There are a number of injuries, conditions, and disorders that can affect your hands and cause pain or reduced function. If you have a hand condition that is preventing you from carrying out your normal day to day activities, a hand doctor can help you find the solution.
A hand doctor is an orthopedic doctor who specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing disorders and injuries in the hand. They have a profound understanding of the complex networks of blood vessels, nerves, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones that make up the hand and fingers. They can work with individuals who have a hand injury or condition, are experiencing problems with mobility and movement, or have chronic pain.
Some hand conditions and injuries are short-term and will go away on their own or with rest and ice therapy. But a lot of issues require further investigation and treatment from a hand doctor to have a successful outcome. Contact your hand doctor if:
- Symptoms don’t improve with rest and ice therapy
- You experience pain or discomfort, even while resting the hand
- You have a reduced range of motion in the hand, wrist, and/or fingers
- Pain, redness, or swelling gets worse
- You experience tingling or numbness regularly in your hands
- Normal, everyday activities like brushing your hair or preparing meals are causing pain or becoming difficult
Some symptoms can indicate a serious condition, such as a fracture or dislocation, and require urgent treatment. This can include severe pain, swelling and bruising around a joint, an obvious deformity, or an inability to move your hand, wrist, or finger normally.
What Can A Hand Doctor Treat?
There are many disorders and injuries that can affect the hand and cause pain. For example, pain, bruising, and swelling as a result of a sudden injury or direct blow to the hand indicate an injury that needs treatment. Other conditions can get worse gradually over time, they are often the result of overuse or repetitive movements which can place stress on tendons, nerves, and joints. Arthritis is one of the most common conditions to cause hand pain and reduced mobility.
Arthritis can affect joints anywhere in the body, including the hands. It causes pain, stiffness, loss of function, and immobility in the joints. There are two main types of arthritis that affect the hands including osteoarthritis, which is often the result of overuse, and wear and tear. Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage that protects and cushions the end of the bones to break down, resulting in painful bone on bone rubbing.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic and progressive autoimmune disease that affects joints. It causes the body’s immune system to attack the membrane that protects and lines the joints resulting in inflammation, pain around joints, and a loss of function and mobility.
A number of other conditions and injuries can affect the hands leading to pain or limited function. A hand doctor can help treat all of them. Examples include:
- Tendon disorders and injuries (trigger thumb/finger, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, flexor and extensor injuries, mallet finger, boutonniere deformities)
- Hand and finger fractures (Bennett’s and Boxer’s fractures)
- Nerve injuries or disorders (Carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndromes)
- Sports/work related hand injuries (sprains, skier’s thumb)
- Bursitis
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
- Congenital hand differences
- Ganglion cysts
- Dislocations
Hand Doctors of Maryland
If you are experiencing pain or reduced mobility in your hand, talk to the hand experts at Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder. Our orthopedic surgeons are able to provide state-of-the-art nonsurgical and surgical care of the full range of hand and finger injuries and conditions.
Call us today at (410) 296-6232 to schedule a consultation or use our online appointment request form. We look forward to serving you!
