Clenched hand after an individual suffer a stroke is usually the result of severe spasticity, which is caused by disconnection and miscommunication between the brain and the muscles.
If you or a loved one is suffering from curled fingers or a clenched hand after stroke, it is very important to understand how the brain and muscles normally communicate. By understanding the pattern of connection, the path to recovery will become clear. To better understand it well, we will need to know more about clenched hand.
So in this topic, we will discuss what a clenched hand is and what causes it. We will also consider how massage therapy can help survivors recover their clenched hand.
What is a clenched hand?
Also known as curled hand, this occurs when the hand bend, curve or coil from the shoulder to the fingers. In fact, in serious cases the fingers will form a hardened and painful fist. Any attempt to adjust, lift or move the affected hand will generate pains. Even if someone try to assist the survivor open the fingers, it will become curled or folded almost simultaneously. But you might be wondering what causes this condition. In the next section we will see some reasons why it occurs.
What causes a clenched hand?
The brain and nervous system are normally in constant communication with your muscles. It is the brain that tells your muscles when to move, and when to relax.
If the part of the brain that controls hand function suffers damage as a result of stroke, it disrupts the communication between the hand and nervous system. Because of this, the hand muscles tighten up to protect itself, which leads to a clenched hand.
Tight, stiff muscles that occur after stroke is a sign of spasticity. If spasticity is left untreated and unmanaged, it can worsen into a condition known as contracture. This condition is characterized by extreme stiffness in the muscles, joints, or connective tissues and limits range of motion.
It is therefore, very important for stroke survivors to handle cases involving spasticity early to prevent it from developing to contractures. On the other hand, even if spasticity has progressed to contractures, the situation is not hopeless. There are still many effective ways to relax the muscles, even though it may take longer time to recover.
Another cause of clenched hand is neglecting the use of the affected hand, usually due to compensatory behaviors. This is referred to as Learned- non-use. It is a condition that occurs when stroke survivors neglects their limbs and the brain completely disengages from it. This is one of the many ways that the brain demonstrates it’s efficiency, but it can make recovery more difficult for the survivors.
This is why the phrase “use it or lose it” is always emphasized in stroke rehabilitation. To avoid this condition, always endeavor to keep the affected hand engaged in daily activities, even if it is just for a short amount of time. It is equally important to stretch your affected hand regularly on a daily bases. If you neglect the affected hand, it will continue to clench into a tighter fist.
One very effective way of treating a clenched hand is the use of massage therapy. In the sections that follows, we will consider how massage therapy can help survivors recover their clenched hand in short a time. We also present a step by step approach to achieve it. Lastly we look at how a combination of massage therapy and physical therapy exercises can further help survivors regain their clenched hand after stroke.
How Massage Therapy can Stroke survivors recover from Clenched hand.
As you already know, a clenched hand is caused by spasticity and contractures, conditions that tightens, stiffens and hardens the muscles, joints and connective tissues. This makes it extremely difficult and sometimes almost impossible for survivors to move the affected hand, either on their own or by other people.
In such a situation, mobility will be seriously affected or even totally lost on the hand. Signals from the central nervous system will be cut off, as a result contraction and relaxing of the muscles of the affected hand will cease. This will further worsen the paralysis and weakness of the affected hand. In such a situation the following question may need answer: how will massage help restore functions to a severely bad and clenched hand? Find the answer below:
Regaining functions from a clenched hand through massage therapy
To regain functions on clenched hand first you need to relieve the pains, second enhance blood circulation, third reduce swellings, fourth stretch the hand and fingers. The fifth is strengthen the muscles and increase movement and mobilize the hand. Let’s take the points one after another.
Relieve and treat the pains:
Massage will relieve the pains in a matter of days. At the beginning of the use of massage might not be easy because every part of the affected hand is going through sever pains. But the benefits of massage in relieving and treating pains even severe pains caused by contractures can never be overemphasized.
Enhance blood circulation on the affected hand: fluid movement on a clenched hand including blood is significantly impaired. To regain functions, you must restore effective fluid flow especially, blood circulation. With effective blood circulation the return of life to a paralyzed body parts is no more a dream a believable reality.
One therapy that create the environment for early return of effective blood circulation on a clenched hand is massage. Massage will stimulate blood circulation without any side effects. It will help free and open blocked arteries, neutralize any clotting and improve circulation.
Reduce the swellings:
When a hand is clenched the wrist, palm and fingers are especially fat and swollen because of lack effective blood circulation and movement. Ensuring that the swollen areas are treated is an important key to unlocking a clenched hand.
Swellings that occur on a clenched hand is not only because of fluid retention or accumulation, but mostly because of lack of movement. The swellings are usually thick congealed fatty substances that clog around the affected tissues, muscles and joints. This is especially so in cases of prolonged clench. It requires regular and repeated massage to achieve results. But recovery is possible.
Stretch the hand and fingers:
This is part of the massage process. Stretching helps the hand regain movement and allow it to start becoming straight again instead of bending and curving. It also help the palm and fingers to start opening gradually. As soon as you can include stretching during the massage sessions.
Strengthen the muscles: to regain movement and mobility on a clenched hand you must strengthen the weak muscles. Experience therapists include muscle strengthening activities during massage sessions. I will show you how to do so in the next section.
Increase movement and mobilize the hand: as the muscles strengthens, movement will begin a gradual come back. So, including movement in the massage treatment for clenched hand helps to restore functions. The movements should cover from the shoulder to the fingers. Focus on each area at a time.
Summary
Clenched or curled hand, occurs when the hand bend, curve or coil from the shoulder to the fingers.
If the part of the brain that controls hand function suffers damage as a result of stroke, it disrupts the communication between the hand and nervous system. Because of this, the hand muscles tighten up to protect itself, which leads to a clenched hand.
For stroke survivors to regain functions on clenched hand, they need to relieve the pains, enhance blood circulation, reduce swellings, stretch the hand and fingers. They will also need strengthen the muscles and mobilize the hand.
Following these steps with consistency will gradually and progressively help the affected hand recover lost functions to a reasonable degree depending on the level of damage sustained. Regaining functions on a Clenched hand requires patience and determination, but the recovery outlook is bright.
Book to link: Treating and rehabilitating a clenched hand after stroke – the use of massage therapy.