Hand and Wrist Pain: Common Injuries and Conditions
Hand and wrist pain can stem from a variety of factors, from simple injuries to complex conditions. At Resurgens Orthopaedics, our physicians specialize in many surgical and non-surgical treatments to improve hand and wrist pain.
Keep reading to learn more about common hand and wrist injuries and conditions that can lead to discomfort or pain. Regardless of the cause of your hand and wrist pain, Resurgens Orthopaedics is ready to help.
What Causes Hand and Wrist Pain?
The hand and wrist are complex and delicate structures, making them prone to a variety of injuries and conditions, which can make daily life difficult.
The first step towards treating hand and wrist pain is to diagnose the cause. Once we understand the source, your Resurgens Orthopaedics physician will work with you to develop a treatment plan for your condition.
Common Hand and Wrist Injuries
Hand and wrist injuries can occur from regular, day-to-day activities (such as writing or cooking) or from more intense movement including sports or intense events (including car accidents or falls). Follow the links below to watch educational videos about the different types of hand and wrist injuries.
Animal Bites to the Hand
Animal bites to the hand are the most common type of animal bites. While the risk of rabies from a cat or dog bite is rare, the risk of developing a bacterial infection is still present. Even if the animal has been vaccinated, there is a large presence of bacteria in the animal's saliva.
Boutonniere Deformity
Boutonniere deformity is an injury to the tendons that control the middle joints of your finger. This injury can develop due to a cut or laceration to the finger. As a result of this injury, the finger will no longer straighten.
Boxer's Fracture
A boxer's fracture is a common name for a break of the metacarpal bone that connects the ring finger or little finger to the wrist. This fracture can occur when punching an object with a closed fist, or by direct trauma to the hand.
Broken Wrist
A broken wrist, or distal radius fracture, is a common wrist injury that occurs when the bone in your wrist, on the side of your thumb, breaks. This fracture can happen due to falls or trauma such as a car accident. This injury also happens more frequently as individuals age, because bone density decreases with age.
Colles Fractures
A colles fracture is a break in one or both of the bones in your forearm (called the radius and the ulna) that occurs just above the wrist. This break can happen from sustaining any strong force, but it's most commonly associated with using your hands to break a forward fall.
Dislocated Finger
Finger dislocations are common joint injuries in which the finger bones move apart or sideways beyond their normal range of motion. This causes the ends of the bones to no longer be aligned properly. Finger dislocations can happen from a hard fall, athletic injury, or other trauma.
Fingertip Injuries
Fingertip injuries can involve damage to the skin, soft tissue, nails, and underlying nail beds. They can be caused by accidents at home or work. These injuries range from minor injuries to the skin or nails to larger injuries to the soft tissue or bone, and they can be extremely painful because fingertips have many nerve endings.
Flexor Tendon Injuries
The flexor tendons of the hand are responsible for flexing and bending the fingers and thumb towards the palm. Flexor tendon injuries can cause pain and an inability to bend the finger or grasp with the hand. These injuries include cuts, ruptures, and inflammation due to another condition.
Finger Fractures
Finger fractures, generally known as "broken fingers", happen when the finger bones (phalanges) suffer a fracture due to a direct injury. These fractures can make daily activities difficult and painful.
Hand Fractures
Hand fractures, also called metacarpal fractures, are breaks in one or more bones in the palm or back of the hand from a direct injury. These fractures can be very painful and can interrupt daily activities.
Mallet Finger
Mallet finger, also known as "baseball finger," is an injury to the tendon that keeps the finger's end joint (or DIP joint) straight. The result is drooping of the fingertip. This injury can happen to any finger, including the thumb, and they are most common in people who participate in sports or engage in repetitive activities.
Nerve Injuries of the Hand
Nerve injuries of the hand occur when any of the nerves within the complex nerve system in the hand are damaged. Injuries to these nerves can cause numbness and pain in the hand, which can impact sensory and motor functions needed for daily activities.
Scaphoid Fractures
The scaphoid is a small but important wrist bone located near the base of the thumb. Scaphoid fractures are one of the most common types of wrist fractures and can occur due to a fall or other high-impact event. These fractures can lead to wrist pain, loss of motion, and arthritis if left untreated.
Skier's Thumb
A skier's thumb, or an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury, is a tear or sprain of the UCL in the thumb. This injury most often occurs from overextension or forceful bending during sports or intense physical activity, and leads to thumb instability and pain, as well as struggles to perform regular actions like grasping, gripping, or pinching.
Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) Tears
Triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears are injuries to the cartilage structure that stabilizes the ulna, the bone in your wrist on the pinky side. These injuries often cause wrist pain and instability, although some people feel no symptoms.
Volar Plate Injuries
The volar plate is a structure on the underside of the finger at the middle joint (or PIP joint) that keeps the finger from bending backwards. Volar plate injuries are stretches or tears of the volar plate. This can allow the finger to hyperextend and interfere with normal hand function.
Wrist Sprain
Wrist sprains are common injuries of the ligaments of the wrist. They are caused by abrupt bending or movement in the wrist and can range from mild to severe. There are many different types of sprains, but all can interfere with daily activities.
Hand and Wrist Conditions
In addition to hand and wrist injuries, there are several conditions that can cause hand and wrist pain and discomfort. Our Resurgens Orthopaedics physicians will work with you to determine the cause of your symptoms and create a treatment plan.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in your hand and arm. It is caused by compression of the medial nerve and often occurs due to overuse or repetitive motions in the hand and wrist.
De Quervain's Tenosynovitis
De Quervain's tenosynovitis occurs when the two tendons at the base of the thumb become swollen, causing the tendon casings to swell as well. This condition causes pain and numbness to the hand and wrist. It's sometimes called "texting thumb", but can be caused by any type of thumb overuse.
Digital Mucous Cysts
Digital mucous cysts, or myxoid cysts, are small, fluid-filled sacs that form on the back of the finger, near the base of the fingernail. They are benign cysts that are generally not painful or harmful, but they can indicate other underlying conditions such as osteoarthritis.
Dupuytren's Disease
Dupuytren's disease (or Dupuytren's Contracture) is an inherited disorder that causes the thick layer of tissue on the palm of the hand to thicken. This tissue is called the fascia. This thickened fascia can form lumps or nodules under the skin, or long thick cords of tissue that extend from the palm to the fingers. Although this condition develops slowly, eventually, these bands can cause one or more of your fingers to bend towards your palm.
Ganglion Cysts
Ganglion cysts are fluid-filled sacs that extend from the joint capsule or tendon sheaths into the tissues that surround a joint. They are benign and are associated with osteoarthritis and chronic overuse.
Kienbock's Disease
Kienbock's disease occurs when the blood supply to the lunate bone in the wrist becomes interrupted, causing the bone to deteriorate and die. It can also be known as avascular necrosis (AVN). This disease has several stages that can progress over many months or years.
Paronychia
Paronychia is a mild bacterial nail infection typically occurring on the side of the fingernail. Cases of paronychia that start as acute can become chronic if left untreated. The infection can cause swelling, pain, and irritation.
Raynaud's Phenomenon and Disease
When the body responds to cold and stress, it constricts blood flow to the extremities (called vasoconstriction). Raynaud's phenomenon is an exaggerated form of vasoconstriction that temporarily decreases blood flow, resulting in cold, painful, and discolored fingers.
Swan Neck Deformity
Swan neck deformity is a degenerative condition where the middle finger joint hyperextends while the tip of the finger flexes and points downwards. This condition is most common in the thumb and is often linked to rheumatoid arthritis.
Syndactyly of the Hand
Syndactyly of the hand is a common congenital anomaly. It occurs when two or more fingers are connected together by skin or tissue. The bones of the fingers may also be fused together.
Trigger Digit
Trigger digit or trigger finger, also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, is a narrowing of the tendon sheath in the finger or thumb. It most commonly affects the thumb and ring finger and can cause stiffness and popping sensations when the fingers bend.
Other Conditions Causing Hand and Wrist Pain
The following conditions can impact many joints on the body, not just the hand and wrist. It's important to inform your physician if you have a family history of joint conditions.
Degenerative Joint Disease (Osteoarthritis)
Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is a chronic joint condition and the most common type of arthritis. In the hand, osteoarthritis affects the small joints of the fingers and the base of the thumb. Symptoms include joint swelling, stiffness, and pain.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease found in the joints. It causes the immune system to attack healthy cells in the body by mistake, causing painful swelling in the affected areas.
Don't Wait to Treat Your Hand and Wrist Pain
If you're unsure of what could be causing your hand and wrist pain, the first step in your diagnosis is scheduling an appointment with an expert physician at Resurgens Orthopaedics. We'll carefully review your symptoms with you and help you determine the best course of treatment for your specific case.
Our hand and wrist specialists can help you get your life back from acute or chronic hand and wrist pain. Schedule an appointment with a Resurgens Orthopaedics physician today!