HAND & WRIST CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS
Let's talk Hand & Wrist
Snapping. Thumbs up. Fist bumps. Hang loose. Typing on a keyboard. Our hands and wrists allow us to be incredibly verbal without saying a word. They allow us to perform tasks that put them to test every single day. They are extremely complex designs that can output a great amount of work, but that are also constantly susceptible to injury.
These injuries span the spectrum from finger jams to wrist sprains to carpal tunnel. With this wide variation of possible injuries, there exist a number of treatments to get our hands and wrists back into working order. Dr. Tessier will examine your injury or painful situation and diagnosis your particular condition. Once your condition is figured out, your path to pain relief will soon follow.
ABOUT HAND & WRIST PAIN
The human hand consists of 27 bones. The wrist is made up of 8 carpal bones. That’s not even including the ligaments, tissue and bundles of nerves that make up the complete hand and wrist combination. When you’re dealing with that many moving (and necessary) parts on a daily basis, the possibility of injury is bound to happen from time to time. It’s these injuries than can be as simple as a cramp or jammed finger, or more serious like fractures and carpal tunnel syndrome. But that’s just the (finger)tip of the iceberg.
HAND & WRIST CONDITIONS
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Repetitive motion syndrome. Muscular conditions from repeated motions done in the course of normal daily activities.
- Triangular fibrocartilage tear. Injury to the cartilage structure that cushions/supports the wrist’s small carpal bones.
- Wrist tendonitis. When the tendons connecting muscle to bone in the wrist have swollen.
- Wrist bursitis. When the wrist experiences repeated trauma and becomes swollen and inflamed.
- Ganglion cyst. A benign lump on or near the tendons or joints of wrists and hands.
- Wrist sprain. When the tissues connecting the bones and joints of the wrist and hand are overstretched or torn.
HAND & WRIST PAIN TREATMENT OPTIONS
Be it hands, fingers or wrist, there are several treatments Dr. Tessier can administer to help alleviate and manage your pain. Aside from the basics – rest and ice – the following are possible discomfort relieving procedures:
- Home treatment. As we said, rest is the first option. Additionally, over-the-counter pain medication can help reduce inflammation and pain.
- Splints. Wearing a wrist splint will help to inhibit movement so the injured area can properly heal.
- Exercises. Wrist exercises may help to both loosen tight muscles and tendons, as well as strengthen the hand or wrist. The particular types of physical therapy exercise required will be decided by Dr. Tessier.
- Cortisone injections. Minimally invasive injections that decrease inflammation and reduce pain.
- Carpal tunnel surgery. As a last resort, and often in the case of severe carpal tunnel syndrome, surgery may be necessary. The type and extent of surgery will depend on both the patient’s particular condition.
- Surgical wrist fusion. Used in cases of extreme arthritis, this surgery fuses carpal bones in the wrist with or without additional bone grafts.
- Wrist ligament reconstruction. A tendon will be grafted from one part of the body and added to your wrist to replace a damaged one.
- Wrist arthroscopy. A minimally invasive technique that permits the surgeon to explore and operate on the wrist joint.