Hand & Upper Extremities
Our hands serve many purposes. Hands help us eat, dress, write, earn a living, create art, and do many other activities. To do these activities, our hands require sensation and movement, such as joint motion, tendon gliding, and muscle contraction. When we have a problem with our hands, care must be given to all the different types of tissues that allow our hands to function.
What do hand surgeons do?
Hand surgery is the field of medicine that deals with problems of the hand, wrist, and forearm. Hand surgeons care for these problems with and without surgery. They are specially trained to operate when necessary. Many hand surgeons are also experts in diagnosing and caring for shoulder and elbow problems
Why Visit a Hand Surgeon?
If you are having problems with your hands, care must be given to all the different types of tissues that make function of the hand possible.
Not every visit to a hand surgeon results in hand surgery. Hand surgeons often recommend non-surgical treatment options to assist you. Sometimes, they may refer you to a hand therapist for more treatment.
Hand surgeons are specialists in hand care. If you have pain in your fingers, hand, wrist or arm, or have other upper-extremity related concerns, you may want to consult a hand surgeon.
Examples of conditions treated by a hand surgeon are:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Wrist pain
- Cuts on the fingers and hand
- Sports injuries to the hand and wrist
- Creating fingers from toes and other joints
Hand fractures and symptoms
Fractures of the hand can occur in either the small bones of the fingers (phalanges) or the long bones (metacarpals). They often result from a twisting injury, a fall, a crush injury, or direct contact in sports.
Signs and symptoms of a broken bone in the hand include:
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Deformity
- Inability to move the finger
- Shortened finger
- Finger crosses over its neighbor when making a partial fist
- Depressed knuckle