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The “Big 5” Common Hand Disorders & Their Treatments
The “Big 5” Common Hand Disorders & Their Treatments
Our hands are incredibly versatile and vital parts of our bodies, allowing us to perform a wide range of activities and tasks. Sometimes, there can be hand conditions and hand disorders that affect anyone, from young children to the elderly, and they may range from minor annoyances to more severe hand conditions requiring surgery. In this blog, we will explore five common hand disorders and their treatments, shedding light on the importance of seeking timely medical attention to maintain hand health.
1- Carpal tunnel syndrome
When the median nerve is compressed because of the swelling in the carpal tunnel (space in the wrist), it causes carpal tunnel syndrome.
Symptoms
- Numbness, burning, tingling, hand and finger pain
- Wrist, hand, and elbow pain
- Feeling the sensation of a fake swollen hand
- Week grip
- It was challenging to pick up small items
- In one or both hands, delicate finger movement problem
Treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome:
- Physiotherapy
- Bracing or splinting for immobilizing and resting the wrist
- Taking oral anti-inflammatory medications
- Steroids injections
- Lifestyle modification for reducing strain on the wrist
- Activity changes
- Nerve gliding exercises
- Doctors perform Carpal tunnel release surgery to release the pressure in the median nerve and alleviate symptoms by cutting the carpal ligament.
2- Trigger finger
In this condition, the flexor tendons in the fingers or thumb are affected, limiting finger movements. It is also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, the stucking of fingers or thumb in a bent position and then suddenly popping straight.
Symptoms:
- Stiff fingers
- pooping and clicking sensation with finger movements
- Bump or tenderness in the palm
- Catching or locking of fingers and thumb
Treatment for trigger finger:
- Corticosteroid injections: In the affected thumb or finger, doctors inject liquid corticosteroids, which reduce swelling and allow free movement of tendons in the finger and thumb.
- Rest and sleeping help in alleviating symptoms.
- Tenolysis surgical treatment frees a tendon from adhesions, resulting in free movement of fingers.
3- Arthritis
It is one of the most common hand disorders in which there is inflammation in the joint lining tissues and causes swelling, pain, and joint damage.
The two most common types of arthritis are:
Osteoarthritis: In this wear-and-tear arthritis, the protective cartilage joints in hands and wrists wear away over time.
Rheumatoid arthritis: The lining of the joints in the hand, wrist, and knee swell and wear away. The cartilage line is attacked in rheumatoid arthritis.
Symptoms of arthritis:
- Swelling
- Lack of strength
- Grinding inside hand joints
- Cyst on fingers
- Warmth because of inflammation
Treatment for arthritis:
- Anti-inflammatory medications help in reducing pain and inflammation.
- Therapies such as hydrotherapy, stretching, massage, and acupuncture
- Splinting for straightening and supporting joints.
- Practicing yoga gives relief from pain.
- Dietary supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin.
- Assistive devices like braces, canes, and orthotics support reduce stress.
- Surgeries such as joint replacement, joint fusion, synovectomy, and arthroscopy can help in treating the symptoms of arthritis.
- Acupuncture
4- Ganglion cysts
Ganglion cysts are non-cancerous lumps that develop on or around the tendons, hand, and wrist joints. Ganglion cyst ranges from pea-size to an inch in diameter and causes pain when the cyst puts pressure on a nerve in the hand.
Symptoms
- Noticing a lump
- Pain and tenderness during extended use of the hand
- Lump changing in size or disappearing spontaneously and completely
Ganglion cyst treatment includes:
- (Splint or braces: treatment of 2nd choice) The affected hand or wrist can be immobilized by wearing a splint or braces, and keeping it resting helps reduce pain.
- Surgery: An excision to remove the ganglion cyst surgery is recommended for eliminating the giant cell tumors sheath and ganglion cyst, which returns even after aspiration.
5- Dupuytren's disease
The fascia (layer of tissue between palms and fingers) thickens and tightens, causing the fingers to bend towards the palm in Dupuytren’s contracture.
Symptoms:
- Small lump or nodule in the palm
- Plum can’t placed flush with a flat surface
- Hereditary condition
Treatment for Dupuytren’s disease:
- (Collagenase injections: treatment of 2nd choice) Collagenase injections are injected in the tough cords of the hand, and after 1 to 7 days, doctors do a strenuous hand stretch in the patient hand.
- (Needle aponeurotomy: treatment of 2nd choice) A needle is inserted to make holes in the tissues for pulling fingers towards the palm. Then, the fingers will be straightened, separating the tissue and releasing the pull on the fingers.
- Surgery: Surgery is performed by Hand Surgeons to remove the affected tissues and release the contractures in severe cases. Each hand surgery is allways followed by hand therapy (phhsiotherapy)
Consult Dr. Robert Hierner for hand disorder treatment
Dr, Robert Hierner is amongst the most distinguished Hand surgeons in Dubai, having expertise in interdisciplinary treatments such as physiotherapy, neurology, rheumatology, radiotherapy, anesthesia, and hand surgery to treat the hand area optimally.
Currently, he is working as an exclusive hand surgeon at the Fakeeh University Hospital, Dubai.
He has a broad educational background in national and international top centers encompassing more than 30 years of experience. He can offer the most modern procedures effortlessly.
Book an appointment now.
