Tips for hand complaints

Hand pain can have many causes. Day in, day out, the hand performs many simple and complex movements. Furthermore, the hand consists of many structures including bones, tendons, capsules, ligaments, muscles, blood vessels and nerves. A problem with just one of these structures can lead to bothersome complaints. A correct working posture is extremely important in preventing hand complaints. Below, we provide a few tips.

1. Use the correct peripheral equipment.

The median nerve runs from the forearm, through the wrist to the hand. With an incorrect posture, it can become trapped. A good (vertical) mouse and a split keyboard can help you enormously with this. These allow you to keep your forearm, wrist and hand in alignment while working. You don't have to twist your hands relative to your wrists to type, and your hand remains in a natural position while using the mouse.

Consider your working posture
Use the correct peripheral equipment
Keep forearm, wrist and hand in alignment

"Ensure a working posture in which forearm, wrist and hand are in alignment"

2. Consider your body posture.

Of course, complaints can also arise outside of office work. Think of sports, cooking, painting or assembly line work. Here too, an incorrect posture can cause hand pain. Let your arms hang by your sides and bend your elbow to 90°. Now you have the “handshake posture”. In this posture, your forearm, wrist and hand are still in their natural position. As a rule of thumb, you should maintain this posture as much as possible. For example, make sure you keep your hand as much as possible in alignment with your wrist and do not rotate the entire elbow-to-hand unit too much or too often inwards or outwards.

Consider your body posture
The handshake posture is the correct posture
Keep forearm, wrist and hand in alignment

"Even outside the office, it is important to adopt a good posture to prevent hand complaints"

3. Ask your physiotherapist for help.

Don't put up with your complaints for too long. The hand is a complex body part and hand complaints can have many causes. Your physiotherapist can usually diagnose the problem and draw up an effective recovery programme. This includes doing exercises and adjusting daily load.

Don't put up with complaints
Ask for professional advice

"Your physiotherapist can precisely diagnose the problem and draw up an effective recovery programme"