What is Cubital Tunnel Syndrome?

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The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, foot and ankle conditions, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic and podiatric surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:

503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm

 

Broken vs. Sprained Wrists: How to Tell the Difference

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Article featured on HealthPartners

Wrist injuries are incredibly common. They can happen after a fall, or a forceful hit or sudden twisting of the wrist. For example, you might slip on some ice in your driveway and fracture a bone when falling on an outstretched hand. Or your little hockey player might block a goal and, unfortunately, score a sprained wrist.

But when a wrist injury happens, it may be hard to tell how serious it is. So, how can you tell the difference between a break and a sprain?

Both sprains and breaks need immediate care, but the treatments they need aren’t always the same. Your wrist may need more or less attention depending on the seriousness of the injury. Below, we share key differences between broken and sprained wrists, and when to see a doctor.

What’s the difference between a broken wrist and a sprained wrist?

The difference between a break and a sprain is related to your anatomy. If you have a sprain, it means you have damaged one or more ligaments – the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect your bones to each other.

If you have a broken wrist, it means that one or more bones in your wrist have fractured or shattered. Your wrist joint is made up of eight small bones around your wrist (the carpal bones) and the end of your forearm bones (the radius and ulna).

So, what is a fractured wrist? A fracture is the medical term for a broken bone –   which means a fractured wrist is the same as a broken wrist.

How can I tell if I broke or sprained my wrist?

For starters, broken wrists tend to hurt more than sprained wrists. If your wrist is broken, you’ll likely feel severe pain. Sprains can cause some tenderness and pain, but sometimes they may not cause much discomfort at all.

Another difference is how much you can move your hand. With a sprain, you should be able to move your wrist in a normal range of motion (but it will be painful). If you have a broken bone, you probably won’t be able to move your wrist very much.

Still, it can be hard to tell the difference between the injuries since both come with bruising, swelling and hand weakness. It’s also possible to have both a fracture and a sprain – and the resulting symptoms – at the same time. The only sure way to tell the difference between a fracture and a sprain is to talk to a doctor or hand specialist.

Fractured wrist symptoms vs. sprained wrist symptoms

 

Fracture Sprain
The sound your wrist makes at the time of injury Grinding, crunching or cracking Often silent, sometimes there’s a popping sound
Hand strength after injury Hand will feel weak Hand will feel weak
Range of motion after injury Only able to move your wrist a little or not at all. Finger movement may also be affected. Can move wrist (but it will be uncomfortable to do so)
Swelling Gradual and mild Quick and significant
Wrist deformity after injury Wrist may look deformed or have an unnatural bend (but it’s also possible to have a fracture without noticeable deformity) None

 

What should I do if I’ve injured my wrist?

One of the first things is to decide if you need to see a doctor or if you can treat your injury at home.

If your hand is numb or your wrist is bent in an unnatural way, head to orthopedic urgent care. If you think your wrist is sprained, it’s okay to wait to see a doctor and treat it at home. But if your wrist doesn’t feel better in a day, make an appointment with a hand specialist or walk in to one of our convenient orthopedic urgent care locations.

Not sure? Schedule an appointment with a hand specialist – they’ll be able to tell if your wrist is sprained or broken, and what you need to do to take care of it.

How long does it take for a sprained wrist to heal compared to a broken wrist?

The more pain you have with your injury, the longer it will take to heal. Sprained wrists can take anywhere from 2-10 weeks to heal.

Broken wrists can take a few months (or more) to heal fully – with most healing happening between 6-12 weeks.

How to care for your injured wrist at home

If you have a wrist injury, there are a few things you should do to reduce pain and get on the path to healing. If you have a mild sprain, these home treatments may be all you need to recover. But for breaks and more serious sprains, you’ll likely need medical attention.

  • Immediately – Stop doing anything that causes you pain, and not just for the day. For example, if you have a sports-related wrist injury, you’ll need to stay on the sidelines until you’re healed. Also, keep your jewelry off until the swelling is completely gone.
  • For the first 24 hours – Apply ice for 15-20 minutes at a time. Also, wrap a compression bandage around your hand to help with swelling.
  • For the first three days – Elevate your hand as much as possible, including overnight. This reduces blood flow to the hand and can decrease swelling.

Medical treatments for broken wrists and serious fractures

To diagnose your injury, your doctor will do a physical examination and possibly take X-rays. Your doctor may also do other imaging tests such as a CT scan or an MRI for more information before making a diagnosis or recommending the treatments that will work best for you. Possible treatment options include:

A cast or splint

Movement makes it harder for bones to heal. A cast or splint holds your wrist in place so that the broken bone can heal. So, what’s the difference between a cast and a splint, and how do you know which you need?

If your fracture isn’t too bad, a splint may be enough to protect your wrist. Splints come ready made and can usually be removed and adjusted. Casts provide greater support for severe injuries. They are custom made – usually from plaster or fiberglass – to fit your wrist and protect your injury.

How long you’ll need to wear a cast or a splint depends on your injury. For a mild fracture, it might be a week or two. For more serious injuries it might be months.

Do you need a cast for a sprained wrist?

No, you don’t usually need a cast for a sprained wrist. It’s more common for a doctor to recommend you wear a splint for 2-10 days. After this period of rest, you should begin moving your wrist as much as possible (as long as it’s not painful). Movement brings fluids to and from the injured area – something that’s necessary for healing.

Still, there are times when a doctor may recommend a cast for a sprain. For example, if moving the injured tendon or ligament causes severe pain or the doctor is concerned that improper healing could cause permanent changes in wrist function.

If you wear a cast for a sprained wrist, it’s usually for 3-4 weeks, but it can be for as long as 8 weeks.

Medications

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen sodium are great for temporary pain relief. If you have an open fracture and the bone has broken the skin, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics.

Hand therapy

As your injury heals, you’ll be able to move it more. At this point, you can start some exercises. Our hand therapists can help put together a tailored plan to help your hand regain the strength and abilities it had before injury. As part of therapy, your hand therapist may use ultrasound, manual therapy, kinesiology taping or neuromuscular re-education techniques.

Surgery

Your hand surgeon may need to implant plates, screws or rods to keep your bones in place while they heal. This is usually only necessary if:

  • Your bone broke in multiple places
  • The bone has pushed through the skin
  • The injury has damaged or could damage the surrounding ligaments, nerves, blood vessels or joints

You may also need surgery if your bone doesn’t heal properly after a break.

Get the help you need for your injured wrist

Wrists with mild sprains can usually be treated at home, but broken bones and severe fractures will heal best with medical attention.

If you have symptoms that could be from a broken or sprained wrist, make an appointment with a hand therapist or your primary care doctor. They’ll be able to tell if your wrist is sprained or broken, and what you need to do to get better.

If your wrist is obviously broken or your hand is numb, head to orthopedic urgent care to have it looked at right away.

The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, foot and ankle conditions, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic and podiatric surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:

503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm

What are Wrist, Hand or Elbow Dislocations?

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Article featured on Mercy Health

What are hand, wrist or elbow dislocations?

Hand dislocations occur when one of the eight carpal bones (bones located at the base of the hand) fall out of the joint to cause a hand dislocation. The capitate (largest bone in the hand) or lunate bones are the bones that most frequently dislocate.

Wrist dislocations occur when one of the eight bones of the wrist fall out of socket due to a fall.

Elbow dislocations occur when the joints of the elbows somehow separate. In a partial elbow dislocation, the joint surfaces are not completely separated (also known as subluxation), while in a complete dislocation, the joint surfaces are completely dislocated.

Causes of hand, wrist or elbow dislocations

  • Hand dislocations typically occur when direct, intense force is applied to the wrist and the hand is bent backward.
  • High impact sports such as basketball and football are common causes of hand, wrist or elbow dislocations – football and basketball players can dislocate finger joints when striking the ball, the ground or another player.
  • A hard blow to the joint, for example in a car accident, could cause a hand, wrist or elbow dislocation.

Risk factors of hand, wrist or elbow dislocations

Risk factors of hand, wrist or elbow dislocations are:

  • Participating in high impact, extreme sporting activities, such as football and hockey can put people at higher risk for a hand, wrist or elbow dislocation
  • Sports where falls are common, such as volleyball, gymnastics and downhill skiing put people at a higher risk of hand, wrist or elbow dislocations
  • Some people are born with ligaments and joints that are more prone to injury
  • Patients who are more susceptible to falls (such as the elderly) are at a higher risk for hand, wrist or elbow dislocations

Symptoms of hand, wrist or elbow dislocations

Symptoms of hand, wrist or elbow dislocations include:

  • Visible deformities in the hand, wrist or elbow after trauma
  • Inability to move your hand, wrist or elbow
  • Severe pain in the affected area
  • Swelling in the hands, wrists or elbow
  • Misshaped appearance of the hand, wrist or elbow
  • Numbness

Diagnosis of a hand, wrist or elbow dislocation

If you suspect you have a hand, wrist or elbow dislocation, visit the ER right away. It is crucial to treat a hand, wrist or elbow dislocation right away to avoid developing arthritis or death of bone tissue. When possible, ice the joint and keep it immobile while waiting to see the physician.

Hand, wrist or elbow dislocations are diagnosed in a physical exam and with an x-ray, MRI or CT scan to evaluate the extent of the injury and determine the best course of treatment.

Treatments for hand, wrist or elbow dislocations

Wrist dislocations typically require surgery by a hand or wrist orthopedic surgeon.

The hand surgeon will place the bones back into the correct location as well as repair the ligaments and soft tissue surrounding the injury during the procedure.

After the procedure, the wrist will be immobilized in a cast for eight weeks to ensure proper healing.

The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, foot and ankle conditions, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic and podiatric surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:

503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm

Hand, Wrist, And Arm Pain While Exercising

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Article featured on American Society for Surgery of the Hand

Is it normal to have pain or soreness in my hands, wrists, and arms while exercising?

It depends. When you start with exercises you have never done or when you exercise some muscles you have not used in a while, these muscles can become sore. That is normal. Muscle activity produces lactic acid, which causes soreness in the muscles. Soreness means your muscles have been stressed, and they will likely recover after a few hours or a few days, when the lactic has been cleared away. If the exercise causes too much stress, your muscles may become sore to the touch and even might feel swollen.

Is there a difference between discomfort and pain in the hands, wrists, and arms?

“Discomfort” is an annoying sensation of mild pain; actual “pain” is when you feel that there is something wrong. In your physician’s office or in the hospital, you are often asked to rate your pain as a number or point to a picture of a face indicating your discomfort. The level of discomfort or pain is very different in each patient. It depends much on how you have been able to deal with uncomfortable situations in the past.

When should I pay special attention to my muscle or joint pain in my hands, wrists, and arms while exercising?

Most exercise-related pain is dull and spreads over a larger area of your arms or legs. This is normal. When it seems to be sharp pain focused in one spot that you can pinpoint with a finger, it may indicate a muscle strain of a tendon inflammation. Popping, clicking, or grinding in the muscles or tendons are signs of strain. You should cut back on the exercise or activity until the problem settles down. Also, you should watch for painful swelling, especially when compared to the other arm or leg. If rest or over-the-counter medications do not help, you should seek your doctor’s advice.

How can I prevent pain in my hands, wrists, and arms while exercising?

Athletic exercises or exercises in your occupation/physical therapy department are meant to make your muscles and tendons more tolerant to stress and strain, so some soreness is normal. The best way to ease into exercises is to work your muscles gradually to the point of discomfort but not pain. Your occupational therapist can assist you to become more flexible and stronger.

How do I treat pain in my hands, wrists, and arms after exercise?

It is helpful to know that discomfort is often the result of exercise. It does not mean that there is anything wrong with your muscles or your body. Staying active and exercising regularly is healthy and will make it easier for your muscles to recover. It is best to “listen to your body” and back off if exercises are too uncomfortable. Over-the-counter medications, such as a cream applied to the sore area or an occasional anti-inflammatory tablet, can be used.

The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:
503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm

Wrist Fractured: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments

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Article featured on the American Society for Surgery of the Hand

A wrist fracture is a medical term for a broken wrist. The wrist is made up of eight small bones which connect with the two long forearm bones called the radius and ulna. Although a broken wrist can happen in any of these 10 bones, by far the most common bone to break is the radius. This is called a distal radius fracture by hand surgeons.

Some wrist fractures are stable. “Non-displaced” breaks, in which the bones do not move out of place initially, can be stable. Some “displaced” breaks (which need to be put back into the right place, called “reduction” or “setting”) also can be stable enough to treat in a cast or splint. Other fractures are unstable. In unstable fractures, even if the bones are put back into position and a cast is placed, the bone pieces tend to move or shift into a bad position before they solidly heal. This can make the wrist appear crooked.

Some fractures are more severe than others. Fractures that break apart the smooth joint surface or fractures that shatter into many pieces (comminuted fractures) may make the bone unstable. These severe types of fractures often require surgery to restore and hold their alignment. An open fracture occurs when a fragment of bone breaks and is forced out through the skin. This can cause an increased risk of infection in the bone.

Causes

A wrist fracture occurs from an injury such as falling down onto an outstretched hand. Severe trauma such as car accidents, motorcycle accidents or falls from a ladder cause more severe injuries. Weak bones (for example, in osteoporosis) tend to break more easily.

Signs and Symptoms

When the wrist is broken, there is pain and swelling. It can be hard to move or use the hand and wrist. Some people can still move or use the hand or wrist even if there is a broken bone. Swelling or a bone out of place can make the wrist appear deformed. There is often pain right around the break and with finger movement. Sometimes the fingers tingle or feel numb at the tips.

Diagnosis

Your hand surgeon will do a physical examination and obtain x-rays to see if there is a broken bone. Sometimes, tests such as a CT scan or MRI scan may be needed to get better detail of the fracture fragments and other injuries. Ligaments (the soft tissues that hold the bones together), tendons, muscles and nerves may also be injured when the wrist is broken. These injuries may need to be treated also.

Treatment

Treatment depends on many factors, including:

  • Type of fracture, whether it is displaced, unstable or open
  • Your age, job, hobbies, activity level, and whether it is your “dominant” hand
  • Your overall general health
  • Presence of other injuries

A padded splint might be worn at first in order to align the bones and support the wrist to provide some relief from the initial pain. If the fracture is not too unstable, a cast may be used to hold a fracture that has been set. Other fractures may benefit from surgery to put the broken bones back together and hold them in correct place.

Fractures may be fixed with many devices. Pins, screws, plates, rods or external fixation can all be used. A small camera might be used to help visualize the joint from the inside. Sometimes the bone is so severely crushed that there is a gap in the bone once it has been realigned. In these cases, a bone graft may be added to help the healing process. Your hand surgeon will discuss the options that are best for your healing and recovery.

Recovery

During recovery, it is very important to keep your fingers moving to keep them from getting stiff. Your hand surgeon will have you start moving your wrist at the right time for your fracture. Hand therapy is often helpful to recover motion, strength and function.

Recovery time varies and depends on a lot of factors. It is not unusual for recovery to take months. Even then, some patients may have stiffness or aching. Severe wrist fractures can result in arthritis in the joint. Occasionally, additional treatment or surgery is needed.

The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:
503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm

What to Do for Hand and Wrist Pain

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Article featured on verywellfit, Medically reviewed by Vanessa Nzeh, MD on May 01, 2021

Office work is well known for being detrimental to people’s backs due to prolonged periods of sitting.

But, there’s another body part that excessive typing, texting, scrolling, and mouse-clicking wreak havoc on, too—the hands and wrists.

Hand and wrist pain is a notable side effect of office work that many people assume they have to live with. Thankfully, there are actually numerous ways to lessen office-work-induced hand and wrist pain, and ways to help prevent it.

Let’s look at why hand and wrist pain are so prevalent and what you can do about it.

Common Causes And Effects of Hand And Wrist Pain

There is an abundance of hand movement repetition in the tasks for office work, with the main activities performed being typing, scrolling or clicking with a mouse, and texting on a cell phone.

When we type, we use our fingers in an unnatural way, and we often keep them hovered awkwardly above the keyboard for prolonged periods of time. This puts stress on our wrists, and the typing itself overworks our fingers far more than anything else we generally do in life.

When we overuse our hands and wrists by typing, our bodies are put at risk of developing numerous conditions. These include:

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Trigger finger
  • Wrist tendonitis
  • Repetitive strain (or stress) injury

These effects are usually not permanent, but they can be very painful. Once you have frequent hand and wrist pain from typing, other activities in your life, such as exercise or sports, or even opening doors, might also be affected.

Additionally, the prolonged inflammation in your hands and wrists can lead to arthritis in coming years.

Ways to Reduce Hand and Wrist Pain

In addition to life being better when you’re not in pain, it’s important to take steps to prevent that potential occurrence too. Luckily, there are numerous actions you can take to prevent your hand and wrist pain from worsening.

Pausing to stretch your hands and wrists can help bring back flexibility and can improve the blood flow that may be impacted by a lack of arm movement.

If you notice that stretching your hands and wrists reduces your pain, you may opt to stretch briefly every hour or two. In the same way as it’s a good idea to get up and stand every hour to break up your sitting, it’s a good idea to keep your hands and wrists flexible as you use them throughout the day.

Wrist Stretching

Stretching your wrists is an easy way to reduce the pain in them caused by typing. Some examples of wrist stretches you can try are below:

  • Raise and lower your hands in a “stop” position with your arms outstretched in front of you.
  • Make and hold a fist.
  • Rotate your hand up and down while making a fist.

Hand and Finger Stretching

Stretching our hands and fingers isn’t something we tend to think a lot about unless we’re doing a sport that involves gripping, but it can be very helpful in reducing the pain from typing and texting all day.

Here are some ways to stretch your hands and fingers:

  • Straighten your fingers and palms flat against a surface and hold this position for thirty seconds.
  • Bend your fingertips down to make a bear claw shape and hold for 30 seconds.
  • Straighten your fingers and palm on a surface and slowly lift and lower each finger and thumb individually.
It can also be helpful to use a grip strengthener. To use one for hand stretching, you’ll hold it in your hands, squeeze, hold briefly, and release. This act of squeezing and relaxing helps to loosen the muscles. Grips strengtheners can also be used to reduce tension.

Strengthening Exercises

You don’t need a whole workout for your hands and wrists, but taking the time to strengthen this part of your body can have the effect of less pain due to overuse. You don’t need any gym equipment for these exercises.

Use Household Items

There are numerous household items that can be used to help strengthen your hands and wrists such as:

  • Rubber bands
  • Towels
  • A hammer

Exercises using those items can be done in just a few short minutes and are very simple, such as putting a rubber band around your fingers and then pushing your fingers out against it.

Wrist Curls

Unlike the small and simple moves with household items, wrist curls are a more common move for actual exercise workouts.

They can be beneficial to your hands and wrists as well as your forearms, which is the part they’re best known for strengthening.

The goal for this exercise isn’t to get sore, as it might be for some people when they use weights, but too slowly and gradually build strength so that your hands and wrists are in the best possible condition for the daily activities they perform.

Home Remedies For Pain

There are many inexpensive and easy ways to manage pain by reducing inflammation. You could take an over-the-counter pain reducer, which serves to temporarily lower inflammation, or try one of the following remedies below.

Heat and Cold

Alternating between hot and cold treatments through the use of a heating pad and an ice pack can lower inflammation while also providing temporary relief from pain. In the same way that you’d use heat and cold to relieve a sports injury, you can do the same for hand and wrist pain caused by overuse.

Turmeric

This Ayurvedic root is well proven to relieve pain and inflammation. It has been used for millennia and is an incredibly effective natural pain reliever.

With a bright golden color and a mild flavor, you can use ground turmeric in your meals, drink shots of the fresh juice, or make it into a tea.

Ginger

Also an Ayurvedic root used for many generations as a pain and inflammation reducer, ginger has been proven effective for relieving symptoms of arthritis.

Similarly to turmeric, you can use ginger as a dried spice in your cooking, make a tea from the root or powder, or drink fresh juice shots.

Reduce Systemic Inflammation With Everyday Activities

When you make efforts to reduce inflammation, it won’t only be your hands and wrists that will thank you.

Reducing systemic inflammation improves health overall and helps lower your risk for an assortment of illnesses.

There are many ways to go about reducing inflammation on a daily basis. Some you can try include yoga, eating fewer inflammatory foods, managing stress, and getting a sufficient amount of sleep.

How to Prevent Hand and Wrist Pain

Now that you know of ways to reduce the wrist and hand pain you may already have, it’s helpful to know how to keep it gone once you get rid of it.

In addition to taking steps to lower inflammation in your body, and stretching and strengthening your wrists, proper positioning when typing and the use of wrist and hand supports can lower the chances of your pain returning.

Positioning

When sitting to type, start by making sure you’re using a supportive chair that allows for good posture. Having your back straight will assist with the positioning of your arms and wrists. You’ll want to keep your hands hovered lightly over the keyboard, not resting on it, and your fingers curved over the keys.

If you aren’t able to find a comfortable position, you can try a keyboard with a different shape than the one you currently use.

Cushioning

In addition to choosing a keyboard that feels comfortable for your hands, you may find extra comfort in a mouse cushion and a keyboard cushion.

Though a mouse cushion can be used while you are actively using your mouse, a keyboard cushion should only be used when you are paused on typing. That’s because if you use it while you’re typing, you’ll be pushing your wrists up at a sharp angle.

Utilize a keyboard cushion while scrolling with your mouse, taking a brief break in typing, or reading.

Wrist Support Products

There are several types of products that provide support to your hands and wrists. In order to find one that allows you enough mobility while simultaneously providing sufficient support, you may need to try a few on.

Support options for hands and wrists include stabilizers, wraps, and braces.

Your wrists and hands may be in pain, but they don’t have to be! Try one or more of these suggestions to keep yourself pain free, no matter how much you type.

The Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center of Oregon is an award-winning, board-certified orthopedic group located in downtown Portland Oregon. We utilize both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders.

Our mission is to return our patients back to pain-free mobility and full strength as quickly and painlessly as possible using both surgical and non-surgical orthopedic procedures.

Our expert physicians provide leading-edge, comprehensive care in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic conditions, including total joint replacement and sports medicine. We apply the latest state-of-the-art techniques in order to return our patients to their active lifestyle.

If you’re looking for compassionate, expert orthopedic surgeons in Portland Oregon, contact OSM today.

Phone:
503-224-8399

Address
1515 NW 18th Ave, 3rd Floor
Portland, OR 97209

Hours
Monday–Friday
8:00am – 4:30pm

Arthritis of the Wrist

Arthritis of the Wrist

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Having painful arthritis in your wrist can make it hard to do many everyday activities. Although there is no cure for arthritis, there are several treatment options available to help relieve your painful symptoms and stay active.

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