By Charnicia Huggins
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Everyday tasks, like carrying
heavy groceries (which can strain finger joints and arms), or
slicing bagels (which can cause serious cuts) can pose a risk
of injury, according to the American Society of Hand
Therapists.
Those are just two of the five most common causes of hand
injuries that are highlighted during this week’s Hand Therapy
Awareness and Injury Prevention Week.
“Using common sense and joint protection techniques can
help to minimize potential injury or overuse of our hands and
arms,” according to Christine Muhleman, president of the
society, which includes both occupational and physical
therapists.
“Poor daily routines can add up to painful long-term
conditions unless you take proper care and precautions,” she
said in an ASHT statement.
To avoid injury, “slow down and use your hands wisely,”
Stacey Doyon, president-elect of the organization, told Reuters
Health.
Due to the fast-paced nature of society, “we do too much at
once,” without slowing down, she said. This multitasking may
lead to various hand injuries.
For example, some people may carry as many as four or five
bags in one hand while shopping. ASHT recommends that they
instead carry one bag at a time in each hand. Further, Doyon,
an occupational therapist and certified hand therapist, advises
shoppers to not only use carts instead of small baskets, but to
also ask for paper, rather than plastic bags, and use both arms
to carry the paper bags.
Another source of common injuries, although widely
underreported, are injuries to the hand from slicing bagels.
Many of these injuries, referred to as “bagel hand” by some
emergency departments, require surgery and a long period of
hand therapy before people regain their normal hand function.
To avoid these injuries, Muhleman recommends that people
never slice frozen bagels and that they use bagel slicers, if
possible. When bagel slicers are not available, she recommends
a two-stop process: first, holding the bagel down on the table
and slicing it halfway with a serrated knife, and second, stand
the bagel on end, grip the sliced end, and slice downward.
Many people are also injured while washing dishes, as they
search blindly for knives and other sharp tools in soapy
dishwater, according to the ASHT. What’s more, some people may
experience lacerations on the top of their knuckles when they
put their hand inside a narrow glass with a sponge and squeeze
the sponge. “The pressure of your hand may shatter the glass,
causing cuts to the back of your hand,” Paige E. Kurtz, ASHT
vice president, said in a statement.
People can also injure their hands while reading for
extended periods of time. Those who constantly pinch the pages
of a book with their finger and thumb may experience strain in
that area as well as stiffness. “Continuously pinching pages
can aggravate the tendons and joints in the thumb and wrist,”
according to Doyon. Rather than pinching pages, ASHT recommends
that readers rest the book on a flat or inclined surface or
place one hand on the front pages and the other hand on the
back of the book while reading.
Lastly, ASHT points out the dangers of paper cuts, thorn
pricks or other minor wounds, if left untreated. These wounds
should be thoroughly washed with warm water and soap and then
treated with some type of first aid antibiotic ointment.
According to Kurtz, ASHT vice president, “untreated minor
wounds can flare into dangerous infections.”
The good news is that specially trained individuals are
available to help people who have already experienced some type
of hand injury, according to Doyon.
“If you do have any type of injuries there are hand
therapists out there who can help,” she said.
To find one in your area, visit the American Society of
Hand Therapists online at www.asht.org.
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