Safety & Injury Prevention

ASHT offers prevention and safety tips for a number of common activities that can lead to hand injury and trauma:

Diagnosis-Based Video Series

Pregnancy-Related Hand & Upper Extremity Conditions

Hand and upper extremity pain is a common issue during pregnancy. Unfortunately, these symptoms are often undertreated, which can impact your ability to care for your newborn. In this video, we detail common upper extremity issues experienced during pregnancy (carpal tunnel syndrome, DeQuervain's, trigger finger, joint instability), causes for pain and when to seek help.

CMC Arthritis/Arthritis at the Base of the Thumb

Thumb arthritis — also known as carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis (OA) — can significantly limit functional movements and cause thumb pain when pinching, gripping and manipulating objects. This video helps to identify symptoms, causes and treatments for arthritis in the thumb, including how seeing a hand therapist can help you. Please also access our CMC arthritis Patient Education Resource for more information. 

Tennis Elbow

Do you have pain on the outer bony part of your elbow? Does it worsen when gripping heavy items? If so, you may have tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis. The term "tennis elbow" is misleading — this pain can occur even if you've never played tennis before! This video helps to identify symptoms, causes and treatments for tennis elbow, including how seeing a hand therapist can help you. Please also access our tennis elbow Patient Education Resource for more information. 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common term to the general population, but with that comes many misconceptions of the correct signs and symptoms. This video helps to identify symptoms, causes and treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome with information from hand therapists. Please also access our carpal tunnel syndrome Patient Education Resource for more information. 

Safety and Injury Prevention Video Series

Turkey Carving

As we prepare for Thanksgiving and extended time in the kitchen, it's important to keep in mind that cuts from carving turkey are among the most common holiday injuries. ASHT offers the following tips on how to carve safely using proper equipment and proper technique to prevent injury to your hands and upper extremity this year.

Raking

As the weather shifts, many of us will spend time this season raking leaves that have fallen from the trees. ASHT offers the following tips on how to prevent injuries while raking.

Pumpkin Carving

As families prepare for Halloween, it's important to keep in mind that cuts from carving pumpkins are among the most common autumn injuries. ASHT offers the following tips on how to carve and decorate safely to prevent injury to your hands and upper extremity this season.

Cell Phone & Texting

Texting has certainly become one of our go-to methods of communication in recent years. As therapists, we often see injuries related to mobile device use. Protect your hands and upper extremity while texting and using your cell phone with these quick tips from the American Society of Hand Therapists.

Telehealth

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has become more prevalent as a way to obtain treatment safely from your home. ASHT has created this video to address questions about telehealth and to highlight how telehealth can be an effective method to achieve your hand and upper extremity rehabilitation goals.

Virtual Learning

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more students have engaged in virtual learning remotely from home or as part of a hybrid learning model. ASHT offers these tips for setting up a safe and ergonomically correct workspace to prevent injury and promote a successful learning environment.

Sports Injuries

Hand therapists frequently see a variety of sports injuries -- most commonly trauma or overuse. Learn more about common injuries and conditions treated by a hand therapist, including gamekeeper's thumb, little league elbow, golfer's elbow, tennis elbow, fractures and joint dislocations. This video also covers injury prevention tips and special considerations for youth athletes.

Meal Prep Safety

Most of us spend a good deal of time preparing meals, from shopping for items, carting them home, preparing dishes and then cleaning up. As hand therapists, we see a variety of injuries that could have been prevented with a little extra caution and a better understanding of how to protect yourself. Take a look at these tips for meal prep from ASHT. 

Desk Ergonomics

Many people spend the majority of their weeks in the office and/or working at a desk. As hand therapists, we see a number of patients with injuries that could have been prevented with a better understanding of ergonomics, specifically related to setting up their office spaces, chairs, computer monitors, etc. Learn how to prevent injury while working at your desk with these tips from ASHT.

Portable Electronics

Technology is now an integral part of our lives, and many people are using portable electronics such as cell phones and tablets for extensive periods of time each day. As hand therapists, we see a large number of patients with injuries that could have been prevented with a little bit of understanding. Protect your hands and upper extremity while using portable electronics with these tips from ASHT.

Gardening

As hand therapists, we see a large number of patients with injuries that could have been prevented with a little bit of understanding and forethought. Protect your hands and upper extremity while gardening with these tips from ASHT.

Hand & Upper Extremity Injury Mental Health Video Series

ASHT has developed a video series highlighting the impact of hand and upper extremity injuries on mental health. The videos specifically focus on chronic pain, coping with post-injury trauma and techniques to improve mental health after injury.

Chronic Pain & Mental Health: Learn More from a Hand Therapist

This video from ASHT focuses on chronic pain and how lingering pain may impact someone's mental health. Learn how to tell the difference between post-injury pain and chronic pain, and how to address these issues.

Coping with Post-Injury Trauma & Mental Health: Learn More from a Hand Therapist

This video from ASHT focuses on the mental health of individuals who have experienced traumatic upper extremity injuries and how a hand therapist can help. We hope this series will provide useful information so patients feel comfortable addressing mental health with their hand and upper extremity therapists to aid in their overall healing.

Techniques to Improve Mental Health After an Injury: Learn More from a Hand Therapist

This video from ASHT focuses on techniques to reduce anxiety, relieve pain and improve self-image after an injury.

HandCare.org

ASHT has partnered with the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) to contribute to the society's HandCare.org blog, a great resource for patients and the public.

View some of ASHT's latest contributions to the HandCare.org blog: