Hand & Wrist Care

Trigger finger, also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, is a painful condition that causes stiffness, locking or catching when you bend or straighten your finger. Your flexor tendons run from your forearm muscles to your finger bones, attached by a series of bands. When one of the bands becomes inflamed, it results in trigger finger. Trigger finger is most common in the ring finger and thumb.

Common Causes

• Preexisting conditions such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis
• Forceful use of finger, especially pinching or grasping

Common Symptoms

• Tender lump on the palm side of the hand
• Catching, popping or locking sensation with movement
• Pain when bending or straightening the finger

Also called ulnar nerve entrapment, cubital tunnel syndrome occurs when the ulnar nerve (“funny bone” nerve) becomes compressed. Your ulnar nerve travels from your neck into your hand. In cubital tunnel syndrome, the nerve is compressed at the elbow. Because it’s so close to the surface at your elbow, it’s prone to compression.

Common Causes

• Keeping your elbow bent for long period of time
• Leaning on your elbow for long period of time
• Fluid buildup around the elbow

Common Symptoms

• Numbness or tingling in the ring and pinkie fingers
• Weak grip and altered finger coordination
• Feeling of “pins and needles” in ring and pinkie fingers

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints, usually from the gradual loss of protective cartilage. Without a layer of cartilage, bone rubs on bone at the site of the joint. Because your wrist is made up of so many small joints, it’s prone to arthritis. Types of arthritis that commonly affect the wrist are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and posttraumatic arthritis.

Common Causes

• Wear and tear
• Kienbock’s disease
• Injury, such as broken wrist or ligament tear

Common Symptoms

• Pain and swelling of the joint
• Stiffness and reduced range of motion
• Weakness in the joint

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints, usually from the gradual loss of protective cartilage. Without a layer of cartilage, bone rubs on bone at the site of the joint. Osteoarthritis of the thumb is common, particularly at the base. It may affect thumb motion and strength, and is most common in women over the age of 40.

Common Causes

• Wear and tear
• Injury, such as broken wrist or ligament tear

Common Symptoms

• Pain or weakness with gripping or pinching
• Stiffness and reduced range of motion
• Enlarged appearance of the joint

Mallet finger, sometimes known as “baseball finger,” is a condition in which a finger is forced to bend further than it’s supposed to, injuring the thin extensor tendon at the tip of the finger. Boutonniere deformity is a similar condition that impacts the middle joint of a finger. With both conditions, an inability to completely straighten the finger is a telltale symptom.

Learn more about Mallet Finger  |  Learn More about Boutonniere Deformity

Common Causes

• Forceful blow to the top of the finger
• Cut to the top of the finger that severs the tendon
• Arthritis (Boutonniere Deformity)

Common Symptoms

• Pain and swelling at point of impact or injury
• Inability to completely straighten finger without aid

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common hand conditions. It occurs when the median nerve – a nerve that runs through the hand, all the way up to the neck – is compressed as it runs through the wrist. Your carpal tunnel is the passageway through your wrist for nerves and tendons. When it becomes narrowed, the median nerve is compressed and you experience carpal tunnel syndrome.

Common Causes

• Repetitive motion in the hand and wrist over time
• Prolonged extreme flexion or extension of the hand
• Heredity or preexisting conditions, such as diabetes

Common Symptoms

• Numbness, tingling, burning and pain in the thumb and fingers
• Occasional shock-like sensations in the thumb through ring fingers
• Weakness and clumsiness of the hand

There are a wide array of conditions that fall under the label congenital hand difference. Congenital means it’s present at birth and develops in utero. Their exact cause is often unknown, but with physical and occupational therapy and surgical treatment options, many children with these conditions are able to adapt and function well.

Common Types

• Syndactyly several fingers are fused together by tissue or bone
• Polydactyly the presence of extra fingers
• Limb Deficiencies hands or arms are missing or smaller than typical
• Amniotic Band Syndrome strands of the amniotic membrane restrict blood flow to extremities in utero

The term “tendinosis” means the swelling of a tendon. De Quervain’s tendinosis is the swelling of the tendons around the base of the thumb, or the tendon sheath that surrounds them. These tendons enable you to form a fist, grasp, grip, and turn the wrist. Constriction in this area leads to friction and pain when performing those movements.

Common Causes

• Overuse
• Pregnancy
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Common Symptoms

• Pain and swelling on the thumb side of the wrist, gradual or sudden
• Pain that may travel up the forearm
• Catching or snapping sensation upon movement

The most common wrist fracture is a distal radius fracture. Your radius is the larger of your two forearm bones, and the distal end is nearer your wrist than your elbow. There are many ways a radius can break, but the most common occurs about 1 inch from the end of the bone. The type and severity of the break will determine the treatment course.

Common Causes

• Falling on an outstretched arm
• Motor vehicle accident or other trauma
• Osteoporosis

Common Symptoms

• Immediate pain
• Bruising, swelling, tenderness
• Visible deformity

Dupuytren’s disease affects the fascia of your palm and fingers. Fascia is a layer of tissue just that anchors and stabilizes the skin. Dupuytren’s disease causes the fascia to thicken and tighten over time, eventually impacting hand function and pulling the fingers inward. Early treatment is critical to reversing the damage.

Common Causes

• Causes are largely unknown
• Genetics/Heredity

Common Symptoms

• Immediate pain
• Bruising, swelling, tenderness
• Visible deformity

Your scaphoid is one of eight small bones in your wrist called carpals. It sits just above the radius, and helps with motion and stability of the wrist. Because of its location under the thumb on the edge of your wrist, it’s prone to fractures. Because of its small size, scaphoid fractures may go undetected for a period of time, or ignored, hoping the pain will go away on its own.

Common Causes

• Falling onto an outstretched hand
• Motor vehicle collisions
• Direct blow to the area

Common Symptoms

• Pain and swelling on the thumb side of the wrist
• Pain that does go away within a day
• Pain that worsens with pinching or grasping motion