To ask whether physio is meant to make the pain worse?

[sittingonacornflake]

Since DS was born 8 months ago I've had pain in my right (dominant) hand. Not all the time - just when I hold DS in a certain way, lay him down whilst supporting his head, moving him from one position to another that sort thing and more recently it hurts to write and I've had to completely change how I write and am now very slow and messy.

Due back to work soon and take notes in meetings so went to see my GP as do need to sort this. He said it was a tendon issue and referred me to physio. Also suggested I wear a wrist support over night and I bought one with a metal piece in it. This has helped a little.

Physiotherapist said not tendon problem but I've over extended the radial collateral ligament. He's given me some exercises to do 4x a day and a different kind of thumb support.

This was on Thursday and I am now in so much more pain! Where it didn't massively effect me before except for in the circs described above I'm now struggling with the most basic of things - picking up food, putting my hand in a puppet to play with DS hurt enormously and just generally my thumb / hand feels sore all of the time now.

My next appointment isn't for nearly 2 weeks and I'm unsure whether I should be continuing with the exercises / thumb support when it's making my symptoms so much worse?

Has anyone had physio before and know whether this is normal?

I don't think so, did you over do the exercise, can you take ibuprofen

Had a lot of hand and finger injuries (climber) and wouldn't persist with a rehab exercise if it was further aggravating the pain

Sometimes certain exercises may make unused or less used muscles tired, and therefore hurt, but ime that shouldn't be a cumulative build up of pain and should retreat after a couple of days/exercise cycles

@LittleBookofCalm thanks for responding. I don't think I over did it but don't really know - the exercises are little just hold an exercise band in one hand and move the painful hand up and down or side to side against the resistance of the band.

Maybe I have over done it cuz it hurts now!

I'll try ibuprofen see if that helps. I've taken off my thumb support in a huff!

I am a physio.
Like easyandy said, You would expect some exercises to make muscles ache or maybe some discomfort.
However the sort of increase in pain you are having isn't right.
Stop the ones that hurt.
You could ring them tomorrow to ask advice, they might be able to bring the appointment forwards, or suggest for example doing them without the resistance band or less reps.

I had similar when I was pregnant with my eldest that went all the way to being tendonitis when he was born. My GP called it "mother's thumb" from the way I was holding him. Not my dominant writing hand but my dominant baby hand. I had pain through the thumb joint and down into the wrist and my physio did aggravate it slightly but not to that extent. In the end I went back to my GP who gave me a steroid injection in my wrist and it cleared up almost immediately.

Thanks all for the advice! Much appreciated.