Why Is My Therapist Telling Me to Massage My Arms for My Hand Injury?

Oct 12

3 min read

Hand injuries can be highly frustrating and debilitating, affecting your daily life. You may find you experience pulling pain and fatigue when moving and using your hand. You may even feel that your forearms are tight or tender to touch, even though the injury is in your hand or wrist. Sometimes this can extend up to your shoulder and neck. Fortunately, there are simple and effective techniques that can aid your recovery.

You may find that during your hand therapy appointment, your therapist suggests using heat and massage on your forearms. Many of the tendons in your hand connect and attach to the muscles in your forearm. This connection allows your forearm muscles to control the movement of your fingers and hand. When you have a hand injury, the muscles in your forearms can tense up as a natural response to protect and support the injured area. During an injury, some muscles also work extra hard and overcompensate, which can contribute to further tightness and pain, restricting movement in the hand. Using heat and massage techniques can help you participate more actively in your recovery and better manage your pain and tension.

Why heat?

Heat feels nice and can be used for pain relief. Muscles respond well to heat by increasing blood supply to the area, which helps the muscle relax and promotes increased elasticity. This elasticity helps your muscle contract and stretch to its full potential, helping you get back to moving more efficiently. Relaxation of the muscles also helps reduce the feeling of tightness in your hands and arm, as well as helping manage pain.

Ways to incorporate heat

You can use a heat pack or warm water to add heat to your arm. Having a shower or bath is also a great way to take advantage of heat as part of your day-to-day routine, and can be a great time to complete your exercises. In hand therapy, we can also use a wax bath to help trap heat in your hand or wrist and increase range of motion.

A women's hand using a wax bath for heat therapy at Riverina Hand Therapy

Why massage?

Just like heat, soft tissue massage also helps improve blood flow to your muscles, reducing tension to improve pain and stiffness. This is also relaxing and can help your whole body feel calm.

How to massage

You can use your non-affected hand or a massage tool. Apply firm but gentle pressure and use circular motions along the length of your forearm. You can also try kneading or squeezing the muscles. You only need to do this for about 5-10 minutes. A tennis ball or an empty roll-on deodorant bottle can also be used to apply pressure through your forearm. Make sure you listen to your body and stop if you experience discomfort or nerve-related sensations such as tingling or burning.

Purple Fisiocrem pain-relief gel tube on a clinic counter, with a clinician massaging a patient’s arm

Heat and massage can assist the recovery process following an injury. They help increase blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and promote relaxation. It is important to consult with your hand therapist about how best to implement these strategies for your specific injury. Remember to be gentle and listen to your body's feedback during the process.

Have questions about your hand or wrist injury? Our experienced hand therapists at Riverina Hand Therapy are here to help. Call us on 02 6925 0157 or visit riverinahandtherapy.com.au to book an appointment.

This information is general in nature and is intended to support, not replace, individual advice from your treating health professional. Everyone's injury and recovery are different, so please contact your GP, specialist, or your hand therapist at Riverina Hand Therapy if you have concerns about your condition.