Do you type all day long? Many jobs involve typing, and even at home, you may find yourself spending a great deal of time typing on your home computer. These are just some of the professions that require a significant amount of typing done on a daily basis: writer, engineer, programmer, educator, marketer, data analyst, transcriptionist, court reporter, customer service representative, and so many others.
Typing day in and day out takes a toll on your hands. It can even create ongoing symptoms of pain. In this blog, we discuss hand therapy techniques that are available to alleviate the pain that can come from typing for a living. While they’re geared towards people who type, other individuals who use their hands extensively on a weekly basis (such as gardeners, bakers, mechanics, machinists, artists, and cabinet makers, to name a few) can benefit from these hand therapy methods as well.
First, Some Basics Hand Therapy Techniques
Before we get into the hand therapy techniques, let’s go over some basics. Your desk ergonomics matter; make sure you have a comfortable setup that lets you type with ease, without straining or bending your wrists into weird positions that create strain.
Next, remember to take breaks! When you do any kind of task nonstop, without pausing for breaks, you will eventually develop symptoms of pain. To avoid pain and discomfort, remember to stop throughout the day and take plenty of breaks.
Hand Massage
One of the best things you can do to relieve hand and wrist tension is to perform gentle, effective massage techniques. You can use the palm of your hand to massage your arms, applying gentle pressure. This helps with your circulation, and it also benefits your muscles.
You can also use one hand to massage the fingers, joints, knuckles, and other sections of your other hand. Gently massage the wrist area as well. Massage offers numerous therapeutic benefits that your hands and wrists will benefit from.
Helpful Stretches For Your Hands
In addition to massage, you can do gentle stretches that will loosen up your muscles, relieve tension, and reduce pain. Ideally, these stretching exercises will involve your hands, fingers, wrists, arms, elbows, and shoulders. The goal is to loosen up your arms, including your hands and wrists, to create better circulation, to give overused areas a break, and to relieve tension trapped in joints and muscles. Try a variety of gentle stretches throughout the day to help your hands and keep pain at bay.
Other Exercises You Can Do
What other exercises can you do? Many people find that squeezing a stress ball is very helpful. It strengthens your hand muscles while relieving tension.
Exercises that address your whole body without putting weight on your hands can also offer benefits. Try jumping jacks, running in place, doing side steps, and similar exercises that get your circulation going while giving your overworked hands a break.
When To Seek Help
Do you need professional help to alleviate the pain in your hands produced from typing all day or doing other repetitive-motion tasks? Turn to the specialists at Colorado In Motion for physical therapy to address your hand pain. We have several Northern Colorado locations to serve you. Reach out to us today!