What Are the Upper Extremities?
In orthopedic medicine, the upper extremities consist of the limbs and joints at the top of your body, including the shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist, and hand.
Injuries and illnesses that affect the hand and upper extremities can cause pain and difficulty during daily activities, like getting dressed in the morning and preparing food.
Who Treats Hand Pain?
Orthopedic hand and upper extremity specialists are experts in treating shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist, and hand conditions. These hand doctors complete an additional year of education called a fellowship where they focus only on these areas of the body. These experienced specialists can make informed decisions on your care.
What Conditions Affect the Hand and Upper Extremities?
The expert team at Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopedics provides sophisticated care for the full range of injuries and diseases that affect the hand and upper extremities, including:
- Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries: The ligament on the inside of your elbow becomes torn or inflamed.
- Lateral and medial epicondylitis (tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow): The inside or outside of your elbow becomes inflamed with these conditions.
- Arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: The joints in your upper extremities, including your hands, wrists, and elbows, experience pain or stiffness.
- Arm, wrist, and hand fractures: The bones in your hands, arms, or wrists experience hairline or significant breaks.
- Dislocated fingers: A bone in your finger is bent past its normal range, often occurring in sports events or falls.
- Trigger finger and mallet finger: The sheath around the tendons in your fingers shrinks, causing it to get stuck in a bent position and suddenly snap straight. Mallet finger occurs at the end of your fingers.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome: The median nerve is pinched inside your carpal tunnel, which can cause, pain, tingling, or numbness in your arms, hands, and fingers.
- De Quervain’s tenosynovitis: The tendons on the thumb-side of your wrist experience pain and swelling.
- Dupuytren’s disease: The tissue under the skin on the palm of your hand thickens, causing nodules or enlarged cords that can force the finger to contract.
- Ganglion cysts: The outer portion of your wrist can become swollen or bothersome due to a fluid-filled cyst.
- Wrist sprains: A ligament inside your wrist is damaged, causing pain or bruising.
- Tendonitis: The tendons in your hands or wrists are inflamed, leading to pain, irritation, or swelling.
They also treat many shoulder conditions, including rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocation, and instability.
How Do Hand Specialists in Nashville, Tennessee, Diagnose Upper Extremity Conditions?
The hand and upper extremities team at Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopedics reviews your symptoms and medical history and performs a thorough physical exam.
To confirm a diagnosis and determine the most effective treatment approach, they may take on-site diagnostic tests, like an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan or nerve conduction study (NCS).
How Do Hand Doctors Treat Pain?
Elite's orthopedic hand doctors create a personalized treatment plan for your specific needs.
Treatment for hand and upper extremities conditions usually begins with conservative methods, such as medications to control pain and reduce inflammation. Physical therapy, stretching, and strengthening exercises can also help.
If conservative treatment doesn’t adequately relieve your pain and symptoms, surgery may be necessary. The Nashville hand surgeons at Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopedics use minimally invasive surgical techniques whenever possible.
They specialize in the full spectrum of hand and upper extremity procedures, including:
- Joint replacement
- Carpal meta-carpal (CMC) arthroplasty
- UCL reconstruction, also known as Tommy John surgery
- Endoscopic carpal tunnel release
- De Quervain’s release
- Cyst excision
- Trigger finger release
- Joint synovectomy
- Wrist arthroscopy
- Wrist fusion
- Fracture fixation
How Can I Prevent Hand Pain?
If you experience hand pain often, there are a few tips you can try to prevent your hand pain:
- Change the way you work - If you type or use a most often for your job, invest in an ergonomic keyboard or mouse.
- Do at home exercises - Stregthening and stretching your muscles often can help to prevent injury! Look up exercises for your hand, wrist, or upper extremity if you are susceptible to hand pain.
- Avoid overuse - If you are using your hand constantly for something and it is getting sore, take a break and stretch.
Treat Hand and Wrist Pain at Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopedics
Our wrists, fingers, arms, and hands are vital to many of our everyday activities, from typing on the computer to eating meals. When you have upper extremity pain that hinders your life, get in touch with a specialist at Elite Sports Medicine and Orthopedics.
Our doctors develop plans to relieve pain through physical therapy, medication, and surgery if necessary. We will examine your symptoms with advanced technology and create a course of action to start the healing process.
Although sometimes ice, elevation, or over-the-counter medications and braces can alleviate some of your pain, a licensed professional can help with more severe and long-lasting issues. Call Elite Sports Medicine + Orthopedics today for more information. You can also book an appointment online with one of our hand specialists in Nashville, Tennessee, for complete hand and upper extremities pain care.
Our Hand and Upper Extremity Specialists
