I Have to Hand it to You

By Dr. Steven Warfield

Believe it or not the hand is one of the most sophisticated parts of the human body.  It is also the most complicated, each hand having 27 bones.  (The foot only has 26.)  14 of which are the phalanges of the fingers, 5 metacarpals and 8 carpal bones.  The metacarpals are the bones that connect the fingers with the wrist.  Add to this the web of muscles, ligaments and tendons used to articulate the hand, fingers and wrist and you have an exceptional work of biomechanics.  You also have an exceptional number of ways in which to experience discomfort and dysfunction.   

Many of the maladies that occur in the hand and wrist are due to repetitive motion injuries.  This is not unusual, especially if you spend most of your day working on a computer.  Another common source of hand strain has to do with people who are engaged in sports that require repetitive use of the upper body, such as weight lifting, golf and tennis.

Below I have detailed a few of the more common medical conditions that can occur in the hand and wrist along with their treatments. 

Trigger Finger

While it sounds like a condition that only cowboys and Jesse James would contract, trigger finger can afflict most anyone.  The condition is associated with the locking of a thumb or finger in either a bent or straight position.  Caused by a thickening of the sheath that surrounds the tendon, the condition tends to afflict those whose work or hobby rely on repetitive gripping motions.  Farmers, Musicians and industrial workers often encounter the condition since they use repetitive thumb and finger movements often.  Trigger finger is more common in women than men and tends to happen most often in people who are 40 to 60 years old. It is also more common with people who have either arthritis or diabetes. 

Sometimes painful, sometimes merely annoying, the condition can be treated by immobilizing the finger by using a splint.  If the symptoms persist, the addition of anti-inflammatory compounds such as ibuprofen or naproxen may be added to the treatment regimen.  Some doctors may also recommend steroid injections.  Typically it takes from six to eight weeks to treat the condition.  But some will recover within a few weeks by resting the finger and using anti-inflammatory drugs.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

This condition may start with a dull throbbing in the wrist that could soon expand to include pain in the fingers and/or arm.  The symptoms can include everything from numbness to tingling in the fingers to a weakening of the hand itself.  Too much time spent at the computer keyboard is one cause of this condition, as well as any activity that requires repetitive flexing of the tendons in the hand or wrist, along with prolonged gripping activities such as working a computer mouse.

Typical treatment for carpal tunnel includes manipulation of the wrist and elbow as well as adjustment of the upper spine.  Other treatment modalities such as ultrasound and wrist supports designed to keep the wrist in the proper alignment can be employed by your chiropractor.  Resting the affected area as well as applying cold packs may also be necessary.

Treatment time for the condition varies from patient to patient depending upon its severity along with possible contributing factors such as a pinched nerve.  While both men and women are equally susceptible to this malady, middle age is the most common time in life for carpal tunnel syndrome to occur.

Tendonitis of the Wrist

The first signs of this problem are usually associated with pain and swelling a half inch from the base of the thumb.  Sufferers of this malady will find it exceedingly difficult to grasp objects or any other movement that requires the use of the thumb or the wrist.  While typically caused by the swelling of the sheath surrounding the tendons connecting the wrist and thumb, if left untreated, the pain may spread to the thumb or the forearm.

Common to baseball and tennis players, more than four million Americans are treated for tendonitis annually.  After diagnosing the condition, the chiropractor will treat the cause of the tendonitis, as opposed to treating the symptoms.  Treatment may include a combination of manipulation, ultrasound, immobilization, ice, electrical muscle stimulation and/or massage.  With proper treatment it isn’t unusual to see a reduction in pain and inflammation within three to six weeks.  Once healed, your chiropractor may also recommend stretching exercises to help keep the condition from repeating.

Other conditions of the hand include such things as arthritis, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, mallet finger and gamekeeper’s thumb, all of which can cause discomfort and dysfunction in the hand or wrist. Should you or someone you know exhibit symptoms or show signs that their hand or wrist are bothering them, the most important thing is to seek treatment before complications set in.   Because as sophisticated as our hands might be, the one thing they can’t do is heal these conditions all by themselves.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies.  For more information visit http://endyourpain.org 

or http://chiropractic-jacksonville-fl.com