Radial Tunnel Syndrome

Radial tunnel syndrome is a nerve compression syndrome and is caused by undue pressure on the radial nerve. It’s a condition in the same family as carpal tunnel syndrome, but it is not as well-known.

What is the Radial Nerve?

The radial nerve runs the length of the arm, from shoulder to hand, and along the radius (thumb-side of the forearm) for which it is named. The radial tunnel extends just below the elbow where the nerve begins to cross over the bones of the forearm. If there is extra pressure on this nerve, you may experience sharp pain at the top of the forearm or the back of the hand when you try to straighten your wrist and fingers.

What Causes Radial Tunnel Syndrome?

Radial tunnel syndrome can be caused by a physical pressing on the nerve or a repetitive strain on a relating body part, similar to tennis elbow. This can be a result of:

• Injury
• Tumors (bone, fatty, benign, etc.)
• Ganglion cysts
• Swelling or fluid
• Poor flexibility

Signs and Symptoms

Having pain in your arm or hand is often a good indicator that you have radial tunnel syndrome. Unlike other nerve compression syndromes, numbness and tingling are not typical symptoms; this is because the radial nerve affects muscles, not other nerves. Because of this, it can also cause weakness and fatigue in the muscles of the arm.

• Sharp pain in the back of the hand
• Stabbing pain at the top of the forearm
• Muscle weakness
• Unusual muscle fatigue

Most of these symptoms will be felt, or will be most noticeable, when you are trying to straighten your wrist and/or fingers.

Radial Tunnel Syndrome Diagnosis at Atlanta Hand Specialist

A doctor, like the expert hand doctors at Atlanta Hand Specialist, may be able to diagnose radial tunnel syndrome just through a physical examination. The doctor will be able to tell you if there is a mass pressing on your radial nerve, such as a lipoma, tumor, or cyst. Injuries will also be noticeable during a physical examination.

If your radial tunnel syndrome is caused by a repetitive motion, it will be harder to diagnose the cause of the pain. The location and type of pain you are experiencing will be the main factor in your diagnosis.

Radial Tunnel Syndrome Surgical and Non-Surgical Treatments

To combat your condition non-invasively, your doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroid injections, and splinting to reduce swelling and decrease pressure on the radial nerve. If these options don’t work, your doctor may suggest different forms of exercises or physical therapy, such as stretching, strengthening, icing, heat therapy, or nerve-gliding exercises.

If you have tried all of the above treatments, and nothing is working to relieve symptoms, then your doctor may consider a surgical approach. This course of treatment would entail a radial tunnel release, where the surgeon will split the compressive sites in the radial tunnel, making it larger and giving the nerve more room.

If you are experiencing symptoms of radial tunnel syndrome, contact the dedicated team at Atlanta Hand Specialist at any of their metro Atlanta locations. Let us review your condition and recommend the right course of treatment for your specific needs.

Fingertip Infections

Infections anywhere in the body are a common health risk, but fingertip infections are extremely common. We use our hands for everything, and we might not always take the best care of them. Fingertip infections can range anywhere from mere annoyance to serious health concern. If ignored or untreated, some infections can result in permanent damage or even complete loss of the finger.

Any opening in the skin on or around the fingertip can allow bacteria, a virus, or a fungus to enter and cause an infection. Biting your nails, picking cuticles, working with rough or sharp objects, and playing with animals are just a few of the countless ways you can cut the skin on your fingers and incur an infection.

Common Examples of Fingertip Infections

Felon

A felon is a bacterial infection located in the finger pad. Staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria are responsible for these infections, and they usually enter through a puncture wound. The inside of the fingertip has several compartments, allowing this infection to stay localized and form a pocket of bacteria and pus. The fingertip will be swollen and painful.

Herpetic Whitlow

Herpetic whitlow is a herpes simplex virus infection in the fingertips. These are common among professionals who come into contact with saliva or other body fluids (nurses, doctors, dentists, etc.), or among people who already have herpes. The fingertip will be red and tender, and may burn or itch.

Cellulitis

The most common form of fingertip infection, cellulitis is a staphylococcal or streptococcal infection caused by an open wound. This type of infection can spread to surrounding tissue and even into the blood. The infected area will be red, warm, swollen and tender.

Infectious Flexor Tenosynovitis

Caused by a deep, penetrating trauma, infectious flexor tenosynovitis is an infection in the tendon sheaths in the fingertip. These infections can spread easily along the sheath and its tendon. Patients with these infections will experience swelling of the entire finger, tenderness of the underside of the finger, and pain bending the finger.

Paronychia

Paronychia is caused by a staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria, or even a fungus on rare occasions. These infections are commonly caused by biting hangnails, as these types of organisms are commonly found in the mouth. In these infections, the area next to the fingernail will be red and swollen, possibly with pus.

Call Atlanta Hand Specialist for Fingertip Infection Treatment

If you suspect you may have a fingertip infection, contact the experienced physicians and surgeons at Atlanta Hand Specialist in metro Atlanta, Georgia. Call 770-333-7888 for a same-day appointment, or book your visit online.

Why You’re Experiencing Wrist & Elbow Pain During Tennis

The repetitive impact your dominant hand and arm experience when you hit a tennis ball can cause damage to your tendons, despite how light the ball and racket might be. In fact, injuries such as these are so common they’ve been dubbed “tennis elbow.” But this painful injury isn’t specific to tennis players.

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is a condition caused by overuse of the arm, elbow, wrist, and hand. It can be brought on by repetitive motion or one, sudden movement, and it affects the tendons at the outside of the elbow. This tendon, the lateral epicondyle, tears, causing pain.

Pain may grow slowly, or, in rarer cases, begin suddenly. It can become worse when squeezing or grasping objects and moving them.

How to Prevent Elbow Pain

You can reduce your risk of developing tennis elbow by reducing stress on your joints. Make sure you’re using the correct equipment — whether you’re a carpenter or a tennis player, the right tools can diminish your risk of hurting yourself greatly. Using a counter-force brace and avoiding tight gripping of the hand or overuse of the writs can help.

Seeking Treatment for Tennis Elbow

Once you have developed tennis elbow you should follow the basic care steps for most minor injuries: rest and ice. In addition to this, you can take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), like ibuprofen. Modifying movements and braces is another way to relive pain.

If you believe you have tennis elbow, it is best to seek professional help before any further damage is done to your tendon. Contact the specialists at Atlanta Hand Specialist at any location across North Atlanta to begin treatment. Schedule your appointment online, or call us at 770-333-7888.

Do You Experience Hand Pain While Typing?

Whether you’re sitting at your computer and typing email after email, or firing off text messages from your phone, the continual and repetitive motion that typing involves can cause tendon irritation and painful side effects. The hand pain you’re experiencing could be a result of carpal tunnel syndrome you’ve developed because of excessive typing.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by increased pressure on the median nerve in your wrist. This nerve feeds to the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of your ring finger. Pressure can be caused by a variety of factors, but in this case, it’s the result of tendon inflammation. As your tendons become inflamed with overuse, they swell, building pressure. When pressure occurs in the carpal tunnel — the space in your wrist where the median nerve passes through — the nerve becomes compressed. This results in tingling, numbness, pain, and weakness in your hand.

What You Can Do

Wearing braces, receiving physical therapy, and adjusting your daily habits are great ways to alleviate symptoms. Take frequent breaks during the day, especially if you work long hours at a computer. These breaks don’t need to be long, just a few minutes. You can get up, stretch, walk to the bathroom, or step outside for a moment; just give your hands a bit of rest.

Get Help from Atlanta Hand Specialist

If your symptoms don’t get better after trying these things, it might be time to see a carpal tunnel specialist. To alleviate the pressure on your nerve if the swelling doesn’t go down on its own, surgery may be required. This is where the experienced professionals at Atlanta Hand Specialist come in. Our extensive team of talented physicians and surgeons are here to help you get back to a pain-free life.

Book your appointment online or give us a call at 770-333-7888 to start treating your carpal tunnel syndrome today.

Why Do I Keep Dropping Things?

Do you find that you have a hard time holding on to things, accompanied by a numbness or tingling in your hand? This could be a sign that you have developed carpal tunnel syndrome. The weakness in your hand could be caused by the numbness or the weakening of the medial nerve, which controls the pinching of your thumb.

What is Carpal Tunnel?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the pinching of the median nerve in the hand due to increased pressure caused by swelling. This swelling can be a result of several things: joint dislocations, keeping your wrist bent for long periods of time, fluid retention, thyroid conditions, fluid retention, and more.

The median nerve is located along the inside of the arm, towards the thumb, and branches out into the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger. Pressure on a nerve that reaches the majority of the hand can cause the significant motor and sensory issues you’re experiencing.

What to Do Next

To treat carpal tunnel syndrome, you’ll want to attempt to relieve the pressure on your median nerve. This can be done by first determining what caused the pressure build-up in the first place. If that doesn’t work, you can wear splints or adjust your habits to avoid motions that would irritate your condition.

If after this, your symptoms persist, call the specialists at Atlanta Hand Specialist. Our experienced physicians and hand surgeons can relieve the pressure on your nerve through a simple surgical procedure.

Schedule your appointment at any of our North Atlanta locations online, or give us a call at 770-333-7888.

Immediate Steps to Take If You’ve Severed Your Finger

If you sever a finger in an accident, there are several immediate actions you can take that can help preserve your finger and staunch the flow of blood. Taking these quick steps, along with contacting the right medical personnel, may affect whether the finger can be reattached or not. Learn the steps below from the experts at Atlanta Hand Specialist.

Clean and Dress the Injury

After cutting and severing a finger, one of the first things to do is wash the affected area. Run the finger under water to clean the injury and to remove any debris. If a large piece of debris is still lodged in your finger, do not remove the piece. Clean around the debris as much as possible. After cleaning the area, place a bit of sterile dressing, like gauze or a clean washcloth, on the area. Compress the injury to help stop the flow of blood.

Clean and Preserve the Severed Finger

After cleaning your injury, quickly sanitize the amputated finger with water or saline solution. Wrap the finger in moist gauze or a moist towel and place it in a watertight bag. Place that bag in a container or bag of ice to preserve the finger. Do not place the finger directly on ice, as this can damage the finger further.

Elevate and Immobilize the Hand

After you’ve cleaned and dressed the area, try and keep the hand up as much as possible to help slow the flow of blood. If you have a splint available, immobilize the hand and finger to help prevent further injury and to slow blood flow.

Contact the Appropriate Medical Personnel

If you feel like you are in need of an ambulance, call 911 for medical attention. If at any time after the injury, you feel lightheaded or dizzy, lie down immediately and contact medical personnel or someone in your household to take the necessary steps for your medical care. Whether you need an ambulance or have a friend or family member drive you to the emergency room, seek medical attention sooner rather than later.

Severed Finger Care at Atlanta Hand Specialist

If you’ve severed your finger in an accident, contact the hand and finger surgeons at Atlanta Hand Specialist. We have a team of qualified and experienced doctors who are experts at treating hand and finger injuries and conditions. Call us today at 770-333-7888 to learn more about what we can offer, or make an appointment online.

Smartphone Causing You Pain? You Might Have Text Claw

Text messaging is one of the most frequently and widely-used applications on mobile devices and smartphones. According to Pew Internet Research, 97{8a84bec29f0c6191c5749bf28eb523294366e43ed833a200fa3533daa6774e4e} of Americans send at least one text message every day, which accounts to more than 6 billion text messages traveling the information highway in the U.S. every day.

With so many conversations being conducted in short text messages, your thumb and fingers are destined to get a workout. While workouts are typically a good thing, over exertion can lead to soreness and cramping in your thumbs, fingers, wrist, and forearms, which explains a condition called text claw.

What Is Text Claw?

Text claw may not be an official medical diagnosis, but several individuals have felt the pangs of typing, texting, or browsing the web. Text claw explains the pain you get throughout your hands and wrist after continuously performing fine motor activities. In addition to text messaging, other fine motor activities that may cause text claw include:

• Peeling vegetables
• Needlepoint
• Rolling a cigar

In some patients, text claw has led to tendonitis, which is associated with wrist pain, numbness, aching, and loss of strength. Tendonitis can make the smallest tasks seem nearly impossible to complete. Most importantly, the swelling from tendonitis may lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

What Are Treatments for Text Claw?

If it’s clear your pain is caused by over texting, it may be time to take it easy. One alternative is to choose a voice app to convert your speech to text. This will certainly reduce the amount of strain on your hands and fingers. However, if you are unable to live without sending the tweet or SMS message, use the following tips to reduce the discomfort and improve flexibility.

1. Use Heat – Apply heat to the affected area with a heating pad or hot towel. This will help alleviate the pain and relax the muscles.
2. Perform Stretches – Reach forward while extending your arm outward with your hand extending backward. This simple motion will stretch your muscles and tendons.
3. Massage – In the process of stretching, pay attention to areas with tightness or tension. Check to see whether you have nodules in your forearm, which will feel like tiny balls. Gently rub the nodules and press downward. However, make sure to avoid overdoing it, and do not apply too much pressure near or on your thumb. This could damage the large nerve in the area.
4. Anti-Inflammatory Relief – By taking naproxen, aspirin, or ibuprofen, you may be able to reduce the inflammation and irritation associated with text claw.

If you do not find relief after performing these at-home treatments, your condition may be more serious than text claw.

Contact Atlanta Hand Specialist to Learn More

If you are experiencing pain from using your smartphone, iPad, or other electronic device excessively, you may be suffering from text claw. At the same time, your discomfort could be caused from tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or a variety of other common conditions.

As a result, it’s important to speak to a hand specialist for an expert opinion. The professionals at Atlanta Hand Specialist practice exclusively on matters affecting your hand, fingers, wrist, and thumb. We utilize state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment to quickly diagnose and treat a variety of conditions affecting the hand, fingers, wrist, and thumb.

If you are experiencing hand cramping, soreness or any other discomfort, the hand surgeons and practitioners at Atlanta Hand Specialist may be able to help. Contact the Atlanta Hand Specialist today to schedule an appointment at one of our convenient locations.

Ligaments, Tendons, & Bones! Oh My!

Every time you make a fist or wave goodbye to a loved one, there are several bones, tendons, and ligaments at work in your hand. As one of the most complex and fascinating body parts, each hand is made up of 27 different bones as well as a variety of tendons and ligaments.

Due to the large number of ligaments, tendons, and bones, it’s imperative to choose the expertise of a hand specialist to quickly diagnose conditions of the hand, wrist, thumb, and fingers. Continue reading to learn more about some of the most integral bones, tendons, and ligaments making up the anatomy of your hand.

General Anatomy of the Human Hand

While other mammals have claws, paws, and talons, your hands are distinctly designed to allow you to grasp objects. One of the key distinguishing features of your hands are opposable thumbs. Your hand, is comprised of three distinct areas:

• The palm of your hand is the central part of the inside region of your hand. The skin on the palm includes tiny dermal papillae, which increases friction. You also have dermal papillae on your fingers and fingertips
• The dorsal or opisthenar area is the area corresponding with your palm on the backside of your hand.
• The heel of your hand is at the base of your metacarpal bones. The heel of the hand is the area that sustains the most pressure anytime you use your palm for support.

Bones of the Hand – Carpals, Metacarpals, and Phalanges

All of the bones in your hand work together simultaneously to provide flexibility and support to the soft tissue. The bones in your hand can be divided into three different categories.

1. Carpal bones are proximal to your body, meaning they are the bones located closest to the wrist. These bones are a set of eight irregularly shaped bones that form the base of the hand.
2. Metacarpals are found in the palm or middle of the hand. In total, there are five metacarpals, and each one is directly related to a digit.
3. Phalanges are simply the bones in your fingers. Each of your fingers are comprised of three different phalanges. However, your thumb only has two phalanges.

The Connective Hand Ligaments

The ligaments in your hands are strong bands of tissue that are connected to your bones. Ligaments are responsible for supporting and providing structure to your bones. Each hand is comprised of six major ligaments:

• Volar Plate is a ligament that connects the middle phalanx on the palm side of the joint to the proximal phalanx. When your finger straightens, the volar plate tightens to keep the joint from bending backward. Complications with the volar plate are commonly associated with Swan-Neck Deformity.
• Collateral ligaments are located on either side of the thumb and finger joints. These ligaments prohibit sideways movement of the joint.
• Radioulnar and ulnocarpal ligaments are two sets of ligaments that support the wrist.
• Volar radiocarpal ligaments are a complex web of ligaments providing support for the wrist on the palm side.
• Dorsal radiocarpal ligaments support the back of the wrist.
• Ulnar and radial collateral ligaments are a pair of ligaments that provide stability and bind the bones of the wrist.

The Five Vital Tendons of the Hand

The tendons are bands of connective tissues tasked with attaching bones to the muscle and enabling your muscles to move your bones. The primary tendons in your hand include:

• Your hand has nine long flexor tendons that pass from your forearm through the wrist’s carpal tunnel.
• Profundus tendons travel through your wrist and hand on the anterior or palm side. These tendons are responsible for working with the superficialis tendons to flex the MCP joints, PIP joints, and wrist.
• Similar to the profundus tendons, superficialis tendons travel through the palm side of your hand and wrist and attach to the bases of your middle phalanges. These tendons work with your profundus tendons to flex the MCP joints, PIP joints, and wrist.
• The extensor tendons are located in your fingers and attach to the distal and middle phalanges. The extensor tendons work to extend the PIP, MCP, and DP joints. Extensor tendons also work to extend the wrist.
• Abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis are responsible for thumb movement. These tendons run from from the muscles located in the top of your forearm.

Contact Atlanta Hand Specialist

The hand surgeons and physicians at Atlanta Hand Specialist practice exclusively on matters affecting your fingers, thumbs, wrist, and hands. By solely focusing on these extremities, we are able to deliver the highest possible level of care. If you are experiencing any complications with your hand and upper extremities, trust the experts at Atlanta Hand Specialists to facilitate a rapid recovery.

Schedule your appointment online today with Atlanta Hand Specialist.

Hand Safety When Carving Pumpkins

Most people’s favorite part of fall centers around Halloween: costumes, crisp leaves, trick-or-treating, and, of course, pumpkin carving. For the traditionalists, there are the whimsical jack o’ lanterns; for the creative, there are negative space carvings or silhouettes; and for the ambitious, there are bas-relief engravings that allow their pumpkins to shine even during the day. However, each of these styles requires sharp instruments, which is one of the main reasons that Halloween results in so many injuries. Almost 20{8a84bec29f0c6191c5749bf28eb523294366e43ed833a200fa3533daa6774e4e} of these are hand injuries, many of them occurring in children.

Pumpkin Carving Safety

Regardless of your carving style, there are a few things you need before getting started. Begin with a clean, dry pumpkin and a well-lit carving area. If your pumpkin is wobbly, make sure to slice off the bottom to ensure a stable canvas. Turing your pumpkin into something spooky is a family activity, and it should remain one for the whole process; adult supervision is the best way to prevent hand injuries.

Children should rarely be doing the actual carving themselves. However, there are some tools specifically designed to allow children to take part. These usually come in kits which include small, serrated, blunt-tipped carving saws; scoopers; templates; and pokers (to trace the template with).

Make sure to never cut toward yourself, be aware of your hand placement, and use a gentle back-and-forth motion. When it comes to your knife choice, sharper is not better. Kitchen knives, though sharp, offer little control and require more force to cut. Small serrated blades often work best.

What to do if an Injury Occurs

If an injury does occur, apply pressure with a clean cloth until bleeding stops. Remove any jewelry that might impede blood flow or compress nerves if swelling is a risk. If the cut is minor, clean with warm water and soap, use antibiotic ointment and a sterile bandage, ice and elevate. Call 911 if bleeding does not stop after several minutes, blood is spurting, coldness or numbness is experienced, or amputation occurs.

Contact the Experts at Atlanta Hand Specialist

Get back into the spirit of the season as quickly as possible with the expert care at Atlanta Hand Specialist. For any and all injuries requiring surgery or special treatment, experienced doctors at all six of our locations are here to help. Call 770-333-7888 or book an appointment online. Same-day appointments are available.

6 Ergonomic Products for Work and Home

What does it mean to be ergonomic? Essentially, ergonomic means to be designed for the user, rather than expecting the user to adapt to the product’s design. Ergonomic designs typically put less stress on the user’s physical body, allowing them to work and live more comfortably. They also help prevent repetition-related stress injuries like carpal tunnel and muscle strains.

Some of the ergonomic products that the hand experts at Atlanta Hand Specialist recommend include the following:

Ergonomic Keyboards

Because the average office worker spends more than seven hours a day using the computer, ergonomic keyboards can help prevent stress injuries. Ergonomic keyboards are slightly rounded with a break in between the keys in the center of the board. This design works with the hand’s and wrist’s natural resting position to prevent injury.

Ergonomically Designed Computer Mouse

Many workers also enjoy using an ergonomic mouse that either doesn’t require rolling or is shaped to fit the natural resting position of the hand. This can help prevent strain on the wrist.

User-Friendly Standing Desk

With the typical work day lasting 8-10 hours in the United States, it’s vital to find office furniture that supports your physical health. A good ergonomic alternative to the typical desk is the standing desk. This desk allows you to sit or stand, relieving the danger of blood clots and encouraging you to move more throughout the day.

Comfortable, Ergonomic Chair

Ergonomic desk chairs are available that can provide lumbar support to prevent back strain. They are also made for maximum comfort with specifically designed cushioning to relieve joints. Ergonomic chairs should have an adjustable height, lumbar support, and arm rests.

Ergonomic Kitchen Utensils

The kitchen is a place people spend much of their time in, preparing, cooking, and enjoying meals. To help prevent overuse injuries, invest in ergonomic kitchen utensils designed to make repetitive movements carry less strain. From spring-loaded kitchen scissors to easy-grip pots and pans, these simple product changes in your kitchen can help prevent wrist and hand injuries.

Foot Rests and Lumbar Cushions

Cushions and supports are easy additions to your home, office, and car that can be helpful in preventing back strain. Although comfortable, many chairs and couches are not ergonomically designed and can actually cause stress to your back and neck muscles. With the proper cushion supports and foot rests, you can enjoy a movie at home without worrying about muscle pain or soreness.

Find Hand and Wrist Treatment at Atlanta Hand Specialist

If you suffer from carpal tunnel or other wrist and hand pain from strain and stress, visit the experts at Atlanta Hand Specialist. Our compassionate care can help give you the relief you need for a pain-free work or home life. Contact us today at 770-333-7888 to learn more about our services or to make an appointment.