Wondering If It’s Time to Contact a Hand Doctor Near You? Here Are the Signs That You Should
Imagine for a moment that you suddenly lost the ability to button your shirt or brush your teeth. What would you do if you could no longer cook, drive a car, or operate a keyboard?
When hand problems arise, they can interfere with routine activities, reduce overall quality of life, and even lead to long-term disability.
Naturally, this begs the question, “How do I know when to contact an orthopedic hand doctor near me?”
Proactively addressing hand concerns greatly reduces your risk of incurring irreversible damage. Keep reading to explore the most common conditions hand doctors treat and the surgical and non-surgical treatment options they use.
Common Hand Conditions Treated By Orthopedic Hand Doctors
Orthopedic hand doctors specialize in diagnosing and treating a variety of conditions that affect the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves of the hand. Here are some of the most common conditions they treat and the typical treatments for each.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome, sometimes referred to as carpal tunnel, occurs when the median nerve, which runs through the wrist, becomes compressed or pinched. Repetitive hand movements, prolonged computer use, or activities that put pressure on the wrist commonly cause carpal tunnel syndrome, resulting in numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand, especially in the thumb, index, and middle fingers.
Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome may have multiple treatment options.
- Non-surgical: Hand doctors often use immobilizing wrist splints, anti-inflammatory medications, or activity modification as the first wave of treatment. Contact a hand doctor for a carpal tunnel consultation to determine whether your condition has progressed.
- Surgical: In severe cases, orthopedic hand doctors perform outpatient carpal tunnel release surgery to permanently relieve pressure on the median nerve.
Arthritis
Arthritis is a common condition that affects the joints, causing pain, stiffness, swelling, reduced mobility, and difficulty grasping objects. There are several types of arthritis that can affect the hands, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis.
Arthritis treatment options can include both surgical and non-surgical approaches.
- Non-surgical: Hand doctors often treat arthritis with anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid injections, and physical therapy.
- Surgical: Your hand doctor may recommend joint fusion or joint replacement surgery for severe cases of arthritis.
Hand Fractures
Hand fractures occur when one or more of the bones in the hand break, often as a result of trauma, falls, or sports-related injuries.
The type of treatment depends on the severity and location of the break.
- Non-surgical: Hand doctors often use splints or braces to immobilize the hand and allow the bone to heal.
- Surgical: In cases where the bone is displaced, your hand doctor may resort to surgery to realign and stabilize the bone using pins or screws.
Dupuytren’s Disease
Dupuytren’s Disease is a progressive condition that affects the connective tissue in the palm, causing thickened tissue to form abnormal nodules or cords under the skin. This often causes the fingers pulling into a bent position, making it difficult to straighten them.
Dupuytren’s disease treatment depends on the severity of disease progression.
- Non-surgical: Orthopedic hand doctors use steroid injections or enzyme injections to soften the cords.
- Surgical: In severe cases, hand doctors perform a surgery that cuts or removes the thickened tissue.
Sports-Related Injuries
Sports-related injuries, such as sprains, strains, and dislocations, are common in the hands due to the physical demands and high-contact nature of certain sports. These injuries typically cause pain, swelling, and limited mobility in the hand or wrist.
Treatment options for sports-related hand injuries will vary.
- Non-Surgical: Hand doctors recommend rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE), as well as physical therapy.
- Surgical: Surgery may be required for severe ligament tears, tendon injuries, or complex fractures.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis is characterized by inflammation or irritation of the tendons. In the hands, tendonitis often affects the tendons around the wrist and thumb. Your doctor may treat your tendonitis using conservative methods first, before resorting to more invasive surgical procedures.
- Non-surgical: Hand doctors recommend anti-inflammatory medications, splinting, rest, and corticosteroid injections.
- Surgical: Your orthopedic hand doctor may recommend tendon release surgery in chronic cases that do not respond to conservative treatment.
Ganglion Cysts
Ganglion cysts are non-cancerous lumps that typically develop along the tendons or joints of the hands and wrists. These cysts cause discomfort, weakness, or a limited range of motion.
- Non-surgical: Hand doctors recommend draining the cyst’s fluid and splinting to reduce movement and discomfort.
- Surgical: Surgical removal of the cyst may be necessary if it causes significant symptoms or frequently recurs.
Trigger Finger
Trigger finger, or stenosing tenosynovitis, occurs when the flexor tendon in the finger becomes inflamed or swollen, causing the finger to lock or catch in a bent position. This condition can make it difficult to straighten or bend the affected finger.
Trigger finger treatment options can include a surgical procedure, but other, less invasive options are available.
- Non-surgical: Orthopedic hand doctors typically recommend rest, gentle stretching exercises, splinting, anti-inflammatory medications, and corticosteroid injections.
- Surgical: In severe trigger finger cases, your hand doctor may recommend surgery to release the affected tendon.
Hand Doctor Recommendations That Help Prevent Hand Conditions
Although some hand conditions are the result of trauma or overuse, others, such as arthritis or Dupuytren’s disease, may develop due to genetic factors or underlying health conditions.
Take these steps to protect your hands and reduce the risk of developing certain hand conditions.
- Practice safe lifting techniques, especially when handling heavy or awkward objects.
- Give your hands a break when performing repetitive tasks, such as typing, knitting, or using tools.
- Use proper sports equipment and protective gear.
- Regularly exercise to maintain flexibility and strength.
- Address hand pain and discomfort at the earliest possible stages to avoid severe complications.
How to Schedule an Appointment With a Hand Doctor Near You
Hands are essential in nearly every common task that we do, whether it’s getting the kids ready for school, using tools on the job site, or grocery shopping. Pain, lack of mobility, or hand swelling can make even the easiest of tasks seem more difficult. However, you don’t have to suffer in silence.
The physicians at Mid-America Orthopedics specialize in diagnosing and treating hand conditions that limit functionality and reduce quality of life. Contact our experienced hand doctors for a carpal tunnel exam, arthritis treatment, or a tendonitis consultation. Our orthopedic hand doctors can help you find relief and get back to your daily routine with confidence.
Schedule an appointment today by calling (316) 630-9300. You can also email us using our contact form.