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What are the Muscles in the Human Hand?

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Muscles in the human hand control the fingers through tendons. Fingers have no muscles.

Pop quiz: How many muscles do you have in your fingers? If you said, “Zero! That’s a trick question,” you’ve got our number. Your fingers contain no “muscles” at all. They’re actually controlled by muscles in your hands and arms that are connected to your fingers by tendons. So what are the muscles in the human hand?

Following are some of the basics you might want to know, especially if you’re experiencing pain in your hands, wrists, or fingers.

Muscles in the Human Hand

1. Interossei (Dorsal and Palmar)

You know the old trick of determining how many days are in a month by counting on your knuckles and the grooves between them? Well, the shorter months land in the area of the interossei muscles. All these muscles serve the same purpose, which is to bend the joints. The “dorsal interossei” muscles, however, allow us to spread out fingers, while we close them together with the “palmar interossei” muscles.

2. Lumbricals

The lumbrical muscles in the human hand can be found under each finger. They allow us to straighten our fingers and bend the joints.

3. Hypothenar

The hypothenar muscle group is located on the small finger side of the hand. This muscle group enables the small finger to bend and pull away from the ring finger. It also allows us to make a fist, as well as bring the small finger toward the thumb.

The muscles within this group are:

  • Abductor digiti minimi
  • Flexor digiti minimi
  • Opponens digiti minimi

4. Thenar

The thenar muscle group is located in the bulky area under your thumb. The muscles enable the thumb to move in multiple directions, bend, and rotate. Without these muscles, we couldn’t grasp items.

Muscles in this group are:

  • Abductor pollicis brevis
  • Flexor pollicis brevis
  • Opponens pollicis

The Thumb Exception

Although there are no muscles in the fingers, two muscles can be found near the thumb: the adductor pollicis and the abductor pollicis longus.

The first is located between the index finger and thumb, and the second passes through the wrist. We couldn’t pinch without them.

Seeking Treatment

If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, or other hand or wrist conditions, they can cause pain in and around any of these muscles.

If you are experiencing pain or swelling in your hand, wrist, or fingers, make an appointment to see our hand surgeon in Macomb Township, Howell, Warren, or West Bloomfield.

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Conditions Elbows General Hands

Cellphone Overload: How to Avoid Hand and Elbow Pain

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It's important to give your hands a break from cellphone use in order to avoid hand and elbow pain. If you are experiencing pain in your hands, wrists, or fingers, make an appointment to see hand surgeon Dr. Avery Arora.

Have you ever used your cellphone for so long that your hands became numb, your fingers stopped functioning properly, and you gave up on mentally blaming autocorrect? If so, it was probably slightly comical at the time. If this happens repeatedly, however, soon enough it won’t be funny anymore. If you do use your phone frequently, it’s important to know how to hold your phone to avoid hand and elbow pain.

If you don’t, eventually you could be dealing with something worse than just sore thumbs, uncooperative fingers, and a really hot ear.

Ways to Avoid Hand and Elbow Pain when Using Cellphones

1. Try using text-to-speak, at least every now and then.

2. Use a cellphone stand so you can set the phone on a table or desk instead of holding it. When you do, you can use any finger you want to play those games and give the other fingers a break.

3. Make a conscious effort to regularly stretch and flex your fingers, wrists, and elbows.

4. If you talk on the phone for long periods of time, holding the phone up to your ear can cause discomfort at your elbow. To avoid this problem, try using:

  • A headset
  • The speaker option
  • A video calling app like FaceTime
  • Internet calling options such as Skype

What Could Happen: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

You might believe that the tingling in your hands due to cellphone use is just a temporary sensation, and it probably is. But if you don’t make conscious efforts to avoid hand and elbow pain when using cellphones, you could end up facing some very real issues.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the result of swelling and pressure in a “tunnel” in the wrist, which consists of nine tendons and a median nerve.

Causes of this very common condition are unclear, but improper use of keyboards, tools, and even cellphones can increase CTS. Other examples of activities that can increase carpal tunnel syndrome include driving a motorcycle and playing a violin.

Individuals with CTS can experience tingling, a weaker grip, numbness, a tendency to drop things, and pain in the hand and wrist.

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Ever wonder why it’s far from funny when something hits your “funny bone”? To the contrary, it’s extremely painful. The truth is that what you feel comes from a nerve that runs behind a bone in the elbow through the “cubital tunnel.”

Pressure on the nerve can affect the blood supply to the nerve, causing arm pain and weakness in the hand. Direct pressure, such as leaning on your elbow, can compress the nerve and cause some of your fingers to “fall asleep.”

Both cubital tunnel syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome are painful conditions that may lead you to seek medical treatment.

Contact Arora Hand Surgery for More Information

For more information about how cellphone use affects your hands, fingers, wrists, and elbows, explore the Procedures & Conditions pages of our website to learn more about symptoms you may be experiencing. If you’re regularly feeling pain or numbness in your hands or arms, contact one of our Arora Hand Surgery offices by phone or request an appointment online.

Categories
General

Reasons to See a Hand Surgeon

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hand surgeon

We use our hands, our wrists and our forearms all day long. They allow us to perform a wide range of activities. Our hands are a marvel of design. They are unbelievably flexible, but at the same time, they are strong. They allow us to grasp large and heavy objects, but they are delicate enough to allow us to pick up a small needle off the floor. Whether we are driving or working, we use our hands. As such, if you have an issue with your hands, it may be necessary to consult with our hand surgeon.

When the joints and the tendons in our hands are working properly, we can do complicated tasks without even thinking about them. However, when we are experiencing pain or when there is another source of injury in our hands, we are left with a limited range of motion that can make seemingly simple things challenging. Certain tasks become all but impossible.

When this is the case, it might be the right time to visit our hand surgeon. A lot of conditions that affect your hands can get worse if they’re not treated immediately. Some of the same conditions can be permanently corrected as long as they are caught in time.
So, what does a hand surgeon do? Well, a hand surgeon specializes in diagnosing and addressing problems of the hand. They also understand how your forearms and your shoulders work. This is because a lot of issues that might seem like they stem from your hands could actually be problems with your forearms or your shoulders.

Our hand surgeon specializes in surgery, and he is uniquely qualified for the work that he does. However, he is also skilled in using non-invasive techniques when it comes to treating the joints, tendons and muscles in your hands and in your arms.

If you feel pain in your fingers, your wrists or your hands that does not go away after a few days, you may want to speak with our hand surgeon. This is also true if you find it hard to do daily functions that you used to do with ease.

It is especially important to talk to our hand surgeon if you have pain in the joints of your hands that seems like it gets worse when you’re not doing anything. Or if you notice that your hands and your wrists are swollen, contact our office. Anything that limits the range of motion of your hands should be a cause for concern.

Certain symptoms such as redness, fever or inflammation could be a sign that you have an infection in your hand. This should not be taken lightly. The same is true for any injuries or cuts on your hands.

If either of your hands is causing you any trouble, get in touch with the team at Arora Hand Surgery right away. During a consultation at our office in West Bloomfield, Macomb, Howell, or Warren, our experienced and skilled hand surgeon can assess your condition and come up with a safe and effective way to treat it. He will only use surgery as a last resort. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to learn more!

Categories
General

What Does a Hand Surgeon Do? – Arora Hand Surgery

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People often take their hands for granted, even though they use them throughout most of each day. They allow you to tie your shoes, button your shirt, use your smartphone, drive, type, eat, and do a near infinite number of other activities. When there is an issue with your hand, you need to have someone who truly understands these remarkable parts of the human body to help you. That is where hand surgeons and hand specialists come into play.

Whats Their Specialty?

Hand surgeons are specialists who work with the hand, the wrist, elbow, and the forearm. Even though they may be surgeons, they also provide treatment and care for patients with nonsurgical methods. They always evaluate each patients condition and needs, and provide the treatment that is most appropriate.

They could be a general surgeon, a plastic surgeon, or an orthopedic surgeon who has decided to go on and receive added training and education for hand surgery. Some surgeons will treat only adults, or only children, but many can help both.

Some of the common types of injuries treated by hand surgeons include arthritis, fractures of the hand, wrist, and forearm, carpal tunnel syndrome, infections of the hand, sports injuries, and much more. If it has anything to do with these areas of the body, chances are good that the hand surgeons will be able to provide help.

Often, other doctors will refer people who have injuries of these sorts to hand surgeons. The surgeons, who spend most of their career working on these parts of the body, can often provide diagnoses faster and more accurately simply because they have so much more experience with them.

Do You Need a Hand Surgeon?

Those who have pain, stiffness, or injuries to their arm, elbow, wrist, or hand may want to speak with a hand surgeon. Though a general practitioner can provide some assistance, working with someone who specializes in this field can make finding the right treatments faster and easier.

Keep in mind that even though they are expert surgeons, just because you are referred to hand surgeon does not mean you will necessarily need to have surgery. They will help you find nonsurgical treatments first, including therapy for the hand. The surgeons want to find the best solutions for their patients. Sometimes that means surgery; sometimes it doesnt.

If you are looking for a hand surgeon, you need to make sure you choose someone who has the experience and the credentials necessary. You can set up a consultation with the doctor and get to know them better, and ask questions about your condition, as well as the doctors approach to treatment. The way you are treated during the consultation can give you a good idea of how the surgeon will treat you when you are a patient.

Never neglect an injury to your hand, elbow, or wrist. They can be very serious, and they will often just get worse over time. Get a referral from your doctor, or consider looking for a hand surgeon on your own.

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Stories

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Dr. Aroras office from my first call to schedule my appointment was friendly. Walking in the first day, I felt like I was in a nice atmosphere. Dr. Arora was EXCELLENT in taking great care of my hand injury. He was gentle and very understanding to the concerns I had about my hand. His expertise was admirable and I would recommend anyone with an injury to their hand to his office to be under his care. Because of him, I have healed faster than expected and will make an 100% recovery! Thank you Dr.

Jackie S.

I first thought I was going to have to have painful injections or surgery, but Dr. Arora suggested physical therapy may do the trick. I was doubtful, but I agreed to do it. Now, my pain is gone, and with the help of an ergonomic keyboard at work to keep my hands in the correct position, I am virtually pain free. The therapy strengthened my wrists and shoulders, and built more flexibility into my wrists.

Jerry T.

My experience with this doctor was positive from the outset. Dr. Arora was kind and spent a great deal of time with me. Staff was friendly. The office was nice and bright.

Ariel G.

Very friendly and helpful Great staff!!! Doctor Arora was very professional and did great work. I was very happy with everything!

L B.