Let's Talk Hand Health

I will let you in on a little secret…I really enjoy treating hands. Our hands can do some miraculous things. They assist us in our everyday activities — from the mundane to the magical. They allow me to type this post, make dinner for my family, win a thumb-war, treat my patients…you get the idea. Often our jobs and hobbies involve repetitive motions, which over time can cause chronic pain and conditions, such as arthritis. Although it’s only the beginning of November, winter seems to have reared its ugly head quite early this year. No doubt causing some aches and pains to start creeping back, especially the arthritic pains. 

Osteoarthritis often affects the hands, causing joints to swell and become painful and hindering dexterity. This type of arthritis occurs when the cartilage in our joints begins to wear down. The articulation of the joints is no longer smooth and the rubbing of bone-on-bone begins to occur. This constant irritation causes inflammation and eventually you can notice some new bumpy friends start to appear on your fingers. These bumps have different names depending on their joint locations, such as Bouchard’s nodes or Heberdon’s nodes. Arthritis can also lead to weakness making it harder for you to grasp and lift things. 

There is no cure for osteoarthritis. Luckily, Traditional Chinese Medicine is great for treating the not-so-nice symptoms of this condition and keeping our hands healthy, both preventatively or if your arthritis has already set in. In my clinic, I have had great success using a multi-faceted approach, including acupuncture, moxibustion, and topical herbal analgesics. Taking care of your hands and showing them some much needed TLC can help you keep doing the things you love. One patient of mine recently remarked that they noticed less pain and has found that simple tasks, like sewing on a button, are now much easier than they used to be before receiving regular acupuncture treatment on their hands. 

Schedule an appointment today and we will keep those hands doing the things they were made to do.

Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash