Eliminate Agonizing Hand Pain Quickly and Easily!

Home
>
Medicine
>
Eliminate Agonizing Hand Pain Quickly and Easily!

Eliminate Agonizing Hand Pain Quickly and Easily!

According to Dr. Nathan Wei, "The hand and wrist are the mirrors of disease." While the cause of hand pain can be a localized problem, hand pain can also be the presenting sign for other diseases.

The wrist and hand are capable of power and precision. As a result, pain and swelling are often accompanied by weakness of grip in hand disorders. A careful history and a complete physical examination are important. The presence of symptoms elsewhere in the body is important to establish.

Two serious hand problems are:
? Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). This is caused by a disorder of the sympathetic nervous system. Typically, it is described as a burning pain. The precipitating factor may be trauma Color changes including purplish discoloration of the fingers may occur. The treatment involves a special procedure called stellate ganglion block. Usually performed by an anesthesiologist, this procedure is often very effective.
? Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. The hand becomes swollen and painful. This picture occasionally occurs in patients with underlying cancers.

Other hand problems that point to other diseases:
? Psoriasis may also cause pitting or lifting up (onycholysis) of the fingernails.
? Abnormal blood vessel patterns near the fingernails may signify auto-immune diseases like lupus.
? Raynaud's phenomenon... When fingers blanch (turn white) this may be a sign of an underlying autoimmune problem such as systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma.
? Bumps, called "nodules" can develop as a result of osteoarthritis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis.
? Depuytren's contracture is a problem where the skin in the palm may become thickened and shortened. A cord of tissue develops and causes fingers to bend into the palm. Treatment for this problem may be steroid injection, splinting, and physical therapy. Surgery is often needed. This condition occurs with other medical diseases.

Virtually all types of arthritis can affect the wrist and hand.
Arthritis when untreated or poorly treated will lead to deformity. Tendonitis is another common problem in the wrist and hand. In the wrist, tendonitis usually causes pain and localized swelling. Tendonitis can be confused with arthritis.

Tendonitis in the hand is most common in the palm. This causes locking or triggering of the fingers. Steroid injection and physical therapy are usually effective treatments. Treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injection, splinting, and occasionally physical therapy.

Tips to make your hand pain better...
? Wear splints if you're going to be doing a lot of repetitive motions
? Use your whole arm instead of just your hand and wrist
? Enlarge the handles on your tools. You can get kitchen utensils and writing implements with enlarges handles. They're worth it.
? Make sure to take rest breaks.
? Avoid repetitive movements when possible.
? Carry objects with the palms open and flat. This will take the pressure off your wrists and fingers.

A common cause of hand pain is carpal tunnel syndrome
... pinching of the median nerve in the wrist. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a symptom- much like fever... it is not a disease! It is the most common cause of tingling in the hands. Besides tingling, burning pain may also occur. Patients often have discomfort at night that is relieved by hanging the affected hand over the side of the bed or vigorously shaking the hands. The discomfort of carpal tunnel syndrome can also be brought on by holding up the newspaper while reading, or by driving. Causes of carpal tunnel syndrome include arthritis, endocrine problems, pregnancy, trauma, infection, tumors, and overuse. Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome depends on the severity. Mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome is treated with splinting, sometimes steroid injection, and avoidance of overuse. For patients with carpal tunnel syndrome that doesn't respond to conservative measures or where the carpal tunnel syndrome is severe, surgery is indicated.
Radial nerve damage leads to wrist drop. Radial nerve pressure in the wrist can occur as a result of repetitive motion, tight pressure (handcuffs, watchbands, bracelets), diabetes, and trauma. Ulnar nerve damage and compression in the wrist can cause a "claw hand." Treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medication, rest, splinting, injection, and sometimes surgery.

Treatment of hand disorders is entirely dependent on making an accurate and specific diagnosis.

Dr. Wei (pronounced "way") is a board-certified rheumatologist and Clinical Director of the nationally respected Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and has served as a consultant to the Arthritis Branch of the National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians. For more information on arthritis and related conditions, go to: http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com

In The News:

Mass High Tech
Blueprint Medicines Welcomes Fidelity Biosciences to Investor Syndicate
MarketWatch (press release)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Blueprint Medicines today announced that new investor Fidelity Biosciences joined existing founding investor Third Rock Ventures in its previously announced $40 million Series A financing.
Fidelity Biosciences invests in Blueprint MedicinesBoston.com

all 6 news articles »

Proactive Investors USA & Canada
Vertex Receives European CHMP Positive Opinion for KALYDECO(TM) (ivacaftor ...
MarketWatch (press release)
KALYDECO is the first medicine to treat the underlying cause of CF, a rare, genetic disease caused by defective or missing CFTR proteins resulting from mutations in the CFTR gene. In people with the G551D mutation, KALYDECO helps the defective CFTR ...
Vertex's cystic fibrosis treatment wins EU regulator's backingBoston.com
Vertex Pharma receives European recommendation for approval of cystic fibrosis ...Proactive Investors USA & Canada

all 20 news articles »

ASC settles with Medicine Hat man regarding allegations of illegal insider ...
Sacramento Bee
By Alberta Securities Commission CALGARY, May 24, 2012 -- /CNW/ - The Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) has concluded a settlement with Jeffrey Scott Bratvold of Medicine Hat, Alberta. Under the Settlement Agreement, Bratvold agreed to cease trading ...

and more »

Rewarding Excellence: Dental School Dean Receives Oral Medicine's Highest ...
UB News Center
BUFFALO, NY -- Michael Glick, DMD, professor of oral medicine and dean of the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, has been presented with the highest academic award given by the American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM), conferred at their ...

and more »

EMA Recommends Patient, Prescriber Information For Pradaxa Be Updated
Wall Street Journal
LONDON (Dow Jones)--The European Medicines Agency, or EMA, Friday recommended updating the product information for the blood thinner Pradaxa, to give clearer guidance to doctors and patients on how to reduce and manage the risk of bleeding associated ...
European Medicines Agency Updates Patient and Prescriber Information for PradaxaPharmaLive.com (press release)

all 19 news articles »

EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)
The Center for Connected Medicine Welcomes GE Healthcare as Founding Partner
EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)
PITTSBURGH--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--The Center for Connected Medicine, a global thought leader defining the transformation of health care, today announced that GE Healthcare has joined the organization as a founding partner.
Health industry optimistic about curbing defensive medicineTire Business
GE becomes latest founding partner at Center for Connected MedicineCMIO
Medical association head talks presidential election, health-care reformIndUS Business Journal
Sioux City Journal
all 22 news articles »

Wilderness medicine courses offered in Eagle County
Vail Daily News
AVON, Colorado — Wilderness medicine classes are an essential tool for all that work, recreate and travel in the outdoors. Don't wait for something to go wrong on an expedition to learn about backcountry trauma and treatment.

There is Gluten in Medicine Too?
Patch.com (blog)
What if something in the medicine your doctor prescribes might make you sick, and neither your doctor nor pharmacist could tell what it is? This is a very real problem for the 3 million Americans with celiac disease and millions more with non-celiac ...

and more »

Homeopathy: It's Not Just Voodoo
Tucson Citizen
25, 2012, under Natural Medicine Tips I'ma skeptic (believe it or not). I've got a degree in biochemistry and molecular biophysics – that is to say, I'm not (as a general rule) satisfied to accept that something works if I can't explain why it works.

Best medicine: Yoga sessions let Amherst seniors laugh (with video)
The Morning Journal
By ASHLEY SZATALA AMHERST — At first glance, the Amherst Steele High School's gentle chair exercise laughter yoga session sounds like a group of Santa Clauses is in the room. It is the last session, and the senior citizen participants are bending, ...

Google News