As a former semi-professional boxer and retired construction worker, Manny* has fractured, dislocated, and overused his powerful hands more times over the years than he cares to admit. Yet, while he looks back on those unfortunate breaks as part of living a competitive lifestyle, he can’t help but be at his wits end with unrelenting arthritis pain. What started as occasional weakness and tenderness has devolved into daily pain, sleepless nights, and an inability to complete tasks as simple as buttoning his shirt. His family insists that it is time to visit an orthopedic hand doctor to find lasting relief, as home therapy and medication do not seem to help anymore.
Nearly 60 million people in the United States are living with arthritis pain, and all Manny has heard from friends is that there is currently no cure for these hand disorders. In his mind, it is something he will have to deal with for the rest of his life. While it is true that there is no cure for Manny’s condition, visiting an orthopedic hand doctor is the next place to turn instead of relying on the same ineffective home remedies.
If you find yourself in a similar position, visiting an orthopedic hand doctor can open the door to additional treatment options to resolve or reduce symptoms in the least invasive ways and get you back to living the life you deserve.
Nearly 60 million people in the United States are living with arthritis pain.
Are You Looking To Alleviate These Common Signs of Arthritis Pain?
- Swelling and tenderness in and around the affected joint
- Muscle weakness
- Whole body fatigue
- Redness or hotness in the joint
- Difficulty walking or gripping
- Grating sounds (joints rubbing together)
- Bone spurs forming around the joint
- Deformities
- Lack of joint coordination
When Do I Need To Be Concerned About Arthritis Pain?
Given how often we use our hands, fingers, wrists, and forearms for everything, we are bound to deal with injuries and other repetitive strain issues that make completing even the simplest of daily tasks difficult. The key is knowing when to be concerned and seek help. Many people wait too long to find medical support or do not take their situation seriously and think seeing an orthopedic hand doctor is not necessary. They believe their pain and limited range of motion will improve with time, and perhaps they will. But it may not be the case for everyone.
This is especially true for those whose pain is arthritis related. In a general sense, arthritis is defined as chronic inflammation of one or more joints (where two bones meet) that causes pain and stiffness. Symptoms can vary widely in severity and location and can come and go. There can also be a wide range of reasons why you are suffering from it, including normal wear and tear, a specific injury, infections, obesity, family history, or immune system issues. There are over 100 types of arthritis and related conditions that can damage joints. More importantly, arthritis pain typically worsens with age—especially when left untreated.
Arthritis is defined as chronic inflammation of one or more joints (where two bones meet) that causes pain and stiffness.
When do you need to be concerned with your arthritis hand pain?
- Persistent pain — If your hands are constantly in pain for several weeks and continue to worsen.
- Everyday activities are difficult to perform — These are activities most of us do not think about and perform easily, such as tying our shoes, buttoning a shirt, gripping a pair of scissors, etc.
- Unsure of why your hands hurt — Most people can point to a specific reason their hands hurt. But for others, there may not be any rhyme or reason for their pain that they can figure out alone.
- Noticeable joint deformities — If you start noticing visible changes in the shape or alignment of your fingers or hand, you may be experiencing joint damage.
- Can’t sleep — Generally speaking, it is a red flag if the pain you are experiencing in your hand (or anywhere in your body) is keeping you up at night and leading to consistently poor sleep quality.
- Hopeless thoughts — As arthritis pain worsens, is resistant to traditional treatments, and becomes harder to manage, many people experience feelings of hopelessness and fear that they will never experience relief.
How Can An Orthopedic Hand Doctor Help With Arthritis?
Your family doctor can help with many bone, muscle, or joint pain issues. However, a specialized hand doctor who is an orthopedic surgeon, specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, connective tissues, and muscles of the upper extremities. This includes treating acute and traumatic injuries, managing chronic pain, and diagnosing diseases (such as arthritis hand pain) that can affect your quality of life.
Our orthopedic hand doctors are specialists in treating chronic conditions and traumatic injuries, as well as performing state-of-the-art complex microscopic nerve repairs and tendon transfers. But before any of that happens, our goal is to do a thorough examination to determine what the best course of action may be. Sometimes, it may be surgery. Other times, a more conservative approach is better.
Exams and tests
There is peace of mind knowing exactly what is happening with your arthritis pain beneath the surface. Physical tests allow us to determine areas of discomfort, your existing range of motion, and even grip strength. From there, X-rays and other diagnostics give us a clearer picture of the extent of joint damage, confirm the type and severity of arthritis, and help us determine the best course of action for your situation.
Conservative treatment options first
It could be that rest is all you need. Sometimes, splinting and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other topical medications that keep inflammation low and reduce pain symptoms may be appropriate. Additionally, we may suggest physical therapy, light stretching, support braces, corticosteroid injections directly to the joint, chiropractic, and acupuncture.
Heat and cold therapy
Ice packs reduce swelling and dull pain signals for various medical conditions and related symptoms, including ongoing arthritis pain. Conversely, heating pads relax the pain away.
Orthopedic surgery options
Some musculoskeletal pain and injuries may require surgery to give you the best chance to improve function and eliminate pain. That said, there is no need to be fearful if your doctor suggests surgery. Instead of open, traditional surgeries that require larger tools and longer incisions through the muscle, minimally invasive is the preferred alternative. With these procedures, small tubes are inserted through smaller incisions. Surgeons then rely on video-assisted equipment to visualize and magnify the internal structures, providing a more accurate assessment of the internal damage and surgical precision. Surgical procedures such as these provide the following benefits many people might not realize.
- Smooth or trim damaged cartilage
- Remove loose bone fragments and inflamed tissue
- Improve hand function by correcting tendon damage
- Restore movement in affected fingers for wrist
- Relieve pressure on compressed nerves
- Repair or replace damaged joints
Although minimally invasive, hand surgery still requires anesthetics, and the procedure is performed in a hospital operating room or outpatient surgical suite. But in most cases, patients can return home the same day as their appointment. This is the goal of each orthopedic hand doctor at the Fort Worth Hand Center.
Fort Worth Hand Center Wants To Help Alleviate Your Arthritis Pain
When you are dealing with chronic arthritis pain in your hands, it is easy to lose hope and genuinely believe that you will be stuck with these and many more painful symptoms for the rest of your life. But that does not have to be the case. When traditional home therapies have run their course, it is time to visit your local orthopedic hand doctor at the Fort Worth Hand Center. Our professionals have access to state-of-the-art equipment and have dedicated years of their lives to educating themselves on all the effective ways to reduce or eliminate a variety of musculoskeletal issues, including arthritis.
If you need surgery for your hand arthritis pain, the good news is that many procedures can be handled with minimally invasive measures. Arthroscopic surgery is performed daily by our orthopedic surgeons trained to use a camera and miniaturized instruments the size of a pencil. As a result, procedures are shorter and more precise, require smaller incisions, and promote faster recovery with less post-operative pain.
If surgery is your best treatment, our orthopedic physicians operate in state-of-the-art, accredited surgery centers. To schedule an appointment, call 817-877-3277 or complete the form below.
Prior to starting any new treatment or if you have questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Fort Worth Hand Center serves the DFW area, including North Richland Hills, Pantego, Pelican Bay, Richland Hills, River Oaks, Saginaw, Sansom Park, Southlake, Trophy Club, Watauga, Westlake, Westover Hills, Westworth Village, White Settlement, Arlington, Azle, Bedford, Benbrook, Blue Mound, Burleson, Colleyville, Crowley, Dallas, Dalworthington Gardens, Edgecliff Village, Euless, Everman, Flower Mound, Forest Hill, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Haltom City, Haslet, Hurst, Keller, Kennedale, Lakeside, Lake Worth, Mansfield, Newark, and all of North Texas.