Hand Pain Specialist

What causes hand pain?

The bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your hand and fingers work together so you can perform fine motor functions (e.g., cutting, typing, writing). Any injury, damage, or disease that affects any of the parts that make up your hand may cause pain.

Typical causes of hand pain include:

• Arthritis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Fractures
• Ganglion cysts
• Tendonitis
• de Quervain’s tenosynovitis
• Trigger finger or trigger thumb
• Neuropathy

Any of these conditions may interfere with your ability to manage your activities of daily living, like brushing your teeth, turning a key to unlock a door, or holding a pen. 

What causes wrist pain?

Like your hand, wrist pain may develop from any injury or disease that affects the structure or function of your wrist. Common causes of wrist pain include:

• Fractures
• Arthritis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Ganglion cysts
• Tendonitis
• Kienbock’s disease

Wrist pain may affect anyone. However, you may be at greater risk of developing wrist pain if you play sports or engage in activities that require repetitive motion of the wrists and hands, such as knitting or painting.

What happens during a hand or wrist pain evaluation?

When you visit Alpine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine to get help for your hand or wrist pain, the team conducts a patient-centered exam to find the root cause of your pain so they can provide the right treatment.

Your provider reviews your symptoms and medical history and examines your hand and wrist, performing various tests to assess structure and function.

To confirm or rule out a suspected diagnosis, your provider runs diagnostic tests such as X-ray, MRI, ultrasound, or electromyography (EMG). Alpine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine performs these tests on-site, so there’s no need to go to another facility or clinic for testing. 

How is hand pain or wrist pain treated?

Treatment for your hand or wrist pain may depend on the underlying cause. Some of the treatment options the team at Alpine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine may recommend include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Bracing or splinting
• Activity modification
• Physical or occupational therapy
• Steroid injections

Depending on the cause of your pain and the severity of your symptoms, the team may also recommend surgical intervention to treat the root cause of the discomfort. 

For example, for carpal tunnel syndrome, the team performs carpal tunnel release to alleviate symptoms. They may also recommend surgery for complex wrist fractures that require screws, plating, or other metal hardware to realign bones for proper healing.

Call Alpine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine or request an appointment online today to get relief from hand or wrist pain.