Scarborough Hand Therapy

An array of ailments, physical causes, and physiological states can lead to the partial or complete loss of functionality in either one or both your hands. Such loss of hand functionality occurs due to underlying factors that affect one or internal components of the human hand, i.e., muscles, joints, bones, tendons, nerves, and connective tissue.  Examples of conditions that can have a debilitating effect on your shoulder, upper arm, forearm, wrist, and fingers include: –

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

This condition results from undue pressure on the ulnar nerve as it passes through the cubital tunnel, located at the elbow joint, on its way to muscles in the forearm and fingers. This excess pressure on the ulnar nerve is manifest as a dull pain on the inside of your elbow, often accompanied by tingling/numbness in the forearm and fingers

Tendonitis/Tendinitis

Tendonitis occurs when you inadvertently overexert a muscle causing it to strain and inflame the tendon that attaches it to a bone in your hand. You are at most risk of Tendonitis while engaging in sports or other strenuous activity, whereby the condition can affect the fingers, wrist, upper arm, elbow, or fingers. When you have this condition you experience a deep intense pain that worsens on movement, with the area around the affected tendon later swelling and becoming hypersensitive.

Hand Fractures

Hand fractures typically occur when you subject the bones in your hand to a brunt force, whereby the impact causes them to crack or break., i.e., due to a fall, collision with a hard object, or abrupt twisting of the arms during sports. Furthermore, even a mild force can cause your bones to fracture if you have Osteoporosis, a condition that weakens the bones. A hand fractures subjects you to initial excruciating pain often accompanied by swelling and tenderness around the fracture point.

Dupuytren’s Contracture

This condition occurs when the connective tissue in your fingers begins to shorten and thicken, forming knots that prevent you from fully extending the fingers. While Dupuytren’s Contracture occurs gradually and causes you little pain, this condition makes everyday tasks unnecessarily difficult.

De Quervain Tenosynovitis

 As with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, De Quervain Tenosynovitis occurs due to chronic overuse of the wrist. This excessive use causes two tendons at the base of your thumb to swell, which inflames the sheath housing them.

When this happens, you experience a dull throbbing pain that becomes suddenly intense whenever you use your wrist, thumb, and hand.Accompanying symptoms include numbness in your thumb and index finger and a grating sensation whenever you move your thumb.

Congenital Hand Deformities

Common congenital hand conditions include: –

  •       Polydactyly : you have more than five fingers
  •       Syndactyly :  two or more of your fingers are fused
  •       Symbrachydactyly : both or one or your hands is underdeveloped
  •       Clubhand : your hand turns inwards towards the body

While congenital hand deformities are rarely painful, having such a condition can make it difficult for you to carry out everyday tasks. 

Arthritis-Induced Hand Conditions

Arthritis wears out the protective lining within various joints in your hand, with finger and wrist joints being most affected. Having this autoimmune condition means you experience pain whenever you carry out even the simplest everyday tasks.