Most hand injuries and ailments can be treated through pain medication, physical therapy, or other nonsurgical strategies. However, sometimes the symptoms get so severe that they require surgery.
Hand surgery is used to treat ailments and medical conditions that affect the functioning and mobility of the hand, wrist, forearm, and shoulder. Your doctor may recommend hand surgery if your condition is severe or recurrent, or if other treatments have already been exhausted.
Here are a few conditions that may require hand surgery in order for you to find relief.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions, and it significantly impacts hand function and mobility. It’s an injury of the median nerve that’s present within the wrist’s carpal tunnel. When excess pressure is exerted on this nerve, it compresses and becomes inflamed. This results in weakness, pain, and numbness in the wrist, which may extend to the hand as well.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is common among people who engage in repetitive activities or movements that overuse the wrist or hands. If the symptoms are too severe and persist even after alternative treatments are tried, you may need surgical treatment to resolve the issue. During hand surgery, the ligament at the top of the carpal tunnel is dissected to increase the tunnel’s size. This helps relieve the pressure that was being exerted on the median nerve.
Arthritis and Tendonitis
Inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and tendonitis typically affect the upper extremities of the hand. While each condition has its signature symptoms and root causes, the two have one thing in common: they can significantly lower the quality of your life because of the pain, discomfort, and movement restriction they cause.
Usually, these inflammatory conditions are subjected to conservative treatments before the need for an invasive surgical procedure arises. However, if your symptoms have worsened over the past few months and haven’t been responding to the existing treatments, you may need hand surgery to remove the damaged cartilage and tissue and restore the hand’s function. This treatment option is usually recommended for people whose wrist and hand joints have degraded severely.
Compound Wrist and Hand Fractures
Finally, you may also need hand surgery if you’ve fractured your hand or wrist. The bones within the hand are fairly delicate and can break into fragments under enough force. If these bone fragments penetrate the skin or are severely displaced, surgical intervention is required to stabilize them.
Similarly, a fracture of the distal of the forearm bone in the wrist may also indicate the need for surgery if the bone fragments penetrate the skin surface.
If you’re suffering from hand pain do to overwork or injury, the orthopedic specialists at Houston Physicians’ Hospital are available to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions in the hands with both noninvasive procedures and hand surgeries. Your specific treatment will depend on your diagnosis. You can find an orthopedic hand surgeon on our website and make an appointment directly with his or her office.
We also provide general surgery, physical therapy services Houston, joint pain treatments, and spine solutions.