Clocking in time at the office usually means time spent in uncomfortable positions or long hours of computer or device usage. When done daily without rest or comfortable peripherals, these may cause damage to muscles or connecting ligaments and nerves. It becomes difficult to work with an overarching discomfort being experienced. A few conditions that plague the office are:
Trigger Finger
This ailment comes from a repeated and forceful use of fingers, wherein they get stuck in a bent position. It may bend or straighten with a snap. This is caused by an inflammation of the muscles that narrows the space within the surroundings of the tendon in the affected area. Treatments may range from medications or steroidal injections, but in worse cases, surgery may be required to fix the blockage of the tendon’s movement.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
This is a quite common ailment that causes numbness and weakness in hands and arms. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by the carpal tunnel having a pinched nerve that causes discomfort. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway on the sides of the wrist, and the damage to this area is caused by repetitive hand motions in a singular position. The severity of this condition varies and includes loss of strength in grip, pain due to muscle cramps as well as the loss of sensation in certain fingers.
Examining the area affected may find a wasting of hand muscles connected to the median nerve, usually at the base of the thumb. Fortunately, this condition starts gradually, so it is quite easy to catch it before it turns severe. If diagnosed early, treatment methods may be non-surgical, such as steroid injections, hand stretching techniques, and wrist splints. All of these have proven to be effective during the early signs of the condition.
If previous methods were ineffective in treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, surgery may be the next step. Surgery time lasts around ten to fifteen minutes with anesthetics, with proper after-care instructions, such as keeping the wound dry for several days from the surgeon when sent home.
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is a condition that causes massive discomfort in wrists, specifically the thumb side. If incurred, this causes pain when moving the thumb or when trying to grasp objects. Caused by chronic overuse of the wrist, initial treatment may include applying ice to prevent swelling, while avoiding overuse of the thumb and wrist by immobilizing the two.
There is usually some sort of tumor that forms, but it is important to note that these are not necessarily cancerous ones. Most tumors that form in the hands or wrists are normally benign, so there is usually not much to worry about asides from the usual treatment of these hand ailments.
The most common symptoms of De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis are numbness and sharp pains that are similar to electric shocks due to compression of nerves. This is treated through surgery using a microsurgical procedure in order to prevent further nerve damage.
Conclusion
Obtaining hand ailments like these are extremely detrimental to work and can often set you back when injuries become more serious. This is why it is important to look out for warning signs early on to prevent expensive surgeries.
Experiencing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? We offer Carpal Tunnel treatments in Jacksonville, FL. If you have any discomfort due to hand pain, come and see us now!
