Hand & Wrist
Hand and wrist pain has diverse causes. For instance, causes include trauma like fractures or tears. Additionally, chronic issues include tendinitis, CTS, or arthritis. Indeed, complex anatomy makes diagnosis challenging. Therefore, identifying the cause needs careful specialist evaluation. Often, imaging like X-rays or MRI helps this process. Ultimately, this ensures an accurate diagnosis.
Fortunately, many evidence-based treatments are available after diagnosis. Specialists then tailor treatments to the condition and patient. Often, conservative care includes immobilization, therapy, and injections. If needed, surgery aims to restore function and ease pain.
View Common Conditions
An Overview of Hand and Wrist Orthopedics: Conditions, Diagnosis & Care
Hand and wrist pain has diverse causes. Causes include trauma like fractures or tears. Chronic issues include tendinitis, CTS, or arthritis. Complex anatomy makes diagnosis challenging. Identifying the cause needs careful specialist evaluation. Imaging like X-rays or MRI often helps. This ensures an accurate diagnosis.
Many evidence-based treatments are available after diagnosis. Specialists tailor treatments to the condition and patient. Conservative care includes immobilization, therapy, and injections. Surgery aims to restore function and ease pain.
- Overuse injuries from repetitive use or motion often cause pain around joints. A common example is tendinitis, which is the inflammation of a tendon. This condition frequently results from repetitive strain activity.
- Another cause of inflammation in the wrist or hand area is carpal tunnel syndrome. Repetitive use often leads to this issue. Inflammation can compress the hand's median nerve. This nerve irritation causes worsening symptoms over time. Look for pain, numbness, or tingling sensations. These affect the wrist, hand, or fingers.
- Arthritis affects cartilage within the joint. As a result, this can cause joint stiffness and pain. Furthermore, it may also limit range of motion. Beyond arthritis, joint cartilage can also tear from other injuries. Specifically, sports or collisions often cause these cartilage tears. In addition to cartilage damage, falls or collisions can fracture hand or wrist bones. In some instances, these fractures may require surgical repair. Finally, soft tissue injuries are also common; muscle injuries (strains) can affect this area. Likewise, ligament injuries (sprains) frequently impact the hand and wrist.
- A cyst in the area, or a ganglion cyst, is often not a direct source of pain, but it may become painful if it worsens or begins to compress other structures, like a nerve.
Common Hand & Wrist Treatments
Hand & Wrist Conditions: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options
Experiencing pain? If so, it’s important to seek help from healthcare professionals, such as your primary care physician (PCP) or a physical therapist. Indeed, they can accurately diagnose the cause of your pain and subsequently explore suitable treatment options with you.
- Physical therapy or occupational therapy, often provided by a certified hand therapist, effectively treats hand and wrist pain. Your therapist begins by thoroughly evaluating your specific pain and condition. They collaborate with you to develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your needs.
- Effective pain relief treatment plans often include specific exercises and manual therapy techniques, such as soft tissue mobilization. Modalities like heat or ice therapy may also be used to manage pain. Furthermore, your plan might involve lifestyle adjustments, home modifications, and valuable patient education about your body and condition.
- Your physician might prescribe medications or therapeutic injections for pain and inflammation relief. These medical treatments often supplement other care, like physical therapy. In some situations, hand or wrist surgery may be discussed as a necessary treatment option.
Possible Treatments for Hand & Wrist Conditions
OUR HAND & WRIST SPECIALISTS
Complex hand and wrist surgery demands a highly trained orthopedic hand surgeon specialist. The fellowship-trained hand and wrist surgeons at Orthopedic ONE utilize their expert training and experience. They provide advanced surgical treatments and the highest quality care for hand and wrist conditions.
If you’re experiencing hand, wrist, or upper extremity pain, seek expert help. Contact Orthopedic ONE today to schedule your consultation. Let our specialists help diagnose your condition and get you on the road to recovery.
These lists are not inclusive of all conditions and procedures. In order to obtain a complete and accurate diagnosis, a physician should assess your individual situation. Following diagnosis, your physician will discuss appropriate treatment options with you – both surgical and non-surgical. Schedule an appointment with an Orthopedic ONE physician.
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Hand & Wrist Frequently Asked Questions
When should I see an orthopedic specialist?
Consider seeing an orthopedic specialist when pain persists, limits your movement or interferes with daily activities. A specialist can identify the cause and discuss surgical and nonsurgical treatment options. Traumatic bone or joint injuries caused by an accident or fall may require immediate orthopedic trauma and fracture care.
What is the difference between an orthopedic surgeon and a sports medicine physician?
An orthopedic surgeon treats conditions affecting the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons and can perform surgery when necessary. Sports medicine focuses on preventing and rehabilitating activity-related injuries.
Orthopedic ONE’s sports medicine program includes primary care sports medicine physicians, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons, athletic trainers and physical therapists. The right provider depends on the condition and whether surgical expertise may be needed.
Can physical therapy help me avoid surgery?
Yes. Physical therapy is often a first-line treatment for musculoskeletal pain and injuries. A treatment plan may include therapeutic exercise, manual treatment, pain-relief techniques, activity changes and injury-prevention education.
For some patients with osteoarthritis, physical therapy and other conservative treatments may help delay or avoid joint-replacement surgery. Learn more about Orthopedic ONE’s approach to joint preservation.