Repetitive Strain Injury Thumb
In the working world, the most common type of injury is the repetitive strain injury in the thumb. It is caused by using the thumb too much causing it to strain from repetitive motion. One of the most common types is carpal tunnel syndrome which affects the wrist. DeQuervain's Syndrome is a repetitive strain injury thumb that causes the tendons to swell. Another form of repetitive motion injury is tendonitis, in which the tendons in the appendages become swollen and inflamed. All these forms of repetitive strain injury thumb can affect a person's ability to grasp objects. They also are caused by repeated motion of the thumb in doing things like typing.
All forms of repetitive strain injury thumb are usually caused by the same thing. Carpal tunnel syndrome is in the wrist, in which one of the nerves becomes compressed from repeated use. DeQuervain's syndrome is a repetitive strain injury that affects the thumb. It causes the tendons near the thumb to become inflamed and swollen. This causes a lot of pain and a lack of ability to grab things with the thumb. These both affect the thumb or wrist, which classifies them as repetitive strain injury thumb so they require treatment before being able to grasp things properly and without pain.
When a repetitive strain injury thumb happens, the best thing to do is to lay off whatever caused the injury in the first place for a while. This gives time for the injury to heal. Resting the affected area should be a top priority, and sometimes a doctor can give a person a splint or brace to help it remain immobile. Moving the area too much can cause the pain to flare up. This is especially true in the case of tendonitis, which occurs when the tendons in an appendage swell up and become inflamed. If a person has tendonitis, then the affected appendage becomes extremely painful to move. Therefore it is important to move it as little as possible to let it heal.
There are many kinds of repetitive strain injuries that can occur, most of which in the wrist or thumb. The most known version of this kind of injury is carpal tunnel syndrome, which can occur from typing too much. Tendonitis occurs when the tendons in any appendage begin to swell up and become inflamed. The best treatment to any kind of repetitive strain injury thumb is rest.