Arthritis in the Hands: How Physio and MLS Laser May Help
Written by: Dr. Richard Domenic Simeoni | Nano Physiotherapy | Hornsby, NSW
Arthritis in the hands can make everyday tasks surprisingly frustrating. Things like opening jars, turning keys, gripping a steering wheel, using tools or even holding a coffee cup can become painful or difficult.
For many people, symptoms come on gradually. The joints may feel stiff in the morning, ache after activity, or become swollen and tender during a flare-up.
While arthritis itself can’t be “cured” with physiotherapy, there are several ways treatment can help manage symptoms, maintain movement and improve how well the hand functions day to day.
What Type of Arthritis Commonly Affects the Hands?
The most common form is osteoarthritis, which tends to affect the joints of the fingers, thumbs and wrists.
In the hand, osteoarthritis commonly develops around the base of the thumb, the middle finger joints and the joints closest to the fingertips.
Symptoms can include:
Pain or aching around the joints
Stiffness, particularly after rest
Reduced grip or pinch strength
Swelling or tenderness
Difficulty with fine hand movements
Reduced range of motion
For some people, symptoms remain fairly mild. For others, hand arthritis can start affecting work, hobbies, cooking, gardening or other everyday activities.
How Can Physiotherapy Help Hand Arthritis?
One of the main goals of physiotherapy is to keep the hand moving and functioning as well as possible without constantly aggravating the joints.
Treatment will depend on which joints are affected and what activities are causing difficulty.
This may include gentle mobility exercises to maintain range, as well as strengthening exercises for the muscles of the hand, wrist and forearm.
Strengthening can be particularly useful when grip has become weaker or certain tasks are becoming harder.
We may also look at how you are loading the hand during work or daily activities. Sometimes small changes to gripping technique, equipment or the way a task is performed can reduce unnecessary stress through an irritated joint.
The aim isn't to avoid using your hands. In most cases, keeping them active within a manageable level of discomfort is important.
What About Painful Flare-Ups?
Arthritis symptoms often fluctuate.
You may have periods where the hand feels relatively good and other times when a particular joint becomes much more painful or sensitive.
During a flare-up, treatment may initially focus more on settling symptoms and maintaining comfortable movement before gradually increasing strengthening again.
Heat, gentle movement and temporarily modifying aggravating activities can sometimes help.
The important part is finding a balance between doing too much and avoiding movement altogether.
Can MLS Laser Help Hand Arthritis?
At Nano Physiotherapy, we also use MLS Laser Therapy for some musculoskeletal conditions, including painful arthritic joints.
MLS Laser uses specific wavelengths of light delivered into the affected area. This type of treatment is sometimes referred to as photobiomodulation.
The aim is to influence cellular processes associated with pain, inflammation and tissue recovery.
For someone with painful hand arthritis, MLS Laser may be used to help reduce pain and joint sensitivity, particularly during periods where symptoms are more irritable.
Because the treatment is non-invasive, it can also be useful around smaller joints where more forceful manual treatment may not be particularly comfortable.
That said, laser therapy shouldn't be viewed as a standalone solution for arthritis.
Where possible, we combine symptom-relieving treatments with exercises designed to maintain movement, strength and hand function over the longer term.
Keeping Your Hands Strong and Mobile
If you have arthritis in your hands, it can be tempting to stop using them whenever they become sore.
Some temporary activity modification can be sensible, but becoming overly protective of the hand can also lead to further stiffness and weakness.
A better approach is usually to work within what the joints can tolerate and gradually maintain or improve their capacity.
At Nano Physiotherapy in Hornsby, we can assess painful or stiff hand joints and help develop a practical treatment plan based on the activities that matter to you.
This may include mobility exercises, strengthening, advice around managing aggravating activities and MLS Laser Therapy where appropriate.
If hand arthritis is starting to interfere with everyday tasks, getting some guidance early can help you stay active and keep your hands functioning as well as possible.
