Hand & Wrist
Hand & Wrist Injuries and Conditions
What can we do without our hands? Not much. They help us with virtually everything we do all day, from tying shoes to lifting groceries or brushing our teeth. The hand is one of the most complex parts of the body made up of dozens of muscles, tendons, nerves, ligaments, and bones. Damage to any one of these critical structures can cause pain, loss of motion, dysfunction, or even numbness or tingling in the hand. Being such an important tool in our daily activities, this damage can hinder our entire daily routine.
It’s important to see a medical professional any time you experience hand or wrist pain that doesn’t improve with simple treatment such as ice, over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, or rest/activity modification.
Common causes of hand pain include:
- Tendinitis/Tenosynovitis
- Arthritis
- Trigger finger
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
- Ganglion cysts
- Fractures in the hand
- Injuries to ligaments
Common causes of wrist pain include:
- Fractures
- Ligament injuries (scapholunate ligament)
- TFCC tears
- Tendonitis
- Synovitis
- Ganglion cyst
- Nerve compression syndromes
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid/Inflammatory arthritis
Gulf Orthopaedics will review your symptoms and evaluate the appearance, mobility, and strength of your hand to understand the source of pain. Your physician will use diagnostic imaging such as in-office X-ray or ultrasound to evaluate the damage to the bones or soft tissues of the hands. A specialized treatment plan may include:
- Activity modification
- Modalities such as ice, heat, or topical agents
- Use of brace or hand splint
- Corticosteroid injections
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication
- Surgical management
- Additional imaging including CT, MRI or EMG/NCS (nerve studies)