There is a wide variety of small-bone and extremity injuries that affect the many bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, tendons, and other soft tissues of the hand and wrist. Any of these components can be injured and have a significant impact on a person’s life.
Our Hands-On Approach Makes the Difference
A hobby, a vocation, a simple handshake — hand and wrist pain can get in the way of them all. Orthopaedics East & Sports Medicine Center has performed thousands of examinations of the hand and wrist and provided treatment plans to achieve excellent outcomes for our patients in Eastern North Carolina.
A physician who listens is vital, because hand and wrist injuries can have a variety of causes. Some are due to repetitive use, while others are due to trauma. Our physicians and care teams have significant experience and expertise in non-surgical and surgical options.
You may have a hand and wrist injury if:
- Your hand or wrist is stiff and doesn’t allow full movement
- Your hand or wrist is lacks strength to perform your daily activities
- You are unable to perform normal functions
- You regularly experience severe pain
Arthritis of the hand and wrist can affect your ability to perform even simple activities, like opening a door. Symptoms include dull pain, stiffness (especially after use), and swelling, and sometimes the hand and wrist can feel warm to touch due to inflammation. Unlike other joints, arthritis of the fingers can become visible due to joint deformities and cysts (small sacs of fluid that can protrude from a joint). Osteoarthritis can develop in older age or after an injury, such as a fracture to the wrist or hand. Rheumatoid arthritis usually occurs in a similar pattern on both hands, starting with the smaller finger joints and potentially progressing to the wrist.
COMMON ISSUE
Tendonitis of the hand and wrist can be debilitating. Because of the many functions for which the hand and wrist are needed in our daily lives, they are very prone to overuse and resulting injuries. Symptoms of hand or wrist tendonitis are pain, swelling, or a sensation of grinding (crepitus) that can make movement difficult. The fingers of the hand are particularly prone to a condition called tenosynovitis (inflammation of the tissue that surrounds tendons), which most often affects the fingers and presents itself as pain, inflammation, or difficulty bending/straightening the fingers.
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve — one of the major nerves to the hand — is squeezed or compressed. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passage in the wrist that protects the median nerve and flexor tendons. Compression results when the tunnel narrows or tissues surrounding the flexor tendons swell, often caused by repetitive motions like typing. This creates pressure or squeezes the median nerve, causing pain, numbness or tingling in the hand or arm. This condition often gets worse over time, so early diagnosis and treatment are critical.
Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release
In endoscopic surgery, the surgeon uses an endoscope — a telescope-like device with a tiny camera attached to it — to see inside the carpal tunnel and perform the surgery through a small single incision in your wrist. Endoscopic surgery may allow faster recovery and less postoperative discomfort than traditional (“open”) surgery. Endoscopic surgery is minimally invasive and can be used on various body parts and conditions. Orthopaedics East & Sports Medicine Center has paved the way in the field of endoscopic surgical adoption and application in Eastern North Carolina.
- Bursa/Bursitis
- Mallet Finger
- Ganglion Cyst
- Trigger Finger
- Sprains and Fractures
- Growth Plate
- Distal Radial
- Metacarpal
Schedule an appointment today with one of Eastern North Carolina’s leading orthopedic and sports medicine physicians!
