Did you use your hand to navigate to this page of our website? Is that a rhetorical question? No! Whether it was the click of a mouse or the tap on a touchpad, the vast majority of you accessed this information using some part of one or both of your hands. We often take our hands for granted, so too the movement of our arms. But once you have experienced unrelenting hand pain, arm pain, elbow pain, or shoulder pain from a fracture or a debilitating condition, you will never again underestimate the importance of the arm, right down to your fingertips.
Causes of hand pain
The human hand is made up of the wrist, palm, and fingers and consists of 27 bones, 27 joints, 34 muscles, over 100 ligaments and tendons, and many blood vessels and nerves. Modern technology has brought many advances to the practice of hand surgery but has also presented society with new conditions and injuries related to work and entertainment. Extensive use of the fingers, hand, and wrist in typing, texting, and gaming has introduced a painful collection of ailments.
Some of our most popular recreational sports can wreak havoc with the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints. Repetitive use injuries, like those sustained in baseball, tennis, and golf, can rob us of the enjoyment in our play. Sprains and strains are common.
Certain diseases like arthritis, or conditions such as Dupuytren’s contracture, or congenital anomalies or deformities can also signal the need for treatment or surgery.
Nonsurgical treatment of hand pain by Dayton orthopedists
Not every injury or condition affecting the hand, arm, or shoulder requires surgery. Rest and alteration of activity, medications, pain injections, splinting, and physical therapy are examples of nonsurgical procedures that may address your hand pain. As with their approach to all joint pain, the medical professionals dedicated to hand pain relief at our outpatient surgery center consider minimally invasive treatments and techniques before progressing to surgery.
Hand and upper extremity surgery by experienced orthopaedic surgeons in Dayton
When surgery is deemed necessary, our experienced orthopaedic surgeons bring to the operating table a wealth of knowledge and training in treating the hand, arm and shoulder in the specialty known as upper extremity surgery. Many of these surgeries can be performed at our outpatient orthopaedic care center. If you are suffering with hand, wrist, elbow, arm or shoulder pain, give us a call at 937.535.2200.