Five Common Types Of Hand Injuries And When To Seek Medical Care

Your hand is a complicated structure containing 27 bones, plus various other components: muscles, tendons, ligaments, veins, nerves, and more. We use our hands for so many things, so
an injury can set you back. Injuries can happen anywhere, either at home, on the job, or practicing your favorite hobby or sport. Knowing when to seek treatment for your hand injury is
important to proper healing.

Here are five common hand injuries and when to seek medical care for each.

Sprains

A sprain happens when the ligament is stretched or torn. Sprains to the thumb and wrist may result in swelling, bruising, discomfort, and/or pain. If you are experiencing these, seek medical
attention. In most cases, surgery is not required and you can heal with conservative treatment such as splinting and/or hand therapy. If the injury is severe, unable to heal on its own, or if the ligament ruptures, surgery may help.

Lacerations

A laceration is more than just a cut; it is a deep cut. This is a common injury at home, especially in the kitchen. Seek medical attention if you have a laceration along with numbness, major
bleeding, inability to move your hand or finger as before, or you become weak or pale. Even a kitchen cut could have cut into the tendon and caused damage — so have your injury evaluated
by a medical professional to ensure proper healing.

Fractures/Dislocations

A fracture is a broken bone and a dislocation is an injury at a joint where something has moved out of place. Seek medical attention for these injuries. You may experience tenderness,
deformity, swelling or a change in color, numbness, weakness, bleeding, and/or an inability to move your hand as before.

Overuse Injuries

Overuse injuries are a type of injury that can happen when repetitive motion puts stress on muscles and joints. One common type of overuse injury of the hand is tendonitis. For overuse
injuries, seek medical attention with tenderness, deformity, swelling, weakness, numbness, or inability to move your fingers or hand as before.

Burns/Infections

Severe burns and also infections need medical attention. If you are experiencing warmth in the area, redness, swelling, tenderness, deformity, or any of your symptoms are accompanied by a
fever, see your doctor. Also, if you are unable to move your hand or fingers as before, are blistered, or if the skin is blackened, or your skin texture has changed, see a doctor.

Now that you know more about five common types of hand injuries…

…you will be glad to know that Dr. Yospur completed a fellowship in surgery of the hand with the Division of Hand Surgery at Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix and is able to
help evaluate, diagnose, and treat complications of the hand.

When it comes to hand injuries, the longer you go without seeking care, the more potential there is for incorrect healing and long-term damage to occur. For hand injuries, same-dayappointments may be available. Contact us today.