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:

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:

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.