When you have an injury, stiffness, pain, swelling, loss of motion, numbness or tingling in your wrists, hands or fingers, it’s likely time to make an appointment with a hand specialist. There are a number of conditions that can cause these symptoms, such as carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, trigger finger, dupuytren’s contracture and more. Injuries caused by trauma, overuse or repetitive motion can affect nerves, bones, tendons and ligaments, also leading to these symptoms. Some people feel nervous about visiting a hand specialist because they don’t know what to expect from the visit or the plan the doctor may lay out for treatment. Here is some insight.
The hand doctor will first ask you about your symptoms, underlying medical issues and any injuries you’ve sustained to your hand. He may ask about your daily habits, hobbies, and other circumstances that may be contributing to the symptoms. He’ll examine the area, likely testing the strength and mobility of your hands, wrists and fingers, and will try to gain an understanding of the severity of the symptoms.
Your hand specialist may order tests to help him diagnose the cause of your symptoms, such as imaging like an x-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI. He may also order an EMG, which measures electrical activity of muscles.
Once your hand doctor has gained a thorough understanding of your particular case, he will lay out a Treatment Plan for your hand condition. This will obviously vary widely depending on your diagnosis, but your hand doctor will likely include at least one of the following in your treatment plan:
-Rest
-Ice
-Compression
-Splinting/Casting
-Physical Therapy
-Injections
-Medications
-Surgery
A treatment plan should always take lifestyle, general health and the diagnosis into consideration, and ultimately, the decision to proceed with the suggested treatment plan is up to the patient.
If you are suffering from pain in the hand, wrist or fingers, lack of mobility, or any other bothersome symptoms, give us a call or request an appointment. Our hand specialists are here to help.
Midwest Hand Surgery has a team of specialists in the hand and wrist to help when these complex instruments are injured or have a condition that affects function or appearance. When you injure your hand or wrist, it is crucial to see specialists with the expertise to provide the leading-edge treatment that you need for the best possible outcome. Midwest Hand Surgery has offices conveniently located in three Chicagoland facilities in Elmhurst, Palos Heights and Lockport, Illinois.
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