Hand Conditions

Our hands are integral tools we use every day to work, create and care for ourselves. When they become impaired, the result can have a serious impact on your ability to perform even simple daily tasks. Common hand conditions can often be effectively treated or even reversed with hand surgery. Dr. Sanjay Sharma offers customized hand procedures that address your specific condition and help you regain both the appearance and function of your hands.

Hand Conditions

Some of the most common hand conditions treated by Dr. Sharma include:

Arthritis

Arthritis is a common, degenerative joint condition that affects one in every five adults in the U.S. There are four major types of arthritis: osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis (including rheumatoid arthritis), post-traumatic arthritis and septic (infectious) arthritis. These conditions involve painful inflammation of the joints and can affect joints in the wrist and hand, making it difficult to perform daily tasks.

Because arthritis is a degenerative disease, treatments like oral medication that might work at the onset of the disease will become less effective over time. Surgical options to treat arthritis include joint reconstruction, joint fusion, joint realignment and partial or total joint replacement.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

This condition affects both the hand and arm and can become quite uncomfortable for some patients. Common symptoms include numbness, tingling in the wrist and hand or shooting pain. The problem arises when the nerves leading from the wrist to the hand become pinched or irritated. Surgery can release compression on the affected nerve and bring nearly immediate and long-lasting relief to the problem.

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

This condition is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome and often misdiagnosed as such. However, cubital tunnel syndrome affects the ulnar nerve around the area of the elbow. This medical problem can cause significant pain and make using the hand and arm very challenging. By surgically removing the pressure from the nerve at the elbow, we can help the patients experience relief from pain and regain use of their arm and hand.

De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis

This uncomfortable condition affects the thumb and wrist, making it difficult to pick up objects with your hand or make a fist. The problem can create shooting pain every time you move your wrist, as well as swelling of the wrist and hand. De Quervain’s tenosynovitis arises when tendons responsible for thumb movement become inflamed. Surgery centers on releasing the pressure on the tendons, relieving discomfort and allowing for full mobility of the thumb once again.

Trigger Finger

This condition, also known by its technical name, stenosing tenosynovitis, is characterized by fingers that get locked into a bent position. When the finger is forced to straighten, it does so with a snap similar to pulling a trigger. In some cases, the finger cannot be straightened at all, making it difficult to use the finger for everyday tasks. If conservative treatments are not sufficient in relieving this condition, surgery can be performed to release the tendon and straighten the finger once again.

Dupuytren’s Contracture

This hand condition develops slowly over time and can be quite painful and disfiguring. The condition affects the layer of tissue that lies just under the skin in the hand. When this tissue becomes knotted, it can pull fingers into a bent position that cannot be straightened back out. The result is a distorted hand that is unable to perform daily tasks. Surgery to release the cords of knotted tissue is considered the gold standard in treating Dupuytren’s contracture.

While surgery is an effective method of treating Dupuytren’s contracture, some patients may be candidates for non-surgical treatment as well. Xiaflex is an injectable medication available by prescription to directly treat the cord causing the bent finger. Injections are administered approximately 30 days apart until they gradually break the cord and release the finger from disfigurement. Patients typically require 1-3 treatments to see positive results.

Ganglion Cysts

Ganglion cysts are fluid-filled sacs that form on the hand and wrist. The condition is not serious, but it can be very painful and affect a person’s ability to perform daily tasks. Surgery may be recommended to either drain the cyst, known as aspiration, or remove the cyst completely from the hand.

Conditions of the hand can be painful and make it very challenging for you to function day to day. Surgery may be the best treatment option for some hand conditions, providing immediate and long-lasting relief from painful symptoms.

To learn more about common hand conditions and how they can be treated, contact Dr. Sanjay Sharma’s office at 512-324-2765.