Hand and wrist injuries

Hand, finger, or wrist injuries can make daily activities challenging. Learn about common conditions you might experience how Montage Orthopedics and Sports Medicine urgent care may be able to help.

Broken hand, wrist, or finger

When you break part of your hand, everything from writing to eating can become a struggle. Your whole hand loses its normal function, making even simple tasks impossible.

You can break the small bones in your fingers or the larger bones that make up your palm and wrist. If you have a broken hand, finger, or wrist, you might:

• Be unable to move one or more fingers
• Notice bruising or swelling

Diagnosis and treatment

Your provider can diagnose a broken hand, finger, or wrist with a physical exam and X-ray.

Treatment might include a closed reduction. This means realigning your bone fragments and then applying a cast, brace, or splint to keep the bones in place as they heal.

If your injury is more serious, you might need surgery.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

If your hands feel weak, tingly, or numb, your median nerve might be under pressure. This important nerve runs down your arm and controls all your fingers except for your pinky.

When the nerve gets squeezed or compressed, you develop carpal tunnel syndrome. If you spend hours making the same motions with your wrist, you're at higher risk. This common condition can give your fingers less strength, coordination, and feeling.

Diagnosis and treatment

Your provider may diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome using electromyography. This test measures nerve and muscle activity.

For relief, your provider may recommend treatment such as:

• Special exercises
• Wrist brace or splint
• Taking breaks from repetitive tasks
• Surgery

Cubital tunnel syndrome

Your ulnar nerve is on the inside of your elbow. It sends electrical signals to the muscles in your forearm and hand. When this nerve gets irritated, you develop cubital tunnel syndrome. You might get this condition if you bend your elbows a lot or lean on them frequently.

If you have cubital tunnel syndrome, you might feel:

• Numbness
• Tingling
• Pain in your ring finger and little finger

Diagnosis and treatment

To treat your condition, you can try:

• Elbow brace or splint
• Exercises and physical therapy

If these treatments don’t help, you may need surgery.

Dupuytren's contracture

Dupuytren's contracture makes your ring finger and little finger bend toward your palm. This condition develops due to thick, tight tissue under the skin of your palm.

Diagnosis and treatment

Your provider might recommend:

• Hand stretches
• Injections of a steroid to reduce inflammation or an enzyme that breaks down tight tissue
• Procedure that uses a needle to break up the tissue
• Radiation therapy to soften the thick tissue
• Surgery for more serious cases

Ganglion cysts

If you notice a round-shaped lump forming on your wrist, it could be a ganglion cyst. These lumps have jelly-like fluid inside them. Don’t worry, these cysts aren't cancerous or life-threatening. Most ganglion cysts are harmless and don't hurt.

Diagnosis and treatment

Your ganglion cyst may heal on its own. If your cyst causes pain or trouble moving your wrist, see a provider.

To treat the cyst, your provider may need to drain it with a needle or perform surgery to remove it.

Trigger finger

When your finger catches or locks in a bent position, you have a trigger finger. This happens because of swelling in the tendon of your finger.

If you have a trigger finger, you might notice:

• Clicking sensation in the injured finger
• Popping sound
• Stiffness

Diagnosis and treatment

A physical exam helps your provider diagnose trigger finger. Although it isn’t as serious as some conditions, you should see a provider so it doesn’t become permanent.

Treatment for trigger finger usually includes:

• Rest
• Stretching exercises
• Splinting