Orthopedic Specialists Share Top 10 Chronic Hand Injuries and Four Signs to Look For

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You use your hands for almost everything you do. Whether you’re playing a game, working at a computer, or even just scrolling on your phone, you’re using the bones, muscles, and tendons in your hands and fingers.  

Recognizing Hand Problems

Because you use your hands so much, you’ll likely notice quickly if something feels wrong. But figuring out what caused the problem and if you need to see a doctor can be tricky. 

Here are Four Hand Injury Signs to Look For

Pain in Your Hand or Fingers

If you feel pain in your hand or fingers, it could be a sign of injury. The pain can be mild or severe and might be in one finger, several fingers, or your whole hand. 

Swelling and Bruising

Acute hand injuries often bring visible signs of injury like swelling or bruising, along with pain. Acute injuries, such as those from sports or accidental falls, can cause constant pain. Overuse injuries may cause pain that comes and goes or gets worse with time, depending on your activity. 

Decreased Range of Motion

A hand injury can affect your ability to carry out your daily activities. If your hand is swollen, it can be hard to bend your fingers or make a fist. Your wrist might also feel stiff, and you might not be able to move some fingers.

Hand or Finger Weakness

An injury might make your hand feel weak or clumsy. It could be hard to grip objects, pick things up, or do tasks that need precise movements like buttoning a shirt. 

Ten common chronic hand injuries:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Caused by pressure on the median nerve, leading to numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand and fingers. 

Arthritis

Inflammation of the joints, commonly affecting the hands and causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. 

Tendinitis

Inflammation of the tendons, often due to overuse or repetitive motions. 

Trigger Finger

A condition where a finger gets stuck in a bent position due to inflammation of the tendon sheath. 

Anatomy of a Trigger Finger

Stenosing tenosynovitis is when a finger gets stuck in a bent position and then snaps straight as illustrated below:  

trigger finger medical illustration

De Quervain's Tenosynovitis

Inflammation of the tendons on the thumb side of the wrist, causing pain and swelling. 

Ganglion Cysts

Noncancerous lumps that develop along the tendons or joints of the wrists or hands. 

Dupuytren’s Contracture

A thickening and tightening of the tissue under the skin of the palm, leading to curled fingers. 

Tenosynovitis

Inflammation of the fluid-filled sheath that surrounds a tendon, often affecting the hand and wrist. 

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

Damage caused by repetitive movements or overuse, affecting the muscles, tendons, and nerves of the hand. 

Intersection Syndrome

Inflammation of the tendons that control the thumb, causing pain on the back of the forearm and wrist. 

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