Your body’s hands and wrists are delicate areas, containing an intricate network of nerves and blood vessels, as well as tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones. Hand and wrist injuries and disorders can cause pain, loss of sensation, loss of movement, and impaired function that dramatically impact the activities of your daily life. Since there are many structures in your hand and wrist region, disorders must be dealt with carefully.
The board-certified orthopedic surgeons at ValleyOrtho have specialized training for the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of wrist and hand problems. Through a broad spectrum of hand and wrist care, both surgical and non-surgical, our specialists help patients return to work, sports, and daily life as quickly as possible.
Some of the common hand and wrist conditions we treat:
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that often causes numbness and tingling in the thumb, index finger, middle finger and part of the ring finger. These symptoms are caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist level. Along with sensation changes, the muscles around the thumb can weaken and patients can sometimes lose the ability to grasp small objects or sense the difference between hot and cold temperatures.
Trigger finger or trigger thumb occurs when a tendon in a finger or thumb becomes inflamed. A ligamentous strap, called a pulley, holds the tendon close to the bone similar to how a fishing line is held on a fishing rod. Locking and catching can occur when the pulley becomes too thick and the tendon develops a bump on it that prevents the tendon from gliding through the pulley smoothly.
Learn more about Trigger Finger or Trigger Thumb
In Dupuytren’s disease, tissue under the skin in the palm of the hand, called the palmar fascia, gets thicker and tighter. This can cause fingers to bend in toward the palm causing functional limitations. It most often affects the ring and small fingers and may be in both hands.
A ganglion is a small sac (cyst) filled with clear, jellylike fluid that often appears as a bump on the hands and wrists. Ganglion cysts are usually small and round and can feel soft or firm or rubbery to the touch.
Most patients notice that the cysts appear suddenly. They may grow as activity increases, because more fluid collects in the sac. Ganglion cysts are not cancerous.