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COMMON
Hand Problems & Conditions
Kingston Hand Therapy can treat both common and not so common hand conditions. Please contact our friendly team to see if we can help you.
FRACTURES
Distal Radius and Scaphoid Fractures
These injuries routinely require immobilisation of the wrist. Kingston Hand Therapy offers an alternative to Plaster of Paris with the fabrication of a custom made circumferential thermoplastic wrist splint. The brace allows full finger, thumb movement, for distal radius fractures. The brace can also be fabricated to immobilise the thumb for scaphoid fractures.
SPORTS INJURIES
Fingers/Hand/Wrist
Finger fractures commonly occur as a result of a sporting injury, especially ball sports. Finger fractures can be simple to treat, or very complex requiring surgical correction and long term rehabilitation. There are a number of potential complications following a hand or finger fracture including; pain, stiffness, prolonged swelling, rotation of the finger.
CARPAL TUNNEL
CTS is the most common condition affecting the hand in the western world. It affects 10% of the working and non-working population. CTS is caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist. Compression of a nerve causes decreased blood flow, which reduces nutrient and oxygen supply to the nerve causing disturbances in nerve conduction.
MALLET FINGER
This common injury is often caused by a force hitting the tip of the finger causing it to hyper- flex. This injury is frequently sustained during ball sports in particular football, basketball or netball The force to the fingertip causes rupture of the tendon that straightens the tip of the finger. It may also include a small fracture.
TRIGGER FINGER
Trigger finger is a common hand condition. Triggering of the finger or thumb develops when the tendon that bends the finger is unable to glide freely because of a nodule or swelling. This causes the tendon to catch on the pulley at the base of the finger in the palm. The finger may “lock” or “trigger” suddenly following attempt to make a fist and then extend with a “snap”.
OSTEO ARTHRITIS
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common of all joint diseases. It is the gradual wearing away of cartilage that eventually causes joint deterioration. There is an increased incidence of OA in women and OA affects women more severely. Typically this affects women from the 4th decade and may be associated with other small joint arthritis around the time of menopause.
DUPUYTRENS CONTRACTURE
Dupuytren's disease is a disorder affecting the connective tissue of the palm of the hand. Dupuytren's presents in two ways. Firstly as either nodules in the palm, which may be painful with gripping and or thick “cord” like bands that contract the fingers toward the palm.
DE QUERVAINS TENOSYNOVITIS
GANGLIONS
De Quervain’s Tendonitis causes pain and swelling in the thumb and wrist. It is a common hand condition caused by swelling of the two tendons that lift the thumb up and away from the hand. De Quervain’s can be caused by a number of factors, predominantly from overuse or frequent manual handling. New mothers are at the greatest risk.
A ganglion or ganglion cyst in the hand or wrist may present as a lump that can be easily seen and felt or may be detected only on a diagnostic image such as ultrasound. Ganglions commonly appear next to a joint or insertion of a tendon. The ganglion is a fluid-filled sack that protrudes within an area of the hand that normally has fluid surrounding it.
Kingston Hand Therapy also treat other hand, elbow and shoulder injuries including:
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Extensor tendon repair
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Flexor tendon repair
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Wrist ligament sprains and strains
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Tennis elbow
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Skier's thumb
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