Even though Spring is officially around the corner, many parts of the country are still experiencing winter storms. Snowy and icy conditions often lead to wrist fractures caused by a fall on an outstretched hand (FOOSH). There are a few tricks to the trade to effectively rehab these mishaps. The 3pp Wrist Wrap NP  and the 3pp Wrist POP are examples of supports that can help individuals recover from wrist pain related to strains and sprains, post-operative, or post casting after a FOOSH ..read more

Trigger thumb is a common condition marked by pain and limited mobility in the affected thumb. Symptoms often include an audible 'catching' or locking of the joint during movement, as if pressing on a trigger. While potential causes like rheumatoid arthritis, gout, diabetes and trauma may increase risk factors - the true cause remains unknown. Symptoms of Trigger Thumb Audible popping sound and pain upon flexion and extension Thumb catches or gets stuck in flexion and may need to be pulled straight ..read more

Causes of Swan Neck Deformity At first glance, diagnosing Swan Neck Deformity seems like a "no brainer". You have visual confirmation of hyperextension of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint and flexion of the distal interphalangeal (DIP). The finger is contorted into the shape of a swan neck. And, your patient has Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Yes. Swan Neck Deformity does show up in about half of all RA patients; but, there are a surprising number of other causes, including Cerebral Palsy, Lupus, Stroke, Parkinson’s Disease (PD), Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Marfans, post-traumatic ..read more

Introducing 3pp Clinic Connect Much has changed in the last year, but it has not changed our commitment to healthcare providers and their patients. We are proud to introduce our NEW 3pp Clinic Connect program to better serve healthcare professionals and offer a new convenient way to Stay informed, Stay updated and Stay connected with 3 Point Products ..read more

There are a variety of wrist injuries that can occur from a traumatic fall on an outstretched hand. These injuries are termed FOOSH (fall on an outstretched hand) injuries. Probably the most well-known FOOSH is a distal radius fracture, which is identified and treated first by a physician. As a health care professional, you may be seeing an increase in referrals for wrist pain from falls this time of year, now may be a good time to review the clinical signs used to find other FOOSH injuries ..read more

The CMCcare Thumb Brace functional design leaves the ulnar side of the hand free and stabilizes the CMC to allow unimpeded function for excellent patient compliance.  Features of the CMCcare include ..read more

What is Ehlers Danlos Syndrome  Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is an inherited condition of a collection of connective tissue disorders, of which the hypermobile type is the most common. Individuals with Hypermobile EDS classically present with hyperextensible joints and skin.  Research statistics on EDS suggest the prevalence of the disorder is 1 in 2,500 to 1 in 5,000, but due to difficulty recognizing and accurately diagnosing the Hypermobility Type, the incidence is suspected to be much greater.  ..read more

Summer is here and working in the gardens and flower beds and pulling up the weeds is in full swing. This work may help the landscaping look beautiful, but for those with osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb, the force from pinching and pulling at the weeds can leave thumbs hurting. While textbooks and older research studies discuss using an orthosis, paraffin, gentle AROM, and joint protection techniques to address the pain and limited function associated with trapeziometacarpal arthritis (TMC), more recent studies highlight the potential benefit of stabilization and proprioceptive exerci ..read more

Clients with lateral epicondylitis (also known as tennis elbow) consistently appear on my schedule. As therapists, we know that swinging the tennis racket is not the only possible cause of this diagnosis. Lateral epicondylitis is due to a degenerative process at the poorly vascularized origin of the wrist extensors on the boney prominence at the lateral elbow. It is often contributed to over use of the wrist extensors. Individuals with this diagnosis often describe pain at the lateral elbow that is persistent, very uncomfortable and limiting ..read more

Osteoarthritis (OA), or the degeneration of a joint, commonly occurs at the base of the thumb. OA at this joint is diagnosed with conventional radiographs (x-rays), but often can be recognized based on symptoms. Symptoms occur predominantly with pain at the base of the thumb, especially when performing tasks that require a pinch (i.e. pulling on socks ..read more