Hand & Wrist Pain & Injury Care in Boynton Beach

Common Hand & Wrist Symptoms

Hand and wrist problems often show up as pain, numbness, catching or weakness when you grip, pinch or type.

• Numbness, tingling or burning in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often at night: typical of carpal tunnel syndrome.
• A finger or thumb that catches, clicks or locks when you bend it: trigger finger.
• Pain on the thumb side of the wrist when you grip or lift: often De Quervain's tendonitis.
• Pain and swelling after a fall on an outstretched hand: possible wrist fracture, such as a distal radius or scaphoid fracture.
• Aching at the base of the thumb with pinching, such as turning a key: common with thumb arthritis.
• A firm lump on the wrist or hand: often a ganglion cyst, a harmless fluid-filled sac.

If a finger or hand is cold, pale or numb after an injury, you have a deep cut with loss of finger motion, or the wrist is clearly deformed, go to the emergency room or call 911. A red, swollen finger that hurts to move, or any animal or human bite to the hand, needs same-day care.

How we diagnose hand and wrist problems

At Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches, your visit includes a careful exam of sensation, strength and motion in each finger, along with specific tests for nerve compression and tendon problems. X-ray, MRI and diagnostic ultrasound are on site. X-rays are key after a fall, and a scaphoid fracture in particular can be hard to see at first, so follow-up imaging is sometimes needed. Nerve testing may be arranged to confirm carpal tunnel syndrome and judge how severe it is.

Non-surgical care first

Many hand and wrist problems improve without surgery. Depending on the cause, your plan may include:

• A custom or off-the-shelf splint, often worn at night for carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Hand therapy in our office with an occupational and hand therapist experienced in hand injuries and splinting.
• Cortisone injections for trigger finger, De Quervain's tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and thumb arthritis.
• Casting or splinting for many wrist fractures that are in good position.

When surgery makes sense

Surgery is considered when symptoms continue despite non-surgical care, when there are signs of nerve damage such as muscle weakness or constant numbness, or when a fracture is out of place. Dr. Tucker performs carpal tunnel release, trigger finger release, fracture fixation, tendon and nerve repair, Dupuytren's contracture treatment, ganglion cyst removal, thumb arthritis surgery and wrist arthroscopy. Many hand procedures are outpatient, so you go home the same day.

After treatment, Dr. Tucker coordinates hand therapy in our office. Your therapist and surgeon share your chart, which makes it easier to adjust your splint, exercises and return to work as you heal.

Your hand and wrist care team

Dr. Jennifer Tucker is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic hand and upper extremity surgeon. Elise Burger, OTR, is an occupational and hand therapist with more than 30 years of experience treating hand injuries and making custom splints.