Ask a Doctor: Wrist Sprain

Sep 25,2016 / By The Hand Society / 1 Comment

Dr. Khurram Pervaiz answers your questions about wrist sprains:

My doctor told me I have a “wrist sprain.” What is that?

A sprain is an injury that involves damage to the ligaments of the wrist. This damage may range from a simple stretch injury with inflammation and irritation of the ligament to a partial tear of the ligament.

What causes a wrist sprain?

Wrist sprains are most commonly caused by trauma. This trauma may range from a simple fall to a car accident or a sports injury. Athletes who participate in sports that involve impact to the wrist are particularly at risk. Gymnastics, cheerleading, martial arts, and CrossFit are some examples of sports that can cause wrist impact.

What are some of the symptoms of a wrist sprain?

The most common symptom of a wrist sprain is pain and swelling of the wrist. Limited function with weakness and lack of use of the hand and wrist may also occur.

Finger Football Hand Sports Injury

Advice from a Certified Hand Therapist: Football Hand Injuries

Sep 20,2016 / By the American Society of Hand Therapists / 1 Comment

Football season is finally here! My friends and I like to go play a few flag football games during this time of year. I really don’t see too many football hand injuries putting NFL players on the disabled list (DL). Should I be concerned about hand injuries?

Numerous studies find a large percentage of emergency room visits are for hand injuries from recreational sports. Nearly half of these are from either football or basketball. Unfortunately, NFL players tend to play through their finger injuries. Take a look at Michael Strahan talking about his finger injuries. (How about the most twisted hand injuries in NFL history?)

What kind of hand injuries should I worry about?

As you can see from the video and photos of the NFL players, hand injuries from football typically involve tendons, ligaments and/or bones. Injuries to the tendons that straighten the finger are called mallet finger and central slip injuries. A jersey finger is an injury to the tendon that bends the finger.

The thumb and the middle joints of the fingers (jammed finger) are prone to ligament injuries. Hand injuries can progress to deformities if left untreated. An example of this is a boutonniere deformity.

Golf Hand Sports Injury

4 ways to prevent golf injuries

Sep 14,2016 / By The Hand Society / No Comment

There’s plenty of nice weather left this season for some great golfing. For golfers, the most commonly injured body parts are the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder and lower back. With nearly 28 million golfers in the U.S., golf injuries are a common occurrence. To prevent injuries during this golf season, follow these four tips:

Warm-up and stretch properly: 80% of golfers spend less than 10 minutes warming up before playing. This can be dangerous and cause serious injury. All golfers should have a comprehensive warm-up routine before playing.
Gradually increase amount of play: At the beginning of the season, a golfer’s body may not be used to the intense upper extremity activity from the game, potentially causing injury. To avoid an overuse injury, gradually increase the amount of playing when the season begins.
Core muscle strengthening: Keeping the core muscles in good shape will help prevent serious injury.
Refining technique: Many golf injuries happen when a golfer’s swing is not in correct form. To put less stress on the body, work with an expert to refine your technique.

Learn more about the different types of golf injuries by downloading our infographic. You can also visit www.handcare.org to read more.

Hand Hand Fracture Pain

Video: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment of Hand Fractures

Sep 9,2016 / By The Hand Society / No Comment

A hand fracture, also known as a broken hand, happens when enough force is applied to the hand to break a bone. A fracture is the same thing as a break, and some fractures are worse than others. Severe fractures result in shifted bone fragments or even a bone that shattered into many pieces. This short video shows how a hand surgeon treated the hand fracture of Olympic gymnast Paul Hamm.

A fracture may cause pain, stiffness and loss of movement in your hand. Many people think that because they can move their hand, it means it is not broken, but this is a myth. If you’ve injured your hand and it is painful, visit a hand surgeon at the next available appointment.

During your visit, the hand surgeon may take an x-ray to determine the type of fracture. Treatment options may vary. Watch our video for more information or visit www.HandCare.org.

Random Fact: Tennis Elbow

Sep 6,2016 / By The Hand Society / No Comment

Did you know? Tennis Elbow (lateral epicondylitis) doesn’t just happen to tennis players. Anyone, athletes and non-athletes, can get it from overuse. Learn more.

Finger Hand Joints Knuckles

News Story: Knuckle-cracking is actually good for you

Sep 2,2016 / By The Hand Society / No Comment

from CNN

(CNN) – For the past 15 years, Tanya Johnson has been driving her boss nuts.

It’s not her job skills — Dr. Robert Szabo says Johnson is an excellent nurse — but rather her incessant knuckle-cracking that makes him want to strangle her.

“I kept telling her to stop, that it was bad for her,” Szabo said.

You’d think Johnson might have listened, given that Szabo is a hand surgeon at the UC Davis Medical Center and former president of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

But she just kept right on cracking.

“I told him, ‘Prove that it’s bad,’ ” she said.

Read the full story.

Monthly Archives: Sep 2016

Ask a Doctor: Wrist Sprain

Advice from a Certified Hand Therapist: Football Hand Injuries

4 ways to prevent golf injuries

Video: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment of Hand Fractures

Random Fact: Tennis Elbow

Did you know? Tennis Elbow (lateral epicondylitis) doesn’t just happen to tennis players. Anyone, athletes and non-athletes, can get it from overuse. Learn more.

News Story: Knuckle-cracking is actually good for you