Hand injury prevention is not always possible. There are many different ways in which the hand can sustain an injury, including burns, lacerations, bruises, amputation, infection. There are also fractures, dislocations and injury to the cartilage and ligaments in the hand and wrist. Injury can also result through arthritis, which is common in the wrist.

These last three will be the focus of this article, as we look at the causes and treatments for hand injuries.
Some of these injuries are easier to diagnosis than others, because some of them are associated with a trauma event. Hand injuries are very common and can have lasting effects, so timely and effective treatment is very impor tant. About one in ten hospital emergency room visits are made by those who have suffered a hand injury. The bulk of those injuries were lacerations and bruises, but about one in five were the result of fractures, a common form of hand injury.

Before considering Hand injury prevention, lets understand what are some of the symptoms that accompany hand injuries. The hand is composed of 19 bones, along with 8 bones in the wrist and countless nerves, muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. All in, there's a lot going on in the hand, and proper diagnosis of hand pain or injury can be complicated.

Symptoms of hand injuries

Excluding those cases of injury resulting in laceration and bruising, symptoms for many hand injuries (those caused by trauma, generally) come in a variety of types. With fractures, there is frequently tenderness, deformity, numbness, swelling, decreased range of motion, and weakness. Meanwhile injuries to the soft tissue of the hand structure are tenderness, swelling, weakness, numbness and decreased range of motion. Meanwhile with arthritis in the wrist, the symptoms are swelling, pain, stiffness, weakness, and instability.

Wrist arthritis presents special issues when it comes to diagnosis, because symptoms can be slow in emerging, in consistent and not associated with a particular trauma or event. Generally those who have this issue will notice that door handles become hard to turn, and grabbing and opening jars can be challenging.

In any case, the symptoms across these categories of hand injuries are pretty similar, and patient diagnosis is not recommended.

A doctor should be consulted if a trauma occurs and any of the symptoms above are present. Failure to properly treat the issue can result in long term problems with the hand. First aid treatment, such as immobilization, icing for no more than 20 minutes, and elevation of the hand above the heart can be done, but this is not a replacement for going to the doctor.

Doctors will examine the injury, and do a physical exam, including a visual inspection of the hand. They will test the sensory nerve in the hand as well as the blood supply to the hand. They will also test for movement and strength and look for obviously broken bones. X-rays may be ordered.
Those with pain from dislocations, fractures or soft tissue damage may be given pain relievers, while the hand is im mobilized.

Fractures are reset, and then X-rayed to determine proper alignment before they are then put into a cast.

Hand injuries Treatment

Dislocations result from ligament injuries, and when these occur, the bone must be set back in place, a process which is called reduction, and can be done manually or through surgical technique. The hand is then put into a splint, which is a device which keeps the injured body part from moving.

If ligaments or cartilage are torn in the injury, and Hand Injury Tendon problems will require a follow up with an orthopedist will be required to insure proper treatment of those injuries.

Almost all hand injuries require close follow-up with medical professionals, and most injuries will need to be checked about one week after treatment.

Physiotherapy techniques and tools are available to speed the recovery process for hand injuries and aid in Hand injury Prevention. Most of these tools work to increase hand strength in support of the recovering hands. Strength is often loss through the immobility that is required during the healing process. There are also devices which are used to increase finger strength.

For those with wrist arthritis a wrist band is often recommended. A TENs machine is often recommend to deal with pain after the injury, as are ice pack.

Hand injuries come in a number of different varieties, but all of them should be treated seriously. The hand play an important function in our daily lives, and being unable to use them properly can have serious implications on our live. Once treated, most hand injuries do not have to have a last impact on your life. But early treatment and Hand injury Prevention is key.

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