Hand and wrist

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Common hand and wrist problems can significantly affect daily activities. Here are some of the most typical issues, their causes, symptoms, and treatments:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:

• Causes: Compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. This compression can be due to repetitive hand movements, wrist fractures, arthritis, or other medical conditions.
• Symptoms: Numbness, tingling, and pain in the thumb, index, middle, and part of the ring finger. Weakness and difficulty gripping objects may also occur.
• Treatments: Resting the hand, using wrist splints at night, over-the-counter pain medications, corticosteroid injections, physical therapy, and in severe cases, surgery to release the pressure on the median nerve.

De Quervain's Tenosynovitis:

• Causes: Inflammation of the tendons in the thumb and wrist, typically due to overuse or repetitive thumb movements.
• Symptoms: Pain and tenderness at the base of the thumb, swelling, difficulty gripping or pinching objects.
• Treatments: Rest, avoiding repetitive thumb movements, applying ice, over-the-counter pain medications, splinting the thumb and wrist, corticosteroid injections, and in severe cases, surgery.

Trigger Finger (Stenosing Tenosynovitis):

• Causes: Inflammation and thickening of the tendons in the fingers, leading to difficulties in finger movement.
• Symptoms: The finger gets stuck in a bent position and may snap or pop when straightened. Pain and tenderness at the base of the affected finger.
• Treatments: Rest, avoiding repetitive finger movements, splinting the affected finger, corticosteroid injections, and in severe cases, surgery to release the affected tendon sheath.

Ganglion Cysts:

• Causes: Non-cancerous cysts that form on or around tendons or joints in the hand or wrist.
• Symptoms: A soft, round lump under the skin, usually painless, but may cause discomfort if pressing on a nerve.
• Treatments: Observation (as some cysts may resolve on their own), aspiration (draining the fluid from the cyst with a needle), or surgical removal.

Wrist Sprains and Fractures:

• Causes: Sudden impact, falls, or excessive force on the wrist can lead to sprains (ligament injuries) or fractures (bone breaks).
• Symptoms: Pain, swelling, bruising, and limited wrist movement.
• Treatments: Rest, ice/heat therapy, immobilization with a splint or cast, pain medications, and physical therapy. Severe fractures may require surgical intervention.

Arthritis (Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis):

• Causes: Degeneration of joint cartilage (osteoarthritis) or autoimmune response (rheumatoid arthritis).
• Symptoms: Joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced range of motion in the hand and wrist.
• Treatments: Pain management with over-the-counter or prescription medications, physical or occupational therapy, splints, corticosteroid injections, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (for rheumatoid arthritis), and in severe cases, surgery.