The Wrist & Hand are tremendously important parts, being the means by which humans are able to perform physical activities and tasks.
There are some conditions which very commonly affect the wrist due to overuse or repetitive exertions. These include: de Quervain’s, TFCC ligament sprains, and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. De Quervain’s is an inflammatory and painful condition of the tendons on the thumb-side of the wrist, and TFCC sprains are injuries of the ligaments on the little finger-side of the wrist. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition of the median nerve, where the patient has numbness, tingling and weakness in the thumb, index and middle fingers. Wrist ganglions are also very common and are due to a cystic fluid collection.
Wrist and Hand Fractures may be treated with or without surgery. However, the common principle is to achieve a perfect balance between immobilisation and activity. This is why hand therapy exercises are very important in the treatment of these conditions. There must be enough rest for the injury to recover, yet there must be enough activity to prevent stiffness and scar formation.
Trigger Finger is a condition where the finger tendon gets trapped, causing pain and locking of the finger. It is related to increasing age and repetitive activity. Steroid injections may be used for mild to moderate stages but it is not advisable to undergo more than 2 to 3 steroid injections for the same finger. A small surgical release is very effective for severe cases.