Your hands are so important to your overall health and well-being. But sometimes a disease or injury can hinder your hands' ability to work the way you want them to. Pain, stiffness, numbness and tingling make it hard to grasp, feel, write, button and use the gross or fine motor skills most people take for granted. Whether you've suffered a traumatic injury, have developed a repetitive stress injury like carpal tunnel syndrome, or have a congenital defect, we will work together to find the best care plan for you.
Why choose us for hand and wrist care
4 signs you might have carpal tunnel syndrome
Hands are a marvel. They can grip, grab, push, pick up, catch, carry, soothe and signal. We can do so many things with our hands because of a nerve and nine tendons that snake through a 1-inch-wide passage called the carpal tunnel.
But sometimes tendons get irritated and swollen through overuse, injury, arthritis or hormonal changes. When that happens, the carpal tunnel opening narrows and pinches the nerve. That's called carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Left untreated, it can lead to hand muscle weakness and loss of feeling.
Check out these four signs that you might have CTS.
OCCASIONAL TINGLING, NUMBNESS AND/OR PAIN
CTS symptoms start gradually—coming and going—most often after you've been sleeping. It might feel like your hand or fingers are numb or "asleep." When you shake and flex your hand, it'll start tingling. That's the nerve signals flowing back into the hand.
WEAKNESS
Ongoing CTS causes your hand and, in particular, your thumb muscles to become weaker. You might drop small objects, be unable to button a shirt easily or find it hard to do other tasks that involve fine motor skills. Hand muscles lose strength and size when the pinched nerve can't communicate well with them over time.
DAYTIME TINGLING OR PAIN
Bending your wrist or holding your hand up can trigger more tingling. It might happen when you are talking on the phone, driving or reading. With longer-term irritation to the nerve, you may get pains that shoot up your wrist and arm.
NO SENSATION IN YOUR FINGERS
In the most severe CTS cases, you can't feel anything with your fingers. That makes it hard to control your hand or feel the difference between hot and cold. If you can't feel that something's hot, you could get serious fingertip burns.
TREATMENT CAN HELP
If you still have symptoms after wearing a wrist brace (particularly at night) and avoiding repetitive hand movements that cause flare-ups, see your doctor. They can diagnose CTS with a physical exam and other tests and recommend appropriate solutions.
Learn about prevention and treatment
We have more information about CTS in our health library.
Reviewed 3/6/2023
Sources
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.” https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/carpal-tunnel-syndrome/.
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand. “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.” https://www.assh.org/handcare/condition/carpal-tunnel-syndrome.
Our orthopedic teams have decades of experience treating all types of hand and wrist problems. When you come to use for treatment, you can expect exceptional care.
- Experienced team: Our orthopedic surgeons have advanced, specialized training, which means better care and outcomes for you.
- Advanced techniques: Whenever possible, our doctors use nonsurgical treatments and physical therapy to heal hand and wrist injuries. When surgery is necessary, our surgeons use innovative, proven techniques to repair tendons and ligaments and fix broken bones.
- Patient-centered care: We strive to provide the best possible experience for our patients. We’ll create a personalized treatment plan for you, keeping your needs and goals in mind. Whether you want to regain movement or simply garden without pain, we’ll help you get there.
- Expert occupational therapy: Therapy is critical to healing elbow and wrist problems. Our compassionate doctors and physical therapists work together to create a personalized therapy plan that works for you.
Conditions we treat
Mercyhealth hand and wrist providers address some of the most common concerns such as:
- Numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tendinitis
- Pain and stiffness from arthritis
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Effects of a traumatic injury such as a fracture or dislocation
- Pinched nerves
- Trigger finger
Our hand and wrist services include reconstructive procedures, occupational therapy, use of orthopedic devices, injection therapies and much more.
Get the care you need
If you are suffering aches or sharp pains or have trouble using your hands, wrists or fingers, our expert hand and wrist specialists will deliver the best care possible to help you maintain and restore maximum function so you can enjoy the activities you love.
Make an appointment
If you’re ready to relieve your hand or wrist pain, you can find an orthopedic specialist or call 888.396.3729.