physical Therapy platform.
Contact our team today so we can help you find the most effective physical therapy services for your injury or condition.
Get Help at a Location Near You