Comprehensive Hand & Elbow Care

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition caused by swelling around the wrist tendons, which places pressure on the median nerve that runs to the fingertips. This pressure can reduce blood flow and nerve function, leading to symptoms that range from tingling or “pins and needles” to numbness, weakness, or sharp, shooting pain in the hand and fingers.

Treatment typically begins with non-surgical options such as wrist bracing, steroid injections, and activity or ergonomic modifications. When these conservative treatments do not provide adequate relief, surgery may be recommended. CSMO now offers endoscopic carpal tunnel release, a minimally invasive approach that uses a small camera and incision to relieve pressure on the nerve. This advanced technique is designed to reduce tissue disruption and may allow for a faster recovery compared to traditional open surgery.

Also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, trigger finger is a painful condition resulting from a finger or thumb stuck in a curled position. Pain may persist even if the sufferer is using the afflicted digit. Surgery for trigger finger increases space for the flexor tendon to move, allowing flexibility and relief. Similarly, mallet finger or “baseball finger” involves an inability to straighten the end of the finger, usually due to impact on the end of the finger by an object. Nonsurgical treatments for each condition can include rest and elimination of repetitive motion or use of a splint to straighten the finger. In the case of trigger finger, steroid injections are commonly used to reduce inflammation.

Basal joint osteoarthritis or arthritis of the thumb involves deterioration of cartilage at the base of the thumb in the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint. Thumb arthritis often causes severe pain, decreases grip strength, and reduces range of motion. In a normal thumb joint, cartilage covers the ends of the bones — acting as a cushion and allowing the bones to glide smoothly against each other. With thumb arthritis, the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones has deteriorated and its smooth surface roughens. Nonsurgical treatment options may include a combination of steroid injections, medication and splints, while severe thumb arthritis may require surgery.

Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition where one or more fingers bend toward the palm of a person’s right or left hand. No matter how hard you try, you can’t get the affected fingers to straighten completely. This disease affects the palmar fascia, which is the fibrous layer of tissue that lies just underneath your palm’s skin, above the tendons, nerves, and blood vessels. Knots of tissue form under the skin. Eventually these knots create a thick cord, which pulls the fingers into a bent position. In almost all cases, this condition affects the two fingers farthest from your thumb.

Unfortunately, the disease tends to worsen with the passage of time but may remain mild enough, so you don’t require any treatment. However, in moderate or severe cases, the disease makes it difficult to straighten the digits. If this is the case, treatment may be necessary to assist in reducing the contracture and improving motion in the affected fingers. Please note, as contraction progresses, involvement of the fascia will become more severe, and treatment is not as likely to deliver a successful result.