Hand Pain Specialist

What causes hand pain?

Hand pain could be due to a muscle or tendon strain, bruising, or a fracture. Other conditions that cause hand pain include:

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is inflammation of the tendon running through your wrist and thumb. It makes bending or extending your wrist and moving your thumb toward your palm painful, so you have problems gripping and doing everyday activities like writing.

Trigger finger

Trigger finger is where one of your fingers bends and then sticks in position due to narrowing of the affected finger’s tendon sheath. Without treatment, the finger can become locked in its bent position.

Arthritis

Arthritis, the leading cause of chronic joint pain, often affects the fingers. There are different types of arthritis, some due to wear-and-tear like osteoarthritis, while others, including rheumatoid arthritis, are autoimmune disorders. These conditions cause inflammation, pain, swelling, and stiffness in the hands and distort your finger joints.

Other common causes of hand pain include ganglion cysts, carpal tunnel syndrome, and mallet finger.

How is hand pain diagnosed?

To find the cause of your pain, your provider at Martin Orthopedics examines your hands and asks you to make certain movements to check how they function. That often provides sufficient information for a diagnosis, but to confirm it and establish the extent of any damage, you might need to have X-rays or an ultrasound scan.

Conditions involving the nerves, like carpal tunnel syndrome, may also require electromyogram (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) testing to assess your nerve function.

If your provider can’t confirm the cause of your hand pain or needs to see the inside of your wrist in more detail, they may perform minimally invasive arthroscopy. It involves inserting a tiny camera into your wrist to examine the structures.

How is hand pain treated?

Mild hand pain from a muscle strain or the early stages of conditions like trigger finger often improves with rest, physical therapy, and activity modification. You might benefit from wearing a splint if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, and anti-inflammatory medication can help control pain and swelling.

For more serious hand pain, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or stem cell therapy could promote healthy tissue growth. Steroid injections containing powerful anti-inflammatory medication offer a long-term reduction in inflammation and pain.

Do I need surgery for hand pain?

If your hand pain doesn’t improve using non-surgical methods, the Martin Orthopedics team offers advanced surgical options. One common surgery for hand pain is carpal tunnel release, where your surgeon cuts the enlarged ligaments pressing on your median nerve.

The team also repairs or reconstructs damaged tendons, ligaments, and bones. Most of these procedures use minimally invasive arthroscopic techniques that require small incisions rather than a large cut. That approach results in less pain and a faster recovery.

If you have hand pain, get prompt and effective treatment by calling Martin Orthopedics today or booking an appointment online.