Work-related thumb pain in physiotherapists!!!

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Pain is common in the thumbs of physiotherapists. Physiotherapists specially mobilizing spine through their thumb by maitland techniques is a common site in any part of the world. I my self is quite relentless in administering these techniques for last 10 years. In a sense we physios torture our thumb that provides treatment to patients. Wajon A et al did a study and the purpose of this observational study was to investigate whether there is an association between the alignment of the thumb during performance of postero-anterior (PA) pressures and the presence of thumb pain.

The study:
1) After providing a history of any work-related thumb pain, participants applied a PA pressure mimicking the technique they would use on a cervical spine, while the position of their metacarpophalangeal (MP) and interphalangeal (IP) joints was photographed.

2) There was an association (p<0.05)>

3) These findings serve as a guide to the safe performance of mobilization techniques, both for beginning practitioners and for experienced therapists complaining of thumb pain.

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