Hand and Wrist Pain and Injury
Advanced Techniques to Diagnose and Treat Hand and Wrist Pain and Injury
Loyola Medicine's hand and wrist pain and injury team includes orthopaedic surgeons who specialize in hand and wrist surgery, pediatric orthopaedics, and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists. Using a team-based approach, our team provides a customized treatment plan for all patients dealing with any hand or wrist pain or injuries.
Our experienced hand and wrist team specializes in treating the most common to the most complex hand and wrist disorders, including traumatic injuries, arthritis, peripheral nerve and congenital problems or any hand paralysis resulting from spinal cord injuries.
What Conditions Does Loyola Treat?
Hand or wrist problems can interrupt your daily activities and quality of life. Loyola's hand and wrist team treats the entire range of hand and wrist conditions, including:
- Arthritis of the hand, thumb and wrist
- Birth abnormalities
- Blunt trauma injuries
- Boutonnière deformity
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Crush injuries
- Dupuytren’s contracture
- Fingertip injuries and amputations
- Flexor tendon injuries
- Fractures of the finger and thumb
- Ganglion cyst of the wrist and hand
- Hand and wrist trauma
- Hand paralysis
- Joint dislocation
- Kienböck’s disease
- Mallet finger (baseball finger)
- Nail bed injuries
- Nerve injuries and peripheral nerve problems
- Occupational disorders or workplace injuries
- Sports injuries
- Sprained wrist or thumb
- Tendon swelling
- Trigger finger
- Ulnar tunnel syndrome of the wrist
How is Hand and Wrist Pain and Injury Diagnosed?
Your Loyola doctor understands how hand and wrist injuries can impact your daily life. First, you will have a thorough physical examination where the doctor will look for bleeding, swelling or malformation, as well as changes to the skin including any paleness, redness or skin texture change. The doctor will also ask whether certain motions are difficult or cause any pain.
In addition to the physical exam, your doctor may recommend testing to determine the cause of your hand or wrist pain. Some of these tests may include:
- CT scan (computed tomography)
- Electrophysiology tests
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- Ultrasound
- X-rays, including stress radiography
What Treatment Options are Available for Hand and Wrist Pain and Injury?
Your Loyola hand and wrist specialists work with you to develop a customized treatment plan that may involve a variety of surgical or nonsurgical options to treat hand and wrist pain and injuries.
Options include:
- Activity changes
- Bracing or splinting
- Medication
- Steroid injections
Hand surgery may be recommended when other options have not been successful. If surgery is required, Loyola’s experienced team will approach your surgery with great care and precision.
Whenever possible, your Loyola doctor will recommend a minimally invasive approach, which has a shorter recovery time than open surgery.
Some of the surgical options include:
- Carpal tunnel procedures
- De Quervain’s tenosynovitis surgery
- Fracture repair of the hand or wrist
- Ganglion cyst removal
- Hand reconstruction
- Microsurgery to reattach amputated parts
- Removal of benign hand tumors
- Replantation (reattaching a finger or thumb)
- Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) surgery
- Wrist arthroscopy
- Wrist joint fusion
- Wrist joint replacement
To regain your normal function and return to normal activities, you may work with rehabilitation specialists or physical medicine doctors. Orthopaedic rehabilitation is a crucial component in regaining full use of your hand.
Loyola's expert orthopaedic rehabilitation team includes highly skilled physical or occupational therapists who specialize in hand therapy.
Request an Appointment
Our skilled orthopaedic surgeons and clinicians are among the best in the nation across all orthopaedic care specialties and will tailor a treatment and rehabilitation plan that’s right for every patient. Schedule an appointment today.
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