Orthopedics
Hand & Wrist Care
Your hands have many moving parts that make them useful for almost any task. Their complexity also makes them vulnerable to a wide range of injuries. If you have pain or other symptoms, the experts at OSF HealthCare can help your wrist and fingers work and feel better.
Hand, Finger & Wrist Pain & Injuries
Your doctor will diagnose and prescribe treatment for hand conditions such as:
- Arthritis – Joint pain due to cartilage breakdown (osteoarthritis) or an autoimmune illness (rheumatoid arthritis)
- Broken wrist bone – Includes Colles fracture (distal radius fracture) and scaphoid fracture
- Carpal tunnel syndrome – Numbness, weakness, pain or tingling due to a pinched wrist nerve
- De Quervain's tenosynovitis – Pain and swelling at the wrist or base of the thumb due to tendon inflammation
- Dupuytren's contracture – Thick knots of tissue in your palm that make your fingers stay bent toward the hand
- Finger injuries and conditions – Includes gamekeeper’s thumb, mallet finger, jersey finger and trigger finger
- Ganglion cyst (Bible cyst) – Fluid-filled, noncancerous lump
- Tendonitis in the wrist – Swollen tissue that connects muscle to bone
Nonsurgical Care
Your treatment will likely start with conservative measures. They have a lower risk of side effects than surgery and usually don’t require a recovery period. You may benefit from:
- Cortisone (steroid) injections for long-term treatment of painful inflammation
- Cyst aspiration using a needle to drain fluid from a lump
- Heat therapy to relax muscles and improve range of motion
- Ice to ease pain and swelling
- Skin creams that can numb pain
- Splint or brace that supports an injured wrist or finger as it heals
Hand Therapy
Hand therapy at OSF HealthCare helps you gradually and safely recover the use of your wrist or fingers. With one-on-one guidance from a certified hand therapist, you’ll learn how to:
- Do daily activities more easily and comfortably
- Regain sensation in a numb hand or fingers
- Restore strength, coordination and range of motion
Rehabilitation also helps your hand heal after a surgical procedure.
Hand Surgery
Sometimes, surgery is the best treatment for a hand injury. Your orthopedic surgeon will explain what to expect and take time to answer your questions, so you fully understand your care plan. Surgical procedures available at OSF HealthCare include:
- Carpal tunnel release – Relieves painful pressure on your wrist’s median nerve
- Cyst removal – Treats painful fluid-filled lumps on the skin
- De Quervain's release – Eases pressure on tendons at the base of your thumb so they glide smoothly
- Dupuytren’s contracture surgery (fasciotomy) – Divides thick cords of tissue to restore motion in your fingers
- Fracture repair – Holds a broken bone in place so it can heal
- Fusion surgery – Joins two bones to stop them from rubbing painfully against each other
- Trigger finger release – Lets you flex or straighten your finger normally again
Least Invasive Approach for a Faster Recovery
Your hand surgeon will use the smallest possible incision so that you recover sooner, with less pain and scarring. Your procedure will likely take place on an outpatient basis, either in the surgeon’s office or one of OSF HealthCare’s surgery locations. That means you can return home the same day, without an overnight stay in the hospital.
Ask for a Referral
Ask your primary care doctor for a referral to an orthopedic doctor at OSF HealthCare. Need a primary care provider? Browse our directory.