Post Trapeziectomy Hand Therapy

Trish9556

Hi All

I hope this is permitted, I have attached here the PDF document my brilliant hand therapist gave me in 2020 which I stuck to religiously and it works. @Zuccho77 following our chats on your threads you might like to try these.

I hope others find it useful. Please ignore the notes in the margins - recovery isn't a one size fits all.

The number of reps started at 3-4 and increased to 5 reps at least five times dailhy.

I am always willing to help if anyone has a problem/query that I might be able to help with.

I should add that I have noted that patients tend to be kept in plaster for 4 weeks now whereas my wonderful surgeon took mine off after 2 weeks so I assume recovery is now taking much longer because of this the joints are much stiffer.

The only hand therapy I am qualified in is as a Trapeziectomy survivor - these were written by a qualfied hand therapist as I have previously stated.

Good luck everyone and please let me know how you get on.

Trish xx

Hand Therapy 3.pdf

Hand Therapy 2.pdf

Zuccho77

Thank you so much for this. I wasn’t given anything and told only to do 2 exercises. I’m back tomorrow so will see where I am at. Still have loads of swelling though and discolouration.

Trish9556

@GmG

Try the attached

Trish

Scotmac01

Thank you very much for this! Today I was referred for a trapeziectomy and I am very scared about it. I am sure that having these exercises will really help with my recovery.

Trish9556

Hi @scotmac

Thank you, I'm glad you find them helpful. If you need anything else please give me a shout or message me on here - I'm about to have my hip replacement tomorrow so will be away for a few days

Trish xx

noddingtonpete

Hope the op goes well @Trish9556 and wishing you a speedy recovery

Janlyn

@Trish9556 Just wishing you well and hoping your op was successful, take care, x

Scotmac01

Hi @Trish9556 thank you. Hope your surgery went smoothly, and that you are doing well.

Trish9556

Yes thank you @scotmac01

Six weeks post thr and i've been discharged and ferling good

Trish X

ZoeRoll

Hi!
I’m due to have this surgery at the end of august and wondered if I could get others opinions! I’ve had my fingers fused on the other hand and am now down for the trapez on my thumb. With the fusing my fingers are now locked straight, with the trap am I right in thinking you can still (after recovery) move your thumb around and use it to grip etc? Thanks for any opinions! x

claudsl

Hi @ZoeRoll - Welcome to the Online Community. We are a friendly and supportive group and I hope that will be your experience as well.

I hope this group can be beneficial to you and that you can connect with other people who have had this surgery. I have found a previous thread on the subject of Trapeziectomy surgery, there are a few comments on there which you could have a read through. Hopefully this will help answer some of your questions!

All the best for the surgery, I really hope it all goes well for you.

Thanks, Claudia

https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/62257/trapeziectomy-or-thumb-joint-replacement

Trish9556

Hi @ZoeRoll

I had my trapeziectomy in October 2020 and had full use of my thumb back and was working as a full time PA within 6 weeks of surgery.

It is hard work and the post op exercises are painful but as long as you persevere you hopefully should regain full movement

I was in plaster with a huge 'marshamallow sling' (my grandson's choice of words, it was foam lol) for 2 weeks post surgery. I then had the plaster removed and a hand therapist fitted me with a small hard splint and went through the exercises which I attached to this thread originally. My surgeon was wonderful. Once your wound has healed, rub some E45 into it regularly. You need the stuff in a jar and not the bottle of lotion.

Good luck

Trish

ZoeRoll

thank you so much for such a fast and thorough response I really appreciate it as was starting to fear the surgery and thinking I would end with very limited movement so great to hear your story. Thank you xx

ZoeRoll

just to confirm you didn’t have a joint replacement did you you had the removal of the joint? I think that’s the trapeziectomy? Mine is planned to be a joint replacement but as my bones are apparently so poor they’ve advised it prob won’t be possible and will prob end in joint removal

Trish9556

Hi @ZoeRoll

Yes, I had the trapeziectomy joint removal :)

trish xx

ZoeRoll

amazing thank you for confirming

xx