Short-term effects of self-mobilization with a strap on pain and range of motion of the wrist joint in patients with dorsal wrist pain when weight bearing through the hand: a case series.

Dorsal wrist pain frequently occurs in weight bearing through the hand in patients with distal radius stress injuries, scaphoid impaction syndrome, and dorsal impingement. To improve the wrist extension motion, joint mobilization has been used. However, there is no report on the effects of mobilization on the range of motion (ROM) and pain onset in patients with dorsal wrist pain when weight bearing through the hand. This study determined the effects of self-mobilization with a strap (SMWS) while weight bearing through the hand on the ROM and force generated at the onset of pain (FGOP) and intensity in the wrist joints of patients with dorsal wrist pain. Fifteen patients (six men, nine women) with dorsal wrist pain during weight bearing through the hand were recruited from a workplace-based work-conditioning center. SMWS was applied during five visits for a 1-week period. Both passive and active wrist extension ROM, FGOP, and pain intensity (PI) while pushing down through the hand were measured before and after SMWS. Passive and active ROM of wrist extension and FGOP increased significantly after the five sessions over 1 week of SMWS (p < 0.05). PI decreased significantly after the five sessions of SMWS (p < 0.05). These results suggest that SMWS can be used to increase wrist extension ROM and decrease wrist pain in patients with dorsal wrist pain during weight bearing through the hand.