Preventing thumb pain in Physiotherapists?

[Judith Mollet]

Trigger points can be treated using rounded wooden things that physios I know seem to find/ get someone to make. It's not the same feeling as your own thumbs and I wouldn't use them for the initial finding of the taught band but it does save thumbs. Couldn't help letting out a weird smile reading your mail, Eire, as I was sitting with a taped right thumb at the time (base of thumb problems) The left one hurts less. Physios have thumbs that take a hammering over years. When we aren't working them to death we ride bikes and do other sports to strain them etc etc. If you start to get severe problems, or rather beforehand, consider other options in terms of full time physio work where you'd be happy. Do CPD enough to change direction to less "thumbs on". Then there are wrists and backs to consider of course.....As we are human beings we are likely to get degenerative changes, Heberdens nodes (mine are wonderful)and all sorts of things sooner or later, like the general population does. It's a schizo profession, we often get our aches and pains while taking away other peoples aches and pains

[BobbySports]

Hey

There is a tool known as a 'thumb saver' which I use and find it quite usefull. Once you have located the trigger point the tool can be used.
Its pretty cheap & and will, atleast to some degree, reduce the amount of strain on the thumb.

[estherderu]

I have been in this profession for 32 years now.


Began to get trouble with my MCP joints and thumbs after 10 years or so.
Changed my technique... and quite radically .....
When I "massage" I steer with my legmuscles and use weightshifting AND most importantly I use very soft techniques, skin deep.
You should all try it.... its amazing what you can do with the skin.......
think dermatomes and not only muscles/joints and you will see that you need not "overburden" you patient or your joints....

good luck.....

Esther

[IceMan]

In addition to the above suggestions, if you don't have a splint, try to avoid hyperextension of your MCP and PIP joints when applying deep pressure. Keep the joints neutral/slightly flexed and use other digits to support the "mobilising digit". Apply pressure with the pad of the tip of the thumb and not the volar surface of the PIP which I think may be a common mistake.

Also change thumbs and/or fingers while mobilising soft tissue. Give those fingers a break.

I don't really have pain in the joints after mob'ing soft tissue but my intrinsic muscles turn to jelly afterwards and my hand-writing (bad at the best of times) becomes attrocious!