Hand & Upper Extremities Specialist

Why do the hands and upper extremities require specialized care?

Your hands serve vital functions in your daily life. To perform these tasks and activities effectively, your hands require optimally efficient:

• Sensation

• Joint motion

• Tendon gliding

• Muscle contraction

Problems in the hands and upper extremities (wrist, forearm, and elbow) often require special care to ensure all the tissues are working properly and you don’t suffer any loss of function.

The hand surgeons at Orthopaedic Institute of Dayton can treat many hand and upper extremity conditions without surgery. They’ve also undergone specialized training should you need an operation.

What problems might I have with my hands and upper extremities?

Some of the common hand and upper extremity conditions Orthopaedic Institute of Dayton treats regularly include:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

• Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)

• Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)

• Cubital tunnel syndrome

• Dupuytren’s contracture

• Trigger finger and thumb

• Arthritis

• Fractures and dislocations

• De Quervain’s tenosynovitis

• Ganglion cysts

Sports injuries such as tendon strains and ligament sprains are also common in the hand, wrist, and elbow.

What treatments do conditions of the hand and upper extremities require?

Initially, most conditions affecting the hand and upper extremities do well with conservative treatments such as non-opioid medication and physical therapy. Resting the damaged area gives your tissues time to heal, so you might need to wear a cast or supportive device like a durable medical equipment brace or splint.

For more persistent pain, your provider might suggest injectable treatments such as viscosupplementation (hyaluronic acid injections) or joint injections containing a local anesthetic and anti-inflammatory steroid medication.

Would I need surgery for conditions of the hand and upper extremities?

Some injuries to the hand and upper extremities are unlikely to heal properly without surgery, for example, severe fractures and completely ruptured ligaments. You might also need surgery for conditions that don’t improve with conservative treatments.

Surgery for conditions like Dupuytren’s contracture and carpal tunnel syndrome involves releasing the trapped or thickened connective tissues. It’s also possible to perform joint replacement surgery for joints severely affected by arthritis.

Following surgery on the hand and upper extremities, you need to engage with physical therapy to restore function and help the healing process. Your provider might also refer you to a hand therapist for specialized rehabilitation.

To find the right treatment for a painful condition of the hand or upper extremities, call Orthopaedic Institute of Dayton today or book an appointment online.