
At Precision Orthopaedic Specialties in Northeastern OH, our team of experts is dedicated to providing comprehensive care for conditions affecting the hand, wrist, and elbow. Whether you’re dealing with a chronic condition or an acute injury, our specialists are here to help you regain functionality and alleviate pain.
Our practice offers a patient-centered approach, ensuring that each treatment plan is tailored to meet the unique needs of our patients. At Precision Orthopaedic Specialties, we are committed to delivering the highest standard of care to help you return to your daily activities as quickly and safely as possible. Contact us today!
The hand and wrist are complex structures composed of numerous bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles, all working together to perform intricate movements. This complexity allows for a wide range of functions but also makes the hand and wrist susceptible to various injuries and conditions.
Daily activities—from typing on a keyboard to lifting heavy objects—place significant strain on these structures, increasing the risk of developing issues such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tendon injuries.
Proper diagnosis and treatment are essential to restore function and alleviate pain. Our specialists at Precision Orthopaedic Specialties are experienced in treating a wide array of hand and wrist conditions, utilizing both non-surgical and surgical methods to achieve optimal outcomes for our patients.
The elbow joint is a hinge joint that connects the upper arm to the forearm, allowing for bending, straightening, and rotational movements. It is crucial for various activities, from simple tasks like eating and dressing to complex actions like throwing a ball or lifting weights. The elbow’s anatomy includes bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles, all of which can be affected by injuries or degenerative conditions.
Common elbow problems include fractures, bursitis, tendonitis, and nerve entrapment. These conditions can cause elbow pain, swelling, stiffness, and reduced mobility, significantly impacting daily life. At Precision Orthopaedic Specialties, we offer advanced diagnostic and treatment options to address these issues and help our patients regain full function of their elbows.
Some common conditions treated by a hand and wrist specialist include the following:
Arthritis is a condition that affects the joints, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and deformity. Common forms of arthritis that affect the hand, wrist, and thumb are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The hand and wrist are common sites for arthritis due to their extensive use in daily activities.
As arthritis progresses, it can make it challenging to perform simple tasks, such as buttoning a shirt or opening a jar. Our specialists provide comprehensive care for arthritis, offering treatments ranging from medication and physical therapy to surgical interventions.
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs through the carpal tunnel in the wrist, is compressed. This compression can cause severe pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand and wrist.
Precision Orthopaedic Specialties offers both conservative treatments, such as splinting and corticosteroid injections, and surgical options, like carpal tunnel release, to relieve pressure on the median nerve. Early treatment will often prevent the need for surgery.
A wrist fracture can involve any of the ten bones that make up the forearm and wrist, with the most common being the distal radius fracture. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the wrist. Our team provides expert care for broken wrists, from casting and bracing to surgical fixation, ensuring proper alignment and healing of the broken bones.
A wrist sprain occurs when the ligaments in the wrist are stretched or torn. This can happen due to a fall or sudden twist. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and limited mobility.
Treatment typically involves rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE), along with physical therapy. In severe cases, surgery may be required to repair torn ligaments.
Flexor tendons allow you to bend your fingers and thumb. Injuries to these tendons can result in loss of function and require prompt medical attention. Our specialists are skilled in diagnosing and treating tendon injuries, utilizing both non-surgical and surgical approaches to restore hand function.
Ganglion cysts are non-cancerous lumps that often develop along the tendons or joints of the wrists or hands. While they can be painless, they may cause discomfort if they press on a nerve. Treatment options include aspiration, splinting, and surgical removal.
Trigger finger is a condition where the tendons that flex the fingers and thumb become irritated, leading to a sensation of locking or catching. Symptoms include pain and stiffness. Our treatment options range from splinting and corticosteroid injections to surgical release.
Dupuytren’s contracture is a thickening of the skin in the palm, causing fingers to curl inward. This condition often affects the pinky and ring finger. Treatment includes needling, enzyme injections, and surgery to release the contracted tissue.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis involves painful swelling around the thumb tendons, typically due to repetitive motions. Treatment includes splinting, anti-inflammatory medications, and, in severe cases, surgery to relieve tendon pressure.
Many elbow conditions are caused by trauma, such as sports injuries or accidents and overuse from playing sports. They can also occur because of your occupation through the repetitive motion of your arms. Some common elbow conditions include the following:
An elbow fracture can occur from a direct blow or fall. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and inability to move the elbow. Immediate treatment is essential to prevent complications such as infection. Our specialists provide comprehensive care, from casting and bracing to surgical repair, ensuring proper healing.
Elbow bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa, a fluid-filled sac at the tip of the elbow. It can cause pain and swelling. Treatment includes rest, ice, compression, and, in some cases, aspiration or surgery to remove the inflamed bursa.
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, causes pain where the tendons of the forearm attach to the inside of the elbow. It results from repetitive stress and overuse. Treatment options include rest, physical therapy, and, in severe cases, surgery.
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is caused by overuse of the forearm muscles, leading to pain on the outside of the elbow. The condition can also affect people who don’t play tennis. Conservative treatments include rest, physical therapy, and bracing. Surgery is considered if other treatments fail.
A UCL tear is an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament, common in baseball pitchers. Symptoms include pain and tenderness on the inner elbow. Treatment ranges from rest and physical therapy to UCL reconstruction surgery, known as Tommy John surgery.
Ulnar neuritis, or cubital tunnel syndrome, occurs when the ulnar nerve is compressed, often at the elbow. Symptoms include numbness and tingling in the pinky and ring fingers. Treatment includes splinting, anti-inflammatory medications, and, in severe cases, surgery to relieve nerve pressure.
At Precision Orthopaedic Specialities, we provide non-surgical and surgical treatments for hand, wrist, and elbow conditions. Many conditions and injuries can be improved without surgery using medications, physical therapy, exercise, and other rehabilitative or alternative therapies, which are all available onsite.
If surgery is recommended, we use the most advanced diagnostic tools, procedures, and surgical techniques available, including minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive surgery reduces the formation of scar tissue and damage to the blood vessels. You will also have a faster recovery time.
Our team performs a wide range of hand and wrist surgeries to address various injuries and degenerative conditions. Depending on your needs, treatments may include:
We offer various elbow surgeries to repair problems that don’t respond to noninvasive treatments. Our surgeons use minimally invasive techniques whenever possible, including:
If you’re experiencing pain or dysfunction in your hand, wrist, or elbow, don’t wait to seek professional help. Our team at Precision Orthopaedic Specialties is here to provide the expert care you need.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment at our office in Chardon and Middlefield, OH, and take the first step toward recovery and improved quality of life!
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Precision Orthopaedic Specialties is a leading provider of orthopaedic surgery, sports medicine, podiatry, physical therapy, athletic training, and state-of-the-art medical imaging including MRI.