We are proud to be known as one of the leading practitioners of hand therapy in Auckland. We can help you with a wide range of hand-related conditions from the tips of your fingers right up to your elbows: fractures, sprains, post-op rehab, sporting injuries, children’s injuries, pregnancy-related hand symptoms, work injuries and arthritis.
As far as arthritis is concerned, osteoarthritis is the most common form. It affects millions of people worldwide and you probably know someone who suffers from it. It may even be you who is living with this condition. Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, it most commonly affects joints in your hands, as well as your knees, hips and spine.
Other types of arthritis that can affect your hands include rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints, and juvenile arthritis which describes the condition when it occurs before the age of 16.
Hand arthritis can be very debilitating, making once-simple tasks like writing, opening jars or using tools very difficult, if not impossible. If you don’t have arthritis in your hands, or anywhere in your body, you may feel it is just a matter of time, particularly as you age. However, research shows that arthritis is not inevitable as you grow older. It’s not really an age thing – it’s more a combination of factors over the years that make the condition more likely to occur; poor diet, lack of exercise, sugary drinks and smoking are just a few of the things that exacerbate the wear and tear that affects all of us. In other words, there is a lot you can do to reduce the impacts of arthritis in your hands and other joints. It all boils down to your lifestyle choices such as eating a healthier diet, ditching sugary drinks which can cause inflammation, quitting smoking (which is a good idea for a million more reasons), maintaining a healthy weight and getting plenty of sleep and exercise. By doing all these things, you’ll enjoy a whole raft of health benefits and you’ll have a greater chance of reaching a grand age without feeling the painful effects of arthritis in your hands and other joints.
Of course, if you are ever affected by arthritis of any type, we are here to help. We have a wide range of treatments available to us, including massage and exercises specific to the affected joints. We’ll do our best to reduce the pain as much as we can and let you enjoy the lifestyle you’re used to.
