Hand surgeons have a vast knowledge of the intricate network of muscles, bones, blood vessels, ligaments, and nerves of your hand. They can diagnose and successfully treat hand problems of any kind using both nonsurgical and surgical methods.
These hand surgeons can repair various injuries and conditions concerning your hand and wrist. Let’s talk about a few of the many hand problems that they can address, and where you can go to find out more about what can be done for you.
Conditions Treated by a Hand Surgeon
Hand surgeons don’t only recommend and provide surgery. They are specifically geared toward determining the least-invasive treatment that would work for your hand condition and providing or prescribing that treatment for you.
Some of the most common hand conditions that are treated by hand specialists include the following:
Hand Arthritis
This is characterized by joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, but the most common are rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease) and osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear arthritis).
There is no cure for arthritis, but there are plenty of treatment methods to alleviate your symptoms – especially if it is treated early, before it progresses to a degenerative stage. If surgery does become necessary, your orthopedist may recommend a synovectomy, arthroscopy, or joint replacement to treat your condition and alleviate the pain and disability caused by arthritis.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve is compressed in the wrist, causing pain and numbness in your fingers. It can affect every finger except the pinky.
Carpal tunnel makes it difficult to use the hands for gripping and grasping objects. The symptoms may be relieved with nonsurgical treatments, such as wearing wrist splints and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
However, when conservative measures do not work, surgery may be necessary to alleviate the pressure on the median nerve and open up the carpal tunnel in the wrist. Open release and endoscopic carpal tunnel release are two of the surgical treatments that your hand surgeon can perform to help improve your condition.
Hand Nerve Injury
Cuts, overstretching, and accidents are some of the causes of hand nerve injuries. The damaged nerve may result in a lack of sensation and limited movement in the affected area of the hand.
Often, nerve injuries can heal on their own; however, serious nerve damage may require surgical repair in order to regain sensation and ability. Nerve grafting, end-to-end approximation, and conduits are a few of the most common procedures performed by hand surgeons for treating nerve injury.
Hand Surgeon in Maryland
Hand surgeons are orthopedic surgeons who can diagnose and treat your hand and finger conditions. They will first consider all nonsurgical options before recommending surgical treatments to help you successfully address the symptoms and complications of your hand problem.
Our hand surgeons here at Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder are committed to providing optimal care for all our patients. We are board-certified doctors who have years of experience providing pain relief and helping patients regain the ability to use their hands again.
We have clinics located across Maryland for your convenience. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, contact our friendly staff today by calling (410) 296-6232 or by filling out our online form now. We look forward to giving your hand the proper care it deserves!
