subject: Hand Surgery: Minimally Invasive Hand And Wrist Surgeries [print this page] A person's hands and wrists are delicate machines that do an array of fine motor duties every day. They can be taken for granted until something goes awry. Luckily, the surgical specialty which takes care of these body parts has developed enough to provide many cures for various maladies.
The physicians who specialize in this arena of medical treatment go through rigorous training beyond the regular scope of orthopedics. Not all hand and wrist ailments need surgery. Sometimes other remedies will help such as splints, exercise, medication and therapy.
Some common ailments in these areas include:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Basically, this is a pinched nerve in the wrist area. Pressure and swelling begin to build up which causes numbness, tingling and restricted ability to use the hands and wrist. The wearing of supportive splints and regular specially designed exercises may help. Surgery may be performed, as well.
Tennis Elbow: Not just tennis players get this malady. It is an ailment due to overuse of the forearm and elbow area. It can come on slowly or become apparent all at once. Rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medications will usually alleviate the symptoms.
Wrist Pain: Can come on suddenly or develop over time due to injury or overuse. Rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medicines may help this, as well, depending on the cause and severity. Surgery may also be necessary.
Fractures: There are so many tiny bones in this region of the body and fracturing them is fairly common since we use them so often. Slammed in doors, heavy objects dropped on them, injuries with tools can all be the causes of fractures. They can often be splinted to support the healing but at times a surgical procedure will need to realign bones into proper functionality.
Trigger Finger: The scientific name for trigger finger is stenosing tenosynovitis. Fingers move by the tendons and pulleys system present in the body. When they malfunction, ibuprofen, splints or therapy may help. If not, surgery will most likely be necessary.
Sports Injuries: An array of sports injuries can occur in this area. At times, therapy or supportive devices may help, but at other times, surgical intervention may be necessary.
Arthritis: There are two types of arthritis, rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis. These are diseases that manifest within the joints, making movements very painful. Medication, supportive splint devices and exercise may all help to alleviate and control the effects of arthritis, but there are times that a surgical intervention might be the appropriate remedy.
