Are You Dealing With Hand and Elbow Pain?
posted: Jul. 10, 2020.
Hand and elbow pain affects your ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Writing, using the computer, or playing sports become difficult and painful when you have a hand or elbow condition or injury. Fortunately, your Grapevine, TX, hand surgeon, Dr. Pedro Loredo III of Loredo Hand Care Institute, offers treatments that will help relieve your pain.
Common causes of hand and elbow pain
Hand and elbow pain has many potential causes, among them:
- Fractures: A broken bone may be the source of your pain if you've recently fallen, been in a car accident, or received a blow to the arm or hand. Stress fractures, small cracks in the bone, may also cause pain.
- A Strain or Sprain: The muscles in your hand or around your elbow may have become strained or sprained. Sprains or strains are common in athletes who play racquet or contact sports, but may also occur if you lift a heavy object.
- Tennis Elbow: Playing tennis or golf or participating in any type of activity that involves repetitive arm movement can increase your risk of developing tennis elbow. The condition happens when the tendons in the elbow become inflamed or damaged.
- Arthritis: Arthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones in the joints in your hands or elbows begins to wear away.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Pain, numbness and tingling in the hand and fingers can occur due to pressure on a nerve in the wrist caused by narrowing of the carpal tunnel.
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: You may notice pain inside your elbow that extends to your hand if you have cubital tunnel syndrome. The syndrome is also caused by pressure on a nerve.
How your hand surgeon can ease your pain
Treatment for hand and elbow pain depends on the cause. Oral or injectable medication to ease pain and inflammation can be helpful in many cases and can relieve the discomfort of arthritis, sprains and strains, carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow and other conditions. Splints, braces or casts may be recommended if you have a fracture, arthritis, or carpal tunnel syndrome. Physical therapy can help restore the normal movement of your hand or elbow, reduce pain and strengthen the muscles that support the joints in your hands and elbows.
When other treatment methods aren't helpful, surgery may be needed to treat the condition or injury responsible for your pain.
Are you struggling with hand and elbow pain? Hand surgeon Dr. Pedro Loredo III serves the entire Dallas/Fort Worth area from his Grapevine, TX, office. Call the office at (972) 939-4974 to schedule your appointment.