Your forearm has two bones, the Ulna and the Radius. Either and often, both can be fractured with trauma to the arm. If the fracture is closer to the elbow than the wrist, then it is referred to as a proximal fracture and considered an elbow injury. If it is closer to the wrist than the elbow, it is referred to as a distal fracture and is considered more as a wrist injury. As with all other broken bones, minor stable fractures can be immobilized and monitored to heal on its own and more severe and unstable fractures require hardware. Whether requiring surgery or not, physical therapy will be required to regain your elbow and/or wrist’s range of motion and your arm’s overall strength. Your team at Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy are expert in creating personalized programs for regaining your strength and mobility, therefore getting you back to your previous level of function and activities. Call us. We can get you started right away.

De Quervain’s Syndrome is a tendonitis condition in the tendons of the thumb. This is often caused by repetitive gripping or wringing of objects over a long period of time. If left untreated, the inflammation and gradual narrowing of the tendon sheaths can lead to scarring that makes more permanent changes to the integrity of those soft tissues. These two affected tendons are the extensor pollicis brevis and the abductor pollicis longus. Early conservative treatment is important and can prevent you from reaching the point where soft tissue integrity has been compromised long term. Your team at Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy are expert in creating personalized programs for optimizing your use of pain relief techniques, regaining your strength and mobility, and therefore getting you back to your previous level of function and activities. Call us. We can get you started right away.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common condition that causes numbness, tingling, and pain in your hand and forearm and usually worsens over time. A major nerve is being compressed as it travels under a band of tissues at the wrist that holds it in place. Many factors contribute to this occurring. These include heredity, long term high repetition wrist and hand activities, having rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, as well as hormonal imbalances. Nerve tissue, where being impinged, sustains a contusion or “bruise”. If you allow this contusion causing force to continue long enough, it becomes harder to fully resolve as the nerve tissue starts to have irreversible changes to its integrity. So, early intervention is key. There are soft tissue techniques and nerve mobility treatments that can sometimes prevent you from needing surgery. If initiated early enough, splinting, activity modifications, use of NSAIDs, proper manual therapy and exercises can really help. Most people tend to let this persist too long and often require surgery. A carpal tunnel release is what is performed to release the entrapment. There are a variety of surgical approaches used which your orthopaedic specialist will guide you on. As with all surgeries there are benefits as well as risks involved. Avoiding surgery is always your first choice if possible. Whether requiring surgery or not, physical therapy will be required to achieve an optimal outcome and resolve this condition. Your team at Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy are expert in creating personalized programs for optimizing your healing, regaining your strength and mobility, and therefore getting you back to your previous level of function and activities. Call us. We can get you started right away.

Trigger finger is a condition that causes an inability of the finger tendon to glide freely therefore causing the finger to intermittently get stuck and unable to fully open or close. This is caused by a change in tissue integrity of the “sheath” that your tendon glides through causing it to narrow. Over time the sheath as well as the tendon becomes thickened causing it to get caught requiring more force to get it through with your finger movement. This is what causes the popping and clicking sensations as well as the “bump” that appears in your palm. In severe cases it gets permanently stuck in a bent position making use of your hand painful and difficult. This often occurs from hobbies or occupations over time that require frequent rigorous gripping and carrying. A surgical release is sometimes needed to “free-up” the tissues allowing them to glide smoothly again. You will need appropriate stretching, soft tissue mobilization, and hand/ elbow strengthening will be required after your surgery most cases. Your team at Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy are expert in creating personalized programs for optimizing your healing, regaining your strength and mobility, and therefore getting you back to your previous level of function and activities. Call us. We can get you started right away.

This condition occurs from a gradual thickening of the skin and underlying tissues of the palm of the hand. Progression of this can result in the tightening of the tendons of the ring and pinky finger on the palm side. There are connections with regional ancestry and heredity, certain medications, smoking and alcohol use, diabetes and is predominantly in males over 50. Treatment efforts including surgery can prolong the progression of the tissue contracture. Use of ultrasound heating, stretching, and soft tissue mobilization techniques are commonly used in physical therapy. If surgery is required, physical therapy is also required to regain soft tissue mobility and prevent excessive tightness of the scar tissue that will form due to the surgery. Your team at Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy are expert in creating personalized programs for optimizing your healing, regaining your strength and mobility, and therefore getting you back to your previous level of function and activities. Call us. We can get you started right away.

The knuckles/joints of the fingers and thumb are common sites for hand arthritis. It can be osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or psoriatic arthritis commonly. Believe it or not there are finger joint replacement surgeries that can be done as well as fusions. Of course, conservative efforts for pain relief and improving soft tissue integrity should be your first choice. Your team at Breaux Bridge Physical Therapy are expert in creating personalized programs for optimizing your use of pain relief techniques, regaining your strength and mobility, and therefore getting you back to your previous level of function and activities. Call us. We can get you started right away.