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Hands Wrists

When to See a Hand Doctor About Hand or Wrist Pain

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Your hands and wrists are incredibly important to your ability to work and play. Imagine trying to cook a meal, play catch with your kids, or even type up documents at work without the full dexterity and strength of your hands. It’s not a pretty picture, and anyone who’s ever experienced hand or wrist pain – even temporarily – can tell you how difficult it is to grip a soda can, a wrench, or even a pen with that feeling of pins and needles running through your palm and fingers. If this all hits home for you, hopefully this blog gives you a better idea when to see a hand doctor for that hand or wrist pain that refuses to go away.

It can be difficult to tell when to see a hand doctor or hand surgeon is necessary. We know questions such as these can play a role in how quickly someone decides to seek help:

  • Will this pain eventually go away?
  • Can I heal this on my own?
  • Do I really want to know what’s wrong?

We’ve seen many cases where a patient pinched a nerve in their hand, for example, and while it did heal on its own over a period of several weeks, the pinched nerve was indicative of a larger, more chronic problem. In general, if there are questions and a decreased ability to live your normal day-to-day life, we recommend calling a top hand doctor for an appointment immediately. Michiganders, here are some specific cases that absolutely warrant a call to your local Michigan hand specialist:

 

Prolonged Tingling or Numbness

Tingling and numbness – the feeling like your hand has gone “to sleep” – may be early symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. If you hold your hands in a position that’s not ergonomically correct for long periods of time, you can compress the carpal tunnel, through which the main nerves to your hand travel. If those nerves are pinched, serious and permanent damage can be done.

If you notice your hands falling asleep regularly, or you get that pins and needles feeling for longer than a few moments, it’s time to call a hand doctor such as Dr. Avery Arora. Getting a proper diagnosis by a hand specialist now could save you a lot of pain and potentially a surgery that could have been avoided.

If you develop carpal tunnel and other repetitive motion injuries in the hands and wrists early, you can usually treat them with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin, etc.), an ergonomic brace or stabilizer, and/or physical hand therapy.

 

Joint Pain in Your Hand or Wrist

Having trouble bending or flexing your fingers or your wrist? It’s time to call a hand doctor immediately. This may be a sign of either rheumatic arthritis or osteoarthritis, either of which can be treated, but, again, treatment is much more effective and much less invasive if you catch it early. For example, if you wait until you have lost function in your hands, you may never recover that function or you may need surgery to regain it.

When to See a Hand Doctor About Hand or Wrist Pain

Swelling in Your Hand or Wrist

Swelling in the wrist joints or in the joints of your fingers could be due to arthritis, but it could also be a symptom of a repetitive motion injury. Repeating the same motions can put increased strain and stress on the muscles and ligaments of your hands and wrists, which can then become inflamed, causing swelling, tenderness, pain, and/or numbness. Talk to your hand doctor right away to treat swelling in your hands, wrists, and/or your elbows before it becomes a bigger problem than it already is.

If you’ve been putting off speaking with a hand doctor about a hand, wrist, or elbow issue that has been bothering you, it may be time to get in touch with top MI hand surgeon Dr. Avery Arora. You can schedule an appointment at one of his four offices in West Bloomfield, Warren, Macomb, or Howell, Michigan.

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General

What to Expect at a Michigan Hand Surgery Consultation

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You suspect you may need hand surgery and have decided to speak with a specialist. Before we begin, may we just commend you for taking the first step in bettering your health? We want to assure you that hand surgery is not always the only option after a diagnosis and that good hand surgeons like Dr. Avery Arora will always keep your best interest in mind. Here’s what to expect at a Michigan hand surgery consultation.

“What Types of Questions Will the Doctor Ask?”

It’s vital you know that open transparency of your medical background is of the utmost importance. Your doctor will want to know:

  • if you have had any other medical conditions
  • if you are presently going through any other medical treatments or prescribed any medications
  • if you have ever had any other surgeries
  • if you have any known drug allergies
  • about tobacco use, alcohol, and other drugs

 

“What Should I Tell the Doctor About My Hand?”

The short answer? Everything. Be prepared to share the full medical history of the condition in question. The doctor’s office may require images of the hand, such as x-rays, to help paint a clearer picture of the problem.

During the consultation, the doctors will determine your overall health status and whether you have any risk factors or conditions that may prevent you from being a good candidate for surgery.

They will discuss the available options you have that will give you the best chance of restoring function of your hand and returning to a normal quality of live. If you decide to proceed with the procedure, the doctor will explain what happens from start to finish and will let you know of any potential risks involved.

What to Expect at a Michigan Hand Surgery Consultation

“What Questions Should I Ask?”

We empower you to ask questions, too. While it might seem as though it’s the doctor’s role to ask questions during the consultation, patients need to make their voices heard as well. Some questions a patient should ask their hand physician could include:

  • If surgery is the best option, what could the potential complications mean for me in my day-to-day life?
  • How long will it typically take someone to recover from this particular type of procedure?
  • What type of therapy would be useful to help recover faster?
  • What else can I do in my day-to-day life to help the recovery process?

You can find more recommended questions in one of our other blogs.

During your hand surgery consultation, we can’t stress enough how important it is for local patient to feel empowered to vet if that particular Michigan hand doctor is right for them. If you have any reservations about the doctor, do not feel as though you are “locked in.” Speak with other Michigan hand specialists to get second opinions and feedback.

Your hand surgery consultation is the chance to learn everything you need to know about the procedures that could help improve or restore function to your hand. Pay attention, ask questions, and get peace of mind before surgery.

If you’ve been putting off speaking with a hand doctor about a hand, wrist, or elbow issue that has been bothering you, it may be time to get in touch with top MI hand surgeon Dr. Avery Arora. You can schedule an appointment at one of his four offices in West Bloomfield, Warren, Macomb, or Howell, Michigan.

 

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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.