Wrist and hand pain treatment in Eindhoven

• Aching wrists and forearms that build during a working day: RSI-type overload, also called CANS
• Pain at the thumb side of the wrist with gripping and lifting (a pan, a child): De Quervain's tendon irritation
• Tingling or numb thumb, index and middle finger, especially at night: carpal tunnel syndrome
• Pain and stiffness at the base of the thumb with pinching and opening jars: thumb base osteoarthritis
• A finger that clicks or locks when bending: trigger finger
• Persistent wrist pain after a fall on an outstretched hand: possible ligament or scaphoid injury

The hand complaints we see cluster around three causes. First: sustained keyboard and mouse work, thousands of small movements a day with the wrist in a bent position. Second: hormonal and age factors, De Quervain around pregnancy, carpal tunnel and thumb osteoarthritis from middle age. Third: falls and sport, from bike crashes to bouldering.

• Workstation setup: a high desk, unsupported forearms, a steeply angled keyboard
• Peak loads the hand is not trained for: a house move, a new climbing hobby
• Repetitive gripping in sport: racket sports, cycling on drop bars, fitness
• Previous wrist fractures, which raise the risk of later stiffness and osteoarthritis

Work-related overload improves clearly within four to eight weeks once treatment and workstation changes work together. Tendon irritations such as De Quervain need six to twelve weeks of adapted load. Thumb osteoarthritis is not 'cured' but very manageable: most patients function noticeably better within weeks of exercises and joint protection strategies. After a fracture, guided rehabilitation over two to three months restores most mobility and strength.

• Set up your desk: forearms supported, wrists straight, mouse close to the keyboard
• Break up long typing blocks; shake out and stretch your hands every half hour
• Warm up your hands before climbing or racket sport, like any other muscle group
• Use the whole hand and both hands for lifting, not just thumb and index finger
• With night tingling: avoid sleeping with fully bent wrists, a night splint can help temporarily

Our hand therapist examines the joints, tendons and nerves precisely, and measures your grip and pinch strength with a dynamometer as an objective baseline. Depending on the diagnosis, your plan includes:

• Progressive strength and mobility training for wrist and hand, dosed to your work and sport
• Joint mobilisation for stiffness after fractures or immobilisation
• Tendon gliding exercises and load management for De Quervain and trigger finger
• Splint or taping advice for the thumb base and wrist, targeted and temporary
• Workstation analysis so the complaint stops being refuelled every working day
• For complex cases: direct lines to certified hand therapists and hand surgeons in the region

• A deformed wrist or finger after a fall: possible fracture, emergency care
• Persistent pain in the 'snuffbox' at the thumb side after a fall, even a week later: a scaphoid fracture must be ruled out
• A pale, cold or numb finger after an injury
• Rapidly progressing numbness or loss of strength in the hand

We screen for the scaphoid specifically after every fall on the hand, and arrange imaging via the right route when the tests say so.