You use your hands for just about everything, from typing away at work to cooking dinner at home. Your hands are complex tools made up of muscles, tendons, and ligaments working together -and they’re easy to injure if you’re not careful. A hand ligament injury can be painful and slow to heal. The good news is there are a few simple things you can do to avoid damaging those hardworking ligaments in the first place.
Preventing injury is always better than dealing with the pain and hassle of recovery. Your hands deserve some TLC, so keep reading to find out how you can avoid becoming one of the nearly 250,000 people who injure their hands at work each year.
Preventing Workplace Hand Ligament Injuries
As a worker, your hands are your most important tools. Protecting them from injury should be a top priority. Damage to ligaments and tendons can have lasting consequences, so take these precautions:
First, always wear proper protective gloves for the task. Leather, rubber, or cut-resistant gloves can help shield your hands from hazards. Make sure gloves fit snugly but comfortably. Ill-fitting gloves won’t provide much protection and can even lead to hand fatigue or strain.
Second, maintain good posture and form. Keep your wrists straight and supported when performing repetitive tasks like typing, assembly work, or heavy lifting. Take regular breaks to rest your hands and flex your wrists. Poor form and overuse are major contributors to ligament and tendon issues.
Third, build hand strength. Exercises that increase flexibility and range of motion in your hands and forearms will make ligament injury less likely. Try simple stretches like rotating your wrists in circles, flexing your fingers back towards your forearms, and squeezing stress relief balls.
Fourth, report any pain immediately. Early treatment of hand injuries is key to avoiding long-term damage. See a doctor right away if you experience persistent pain, swelling, or loss of motion or grip strength in your hands or fingers.
Finally, suggest ergonomic changes. If a task at your workplace seems to frequently cause or aggravate hand strain, talk to your employer about modifying equipment, tools, or processes to reduce injury risks. Small changes can make a big difference in hand health and safety.
Your hands deserve care and protection. Following these best practices will help ensure many more years of pain-free productivity and enjoyment of life’s tasks both big and small. Protect your ability to work and play-make hand health a priority today.
Exercises for Stretching Hands and Wrists to Maintain Flexibility
Many jobs include repetitive motions or heavy lifting, which increases the risk of hand and wrist injuries. Exercises for strengthening and stretching your hands and wrists can assist maintain their flexibility and guard against ligament damage.
Rotating of the wrists
Make circular movements with your wrists, moving first in one direction and then the other. Start with small circles and gradually make them bigger. Do 10-15 reps in each direction. This helps loosen your wrist joints and increases range of motion.
Finger Stretches
Extend your fingers out straight and bend them back towards your wrist as far as you comfortably can. Hold for 30 seconds. Release and make a fist, then bend your wrist down. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times. This helps loosen your finger joints and ligaments.
Thumb Stretches
Extend your thumb out straight and bend it back towards your wrist as far as you can while keeping your other fingers straight. Hold for 30 seconds. Release and make a fist, then bend your wrist down. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times. This helps prevent strain from repetitive pinching or grasping motions.
Wrist Extensions
Rest your forearms on a table with hands hanging over the edge. Bend your wrists up as far as you can while keeping your fingers straight. Hold for 30 seconds. Release and bend wrists down. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat 3-5 times. This helps strengthen your wrist extensor muscles and ligaments.
Towel Curls
Hold the ends of a towel with arms extended. Make fists with your hands holding the towel. Keeping your upper arms stationary near your sides, bend only at the elbows to curl the weight up while contracting your biceps. Slowly uncurl back to the starting position. Do 2- 3 sets of 10-15 reps each. This exercises your finger, hand and forearm muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Perform these stretches a few times per day, especially before and after repetitive tasks. Be consistent and patient-it can take 4 to 6 weeks of regular stretching to gain significant flexibility and strength. But preventing hand and wrist injuries is well worth it!
Wrist Braces and Supports for Injury Prevention
To prevent ligament damage and strain in your hands and wrists, wrist braces and supports can provide relief from repetitive motions or awkward positions. Wearing a brace for injury prevention at work is a simple solution that can have big benefits.
Wrist braces
Wrist braces provide firm support for your wrists during activity. They are effective for preventing conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, and tendonitis. Look for a brace that is adjustable and breathable. Wear it snug but still comfortable, especially during repetitive tasks like typing, carpentry, or assembly line work.
Thumb spica splints
If your work requires a lot of pinching, gripping or squeezing motions that put strain on your thumbs, a thumb spica splint can help. This type of splint immobilizes your thumb to relieve pressure on the joints and tendons. It allows your thumb to rest while still keeping your other fingers mobile.
Conclusion
Keeping your hands healthy and avoiding injury is so important, especially if you use them constantly at work. Following these few simple tips can help ensure many more years of dexterity and productivity. Your hands do so much for you, so take the time to protect them. It only takes a few minutes a day to strengthen, stretch, and properly support your hands. You’ll thank yourself down the road when you’re still going strong while others are sidelined with preventable ligament issues. Consult a medical practitioner if you have recurrent hand pain or discomfort. Consider contacting AOA Arlington Ortho for orthopedic in the Fort Worth region for knowledgeable guidance and individualized treatment options.
