In this high-tech age of computers and sedentary lifestyles, we need to learn how to keep our bodies strong and healthy. We all have aches and pains from time to time, but how do we know when they are more than the daily wear and tear? Ideally, we never want to have to visit the doctor, but bad decisions or bad luck can land us in the hospital for a variety of reasons. Hand surgeons can share some helpful tips on how to recognize when you’ve pushed your body too far.
A common problem is arthritis, or the degeneration of the cartilage between the bones in our joints. There are a variety of types of this joint disease, which can stem from genetics, disease, or overuse. Common symptoms include having trouble moving your hands. They will be stiff and will probably hurt when you try to use them. A strong signal will come when you notice that you cannot return your joints to a normal resting position.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is what we all think of when we consider computer-related injuries. It is caused by compression of the median nerve in the wrist and prevents the area from sending messages to the brain. As a result, symptoms include numbness, pain, and a “tingling” sensation in the fingers, wrists, and arms. It may be clearer that you have CTS when your arms are weaker than normal and you have trouble grasping objects or completing simple tasks. There is surprisingly little research that actually links CTS to repetitive hand use. While the exact cause is unknown to hand surgeons, it has been linked to rheumatoid arthritis, joint dislocation and fractures, and hormonal changes in women, particularly during pregnancy, PMS, or menopause.
There are a variety of sports injuries that can contribute to the degeneration of our elbows, which also fall squarely within the purview of the hand surgeon. They mostly come from cumulative wear and tear and are not necessarily directly related to sports, even with names like golfer’s elbow (cumulative trauma to the inside of the elbow), tennis elbow (cumulative trauma to the outside of the elbow) and skier’s thumb (elbow hyperextension). the thumb). The last of these has the simplest cause: it probably landed on your thumb and went the wrong way. You may wonder if you have golfer’s elbow when the inside of your elbow is tender and painful, especially when you flex your wrist and/or try to hold objects. The symptoms of tennis elbow are much more serious and include burning pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow joint and in the forearm. This bread often rises over the course of many weeks.
If you suffer from any of these conditions, you should see your local hand surgeon for a diagnosis as soon as possible. If you can’t see one quickly, ice can soothe the symptoms and make them more bearable. Heat is fine too, but only for short periods and when swapped with ice. Regardless of home treatments, it is important to contact a medical professional to ensure that you will quickly regain full mobility in your hand.
