A trained hand specialist can make the difference between an easy day filled with tasks and a day filled with pain. The hand specialists at Georgia Hand, Shoulder & Elbow, can bring you back to normal hand usage in no time.
If your hands are in pain, schedule a consultation with us through our website or give us a call. With eight surgeons, thirteen therapists, and an army of nurses on staff, Georgia Hand, Shoulder & Elbow can get you going again.
You can start by visiting one of our hand specialists in Atlanta or Marietta, Georgia. Wherever you are, we are here to serve you.
The Human Anatomy
The upper human appendage is all connected. If one part is injured, it can affect how another part functions. A quick review can help us put things into perspective.
Your arm is separated into 3 sections. Your upper arm extends from your shoulder joint down to your elbow joint. Your forearm extends from your elbow to your hand, including your wrist. And then we have your hand.
Common Hand Conditions and Treatments
We will now discuss a few common hand conditions and treatments our hand specialists provide.
Nerve Injury
A nerve injury in your hand can cause weakness, numbness, and a loss of sensation. A median nerve injury, for example, can affect large portions of your hand to the point where it may not work.
Nerve injuries can be severe and need immediate treatment. Treatments for these hand injuries include heat or ice treatment, stretching exercises, or surgery.
Trigger Finger
A trigger finger injury will cause one of your fingers to be locked in a bent position like you are about to pull a trigger. This condition is likely to occur in the morning. Tendon inflammation of your finger is the culprit of a trigger finger injury.
Anti-inflammatories, pain relievers, steroid injections, splints, or surgery are the standard courses of treatment. Our Atlanta hand specialists can help determine the best course of treatment for you.
Wrist
Many conditions and ailments can affect the normal function of your wrist. Sprains, fractures, stress, repetitive movements, arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome are all culprits for wrist pain. In addition, prolonged use of a computer or mouse can cause an injury to your wrist and sports-related injuries.
A non-invasive treatment for wrist injury includes wearing a wrist guard and modifying activity. Our hand specialists may also recommend anti-inflammatories, physical therapy for the wrist, or joint injections.
Surgery always remains an option if the pain is long-term or consistent. Our hand specialists in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia can help to navigate the many crucial ligaments and nerves in the wrist and provide treatment for your wrist joint pain.
Wrist Fracture
The most common type of wrist fracture comes from a fall on outstretched hands, but sports injuries and trauma can also lead to breaks. While a fracture can be minor, the resulting pain can be debilitating.
Our hand specialists in Atlanta and Marietta are skilled at recognizing and treating wrist fractures. Rest, activity modification, and a cast may be the best solution. Our state-of-the-art surgery center with advanced tools and top hand specialists will guide your care if surgery is required.
Carpal Tunnel
While there is a genetic predisposition to carpal tunnel syndrome, computer users, assembly-line workers, laborers, and pregnant women can develop the condition.
Carpal tunnel is pressure and swelling that develops on the median nerve in the wrist. The result is numbness and tingling in fingers, weakness, and pain in the fingers, wrists, and sometimes forearms.
Luckily, treatment options can be non-surgical for many years, including splinting, anti-inflammatories, and avoiding the activity that causes pain.
However, our hand surgeons in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia, may recommend release surgery to relieve carpal tunnel symptoms to reduce the pressure placed on the nerve.
Ganglion Cyst
A ganglion cyst is a non-cancerous lump that grows on the bottom of your wrist. While it can be painless, many ganglion cysts cause pain and discomfort. Our hand specialists may recommend anti-inflammatories, draining, or removal of the cyst, especially if you have a ruptured ganglion cyst.
Hand and Wrist Sports Injuries
Throwing, catching, checking, charging, or hitting can cause trauma in the hand or wrist. Hand and wrist injuries are classified in grades depending on the extremity of the injury.
Low-grade inflammation and sprains typically require splints, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, and strengthening exercises. More complex injuries, such as fractures, may require hand surgery.
Vascular
If you are experiencing pain without sustaining an injury, or your fingertips are often cold, you may be suffering from a vascular issue. A loss or lack of blood flow in your fingers can be a serious concern.
Vascular issues receive a consultation from our Atlanta hand specialists. Our team will evaluate you and your symptoms and decide on a treatment plan based on the underlying cause of your vascular issues.
Medication and physical therapy are noninvasive solutions. If surgery is necessary, our hand surgeons in Atlanta and Marietta use the most minimally invasive techniques.
Ligament Injuries
A simple fall or sports-related injury can lead to ligament tears and injuries. To heal ligament ailments, physical therapy and splinting may be necessary.
Daily hand exercises, stretches, and cortisone injections may speed up healing and provide pain relief. Some ligament injuries may require surgery. Our hand specialists will determine if surgery can be arthroscopic or if an open incision will be necessary.
When Should You See a Hand Doctor?
It’s time to see a hand doctor in Atlanta, Georgia when daily life tasks are challenging to perform without pain and discomfort resulting from trauma to the hand or wrist, a sports injury, pain from excessive use, or ongoing pain.
Any condition can worsen over time, so a diagnosis and treatment plan is crucial if the discomfort is interfering with daily life activities.
The Georgia Hand, Shoulder & Elbow doctors are here to help, and can sometimes treat hand arthritis non-surgically. With decades of experience working with the human body, we have what it takes to treat your hands.
Thanks to several offices, our hand doctors in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia can treat anyone throughout the state. Our accredited and licensed group of hand specialists and healthcare professionals treats everyone with care and compassion.
Are you ready to get help? Call us today or book with us online. Our specialists look forward to serving you and getting you on the road to recovery!
