Hand Injury
Any damage to your hands, even the slightest hand injury, can force you to rethink your daily routines. You may even have to rely on others for simple things. Hands are intricate and complicated, with so many moving parts. Whether you're an athlete, worker, student or retiree, you can benefit from the expertise of a pain management specialist and sports medicine doctor skilled in hand injury treatment.
Some of the most common hand problems, according to top New York City doctors, include:
- Hand tendon injury
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Referring pain from wrist injuries
- Ruptured ligaments
- Fractures
- Dislocations
- Cuts
- Osteoarthritis
- Thumb and finger injuries
Hand Injuries NYC — SPIN Sports Pain Specialists
Ready to get relief from your hand injury?
Same-day hand injury appointments available.
Hand Tendon Injury Dynamics
Flexor tendons are those strong fibrous tissues that help you control your hand movements. If you cut your palm — or the underside of your hand, wrist, forearm or fingers — you can damage the flexor tendons. A hand tendon injury such as a deep cut can make it nearly impossible for you to bend your thumb or your fingers.
Tendons on the top of your hand are used to straighten your fingers. Since tendons are close to the surface of your skin, a cut that's deep enough can seriously affect your hand mobility. You'll know if a tendon was cut because your fingers feel numb. If blood vessels also are cut during the same accident, you may develop gangrene, which can cause you to lose your fingers.
See your sports medicine doctor right away if you have any:
- Numbness in your hand or fingertips
- Pain when you bend your fingers
- Cuts on your palms
- Tenderness when you touch any part of a finger on the palm side of your hand
Why You Need Hand Injury Treatment
Being distracted or not paying attention while using knives, saws or other sharp instruments can lead to hand injuries. Sports that can cause a hand tendon injury include:
Wrestling
Rugby
Football
Rock climbing
A so-called "jersey finger" occurs when a player grabs another player's jersey and gets his finger wrapped up and pulled in the shirt. The tendon actually gets pulled off the bone when this happens. It usually happens to the ring finger, and it's one of the most common sports injuries that your Midtown sports medicine doctor has to treat.
When your hand and the ligaments, muscles and tendons become weak for any reason, you're also more at risk of a hand tendon injury. Rheumatoid arthritis is one disease that can lead to a hand tendon injury. When it happens, you don't even notice it until you can't bend your fingers.
Diagnosing Hand Injuries
Most hand injuries occur from traumas like falls, direct blows and unnatural twists. When your hand is tired or you've used it for repetitive motions for years on end, it tends to be weaker and more prone to accidents. Tell your doctor exactly when the accident happened and provide as much context as possible so that he can form a diagnosis and begin appropriate hand injury treatment. Key symptoms of a hand injury other than a ruptured tendon include:
After a thorough medical history and a physical examination of your hand, your doctor may rely on x-rays to see if you have any broken bones. An MRI or arthrogram reveals damage to the ligaments, tendons and muscles in your hand.
Ready to find relief from your hand injury?
Dr. Melepura's Midtown Manhattan clinic offers same-day appointments for evaluation and treatment.
Hand Injury Treatment Options
When you have a minor trauma, your physician may recommend rest and homecare as the first line of treatment. But because a hand injury can be so devastating, he'll want to keep a close eye on your progress to prevent further complications. Sprains, strains, and minor muscle pulls benefit from:
- R.I.C.E. (rest, icing, compression and elevation)
- Avoiding the activity that caused the injury
- A splint to immobilize and stabilize your hand
- Specific hand stretches
- Range-of-motion exercises
- Anti-inflammatory medicines you can get over the counter
A mild or moderate injury to your hand may take anywhere from two weeks to two months to fully heal, depending on how badly you hurt it and how well you follow your home care instructions. If healing doesn't progress from homecare — or if you had a much more serious injury — your New York City doctor may recommend more invasive hand injury treatment options, such as:
- Wrist injections to treat pain and swelling
- Arthroscopic surgery to make minor tendon repairs
- Surgery to rebuild fractured bones or ligaments
A longer rehabilitation period is required after surgery, but you should be able to return to your previous level of activity following physical therapy.
Real Stories from our Patients
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD
Double Board-Certified Pain Specialist
Meet Dr. Febin Melepura — Your Hand Injury Specialist in NYC
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD is a double board-certified interventional pain management specialist and the founder of the Sports Pain Institute of New York. He completed his residency and fellowship training at New York Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic medical centers.
He holds dual board certifications from the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine, and has treated more than 7,500 patients and performed over 5,250 procedures throughout his career. He has been named a Top Pain Management Doctor in New York and one of America's Top Doctors™ by Castle Connolly.
Dr. Melepura's approach to hand injuries is rooted in precision: identify the exact source, treat it with a targeted injection, and get you back to your daily life as quickly as possible.
Ready to Book an Appointment?
Same-day appointments available. Call (212) 621-7746 or book online.
What Our Hand Injury Patients Say
"Able to make an appointment to see Dr. Melepura on short notice… attentive to my concerns… Jazmin was also very kind and helpful."
"Excellent hospitality, listener and explainer… highly recommend the doctor and the place."
"Dr. Melepura is the best! He worked with me to find the optimal solution to my shoulder pain while I was preparing for a fight!"
"Lovely, bright and modern… doctor and staff were kind… felt my concerns were heard."
"Helpful and friendly staff who gladly follows up with you if and when needed. Dr Melepura was very helpful and professional as well as provided me with excellent information and feedback."
"Dr Febin is fantastic! Highly recommend him and his practice the Spin clinic. The doctor is a good listener, kind, attentive and gave me great advice. "
"Dr.Melepura was very efficient and interpersonal, felt like he was understanding the problems I was having and explained the processes to take to rehabilitate. I would recommend."
"I felt listened to and truly understood by Dr. Melepura. Started PT the very next day. They were very friendly and I didn't feel rushed at all. Already recommended them to my friends who have or continue to play through pain."