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Exploring the characteristics and experiences of US and Canadian hand therapists with thumb pain
Jenna Lemon1, Jeanine Beasley2, Dianna Lunsford3
1South Bend Orthopaedics, South Bend, IN, United States.
Background:
Certified hand therapists commonly experience thumb pain as they utilize their thumbs daily to perform treatment interventions. Research available on this topic is limited.
Purpose:
To examine current thumb pain experienced by certified hand therapists practicing in the United States and Canada.
Study Design:
Descriptive.
Methods:
ASHT members with self-reported thumb pain were recruited via email to participate in a 31-question survey (based on established surveys) related to thumb pain, aggravating tasks, and treatment options. An ordinal logistic regression model was utilized to interpret the coefficients and the relationship between variables. Free-response qualitative data were coded and themed.
Results:
A total of 197 certified hand therapists with current thumb pain met the inclusion criteria for the study (92% occupational therapists, 8% physical therapists). Most participants had bilateral carpometacarpal joint thumb pain with 39% of certified hand therapists (n = 77) reporting daily pain. Various activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living were reported as difficult to perform due to thumb pain. Manual massage was the most reported work-related task to contribute to pain. Joint protection techniques, orthoses, and taping were commonly reported interventions to self-treat pain.
Conclusions:
Certified hand therapists' thumb pain impacts both their work and daily lives. Future research is needed to explore the effectiveness of joint protection techniques and adaptations to determine how to decrease thumb pain for certified hand therapists and to promote longevity of the therapists' careers.
