Overview
Your hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders are essential tools that allow you to work, play and perform everyday activities. In fact, how well the hands, wrists, arms and shoulders interact depends upon the integrity and function of the related ligaments, tendons, muscles, joints and bones. Problems in any of these can affect upper extremity function – from the fingertips to the shoulder blades – causing major disruptions at home and at work and negatively impacting quality of life.
Hand & Wrist Pain
With how much we rely on our hands, there’s no wonder hand and wrist pain can be so disabling and frustrating. When this pain interferes with typing on your computer, spending time on your hobbies or even getting yourself ready in the morning, it’s time to seek medical advice.
Your hand is made up of 27 bones, including eight in the wrist (called carpals), five in the palm (called metacarpals) and 14 (called phalanges) that make up your fingers and thumb. The bones are held together by ligaments and two main sets of muscles and tendons: flexors (used to bend the thumb and fingers) that connect to the underside of the forearm, and extensors (used to straighten them out) and connect to the top of the forearm.
Treatment
- Arthritis
- Skier’s thumb (ulnar collateral ligament sprain)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Fractures
- Trigger finger and trigger thumb
- Dupuytren’s disease
- Scaphoid fractures
- De Quervain’s disease
- Kienbök’s disease
Elbow Pain
Elbow pain is extremely common – whether due to aging, overuse, trauma or a sports injury. When elbow pain interferes with carrying the groceries, participating in your favorite activities or getting a good night’s sleep, it’s time to seek medical advice.
Your elbow is a hinge joint between the radius and ulna of the forearm, and the humerus of the upper arm. The bones are held together by ligaments. The primary ligaments of the elbow are the medial collateral ligament (MCL) on the inside of the elbow and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) on the outside. Several muscles surrounding the joint are responsible for movement. The tendons attach the muscle to the bone, the cartilage covers and protects the ends of the bones, and bursa sacs provide lubrication and protection around the joint.
Treatment
- Arthritis
- Sprains and strains
- Dislocation
- Fractures
- Tennis and golf elbow
- Olecranon bursitis
- Osteochondritis dissecans
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
- Radial tunnel syndrome
