Common Hand Injuries and Treatments

Hand injuries are very common. In fact, in the workplace alone, 20 percent of injuries involve the hands and fingers. Even if you work in a relatively ‘safe’ environment, the risk of injuring your hands, fingers, palms, or wrists is still high if you spend a lot of time using your hands in everyday tasks.

Here are common hand injuries and treatment options for each:

• Sprains
A sprain can occur when the ligaments of the hand or wrist are torn or stretched. This can happen as a result of falling on an outstretched arm/hand or suddenly move or twist your hand/wrist.

Pain and stiffness with movement or activity are the most common symptoms of hand/wrist sprains.

How to treat it?
If you suspect it’s a sprain, the first thing to do is rest. Do not move the affected hand/wrist. It also helps to apply ice on the area for 15 to 20 minutes at a time for the first 48-72 hours.

• Fractures
A hand fracture is a break in one or more bones in the hands. It can happen as a result of falls, twisting injury, crush injury, or direct contact in sports.

Signs and symptoms of a hand fracture may include bruising, swelling, deformity, tenderness, pain, and inability to move fingers.

How to treat it?
Hand fractures usually require medical care. If the broken bones do not line up in an acceptable position, the doctor has to realign the bone fragments by manipulating them back in position. This nonsurgical procedure is called closed reduction.

After closed reduction, a cast, splint, or brace may be applied to keep the bones immobile, which would help facilitate healing.

In some cases, surgery may be required to realign and stabilize the broken bones. This includes cases on which bones have broken through the skin.

• Soft tissue injuries
Injuries to the soft tissue around the wrist and hands can occur as a result of falls, direct impact, or overuse.

Symptoms of soft tissue injuries include pain, swelling, stiffness, bruising, heat, redness, and loss of functioning.

How to treat it?
In the first 72 hours of injury, it’s important to follow the principles of R.I.C.E., which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. If there is little improvement with consistent R.I.C.E, it would be best to see a doctor to assess the extent of damage and the need for further treatment.

When to see a specialist?

If home remedies provide very little to no relief at all with your hand injuries, our board certified, fellowship-trained physicians at Ozark Orthopaedics Hand Center can help. Learn more about the Hand and Wrist experts.

To request an appointment, please call (479) 521-2752.