Puffy Hand Syndrome, medically known as edema of the hands, is a condition where the hands experience severe swelling. While puffy hands can be a symptom of conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis and gout, it is often a result of an autoimmune disease or chronic drug use.
Typically this condition is a complication of long-term intravenous drug usage and/or a viral infection such as Hepatitis C. It can also be caused by lymphatic obstruction, where there is an accumulation of fluid in the issues or thrombosis. Primary thrombosis is known as Paget Schoetter syndrome and it occurs in healthy adults who partake in strenuous exercise. The other most common cause of thrombosis is long-term central venous catheters – patients may develop this condition as a result of having catheters in excess of 15 days.
While puffy hand syndrome is painless, it can create functional, aesthetic and social challenges where the use of hands is critical. The syndrome is believed to be caused by venous and lymphatic insufficiencies that are caused by abuse of the veins and lymph nodes with intravenous drugs including heroin. Typically, the long term use of intravenous drugs causes infections as well as complications due to the toxicity of the drugs and the agents they are cut with.
Identifying the root cause of Puffy Hand Syndrome is critical to treatment. Obtaining a clear patient history, combined with testing for conditions like Hepatitis C, RA and gout are all incredibly important.
If you suspect that you are suffering from Puffy Hand Syndrome or seeking treatment on behalf of someone else, please contact us today. We specialize in identifying and treating hand conditions and our experienced team will guide you every step of the way.
An occupational therapist is someone who helps develop, recover or maintain the basic life and work skills of individuals living with physical, mental or developmental conditions. This client centered practice is customized to individual patient needs and challenges. These therapists focus on task modification, environmental adaptations, skill mastery as well as coaching families, loved ones and caregivers on how to support the occupational therapy process.
Occupational therapists can specialize in a variety of areas including children and teens, health and wellness, mental health, productive aging, rehabilitation and work and industry therapy.
These areas include the following types of activities:
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) including:
Bathing
Dressing
Feeding
Functional Mobility
Personal Grooming
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) including:
Care of others
Care of Pets
Child Rearing
Driving
Financial Management
Meal Preparation
Shopping
Emergency Maintenance
Rest & Sleep
Education
Work including:
Employment interests and acquisition
Job performance
Retirement
Volunteering
Play
Leisure
Social Participation
The therapists will walk you through the occupational therapy process which includes evaluation, intervention and outcomes. At Dr. Rehman’s office, we have a team of two exceptionally talented occupational therapists who specialize in hand therapy. Our team is here to help you overcome any challenges you are facing and provide you with a long-term plan for success!
Custom splinting is a procedure that utilizes the hand therapists unique skill set to fabricate and provision customized splints for upper extremities. These splints are manufactured by moldable, low-temperature thermoplastic materials that allow the splint to be custom to not only the patient’s size but also their injury.
Custom splinting is most commonly used to treat conditions like muscle strain, neuritis,tendonitis, joint pain as well as specialized hand surgeries. These splints have exceptional benefits that you can’t obtain from a standard splint. In addition to providing rest for the strained or inflamed areas, the customized design insures that your appendage is resting in the correct position. These splints also can do the opposite of rest – they help to mobilize your stiff joints, scar tissue and contracted soft tissue.
Not only can they rest and mobilize but they can also help adjust for paralyzed or weak muscles, allowing you to use the appendage more effectively than with a traditional splint. If you have recently had surgery, these splints can offer additional protection as they can be molded to have barriers to common areas of post-op injury.
These customized splints do more than just stabilize, mobilize and protect, they can also help to rehabilitate post-op by providing therapeutic exercise for the affected areas. Immediately after surgery, they may be designed facilitate the early motion protocols that will help set up the individual for a more successful recovery.
Midwest Hand Therapy is experienced in developing custom splints and offers the ability to make modifications as needed to ensure that the splint is doing exactly what it needs to do!
Contact us today to find out more about our customized splinting to find out if your condition can be managed with a custom splint.
Repetitive motion disorders (RMDs) are a multitude of muscular conditions that result from repeated motions performed in normal work or daily activities.
RMDs include:
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Bursitis
Tendonitis
Epicondylitis
Ganglion cyst
Tenosynovitis
Trigger finger
RMDs are caused by too many uninterrupted repetitions of an activity or motion, unnatural or awkward motions such as twisting the arm or wrist, overexertion, incorrect posture, or muscle fatigue.
RMDs occur most commonly in the hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders, but can also happen in the neck, back, hips, knees, feet, legs, and ankles.
The disorders are characterized by
Pain
Tingling
Numbness
Visible swelling or redness of the affected area
Loss of flexibility and strength.
For some individuals, there may be no visible sign of injury, although they may find it hard to perform easy tasks. Over time, RMDs can cause temporary or permanent damage to the soft tissues in the body, such as the muscles, nerves, tendons, and ligaments and even compression of nerves or tissue.
Treatment of RMDs
Treatment for RMDs usually includes reducing or stopping the motions that cause symptoms. Options include:
Rest, and stretching and relaxation exercises
Applying ice to the affected area
Using medications such as pain relievers, cortisone, and anti-inflammatory drugs that can reduce pain and swelling.
Splints may be able to relieve pressure on the muscles and nerves.
Physical therapy may relieve the soreness and pain in the muscles and joints.
In some cases, surgery may be required to relieve symptoms and prevent permanent damage.
Many companies are now developing ergonomic programs to help workers adjust their pace of work and arrange office equipment to minimize problems, such as chairs, and keyboards.
Recovery
Most individuals with RMDs recover completely and can avoid re-injury by changing the way they perform repetitive movements, reducing frequency and including frequent rest. Without treatment, RMDs may result in permanent injury and complete loss of function in the affected area.
Repetitive motion disorders should always be diagnosed by a physician, as symptoms can be similar, but treatment different, depending upon the disorder. If you are experiencing hand, wrist, elbow or shoulder pain that could be indicative of a RMD, please contact us at Midwest Hand Therapy
There is nothing more frustrating than pins and needles. Couple that with numbness and you have yourself quite the annoying condition. Usually this is the result of keeping an appendage in one place for too long – for instance – sitting on your feet. However if the numbness and/or tingling is persistent and doesn’t go away it could be a sign that there is a greater issue.
Since our office specializes in hand-related injuries and conditions, we are going to share with you some common causes of numbness and tingling in the hands.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – this ailment is a common causes of numbness and tingling, as the repetitive bending and straightening of the wrist causes tissue around the tendons to swell, impacting the Median nerve.
Ganglion Cyst – these non-cancerous fluid filled lumps can develop along tendons or joints, putting pressure on nerves which can result in tingling and numbness.
Flexor Tendon Injury – in the hand, flexor tendons are responsible for helping us bend the fingers. If you experience trauma to your flexor tendon, you may notice numbness in your fingers or finger tips.
Skier’s Thumb – this condition is caused by a disruption to the ulnar collateral ligament and results in a loss of ability to pinch or use your thumb properly. It can happen over the course of time or from a single trauma.
Numbness and tingling can be a sign of a more complex issue – but please, don’t self-diagnose. It is critical that you are seen by a professional, due to the complex and fragile nature of the hand and wrist.
If you experience numbness or tingling – do not wait to contact a doctor. Dr. Rehman is available to help diagnose and treat you! Contact us today!
Electric Stimulation, commonly referred to by practitioners as EStim, is a therapeutic modality that uses electrical currents to simulate the same currents produced during exercise or movement. These electrical currents stimulate the nerves and help restore the ability to perform common movements, such as grasping or pinching.
This therapy is frequently used for patients that have paralysis or immobility of the hand or wrist using electrodes that are placed in the affected area. Your practitioner will generally start out using a low-grade stimulation and continually increase as you move through the therapy process. This treatment is used in conjunction with other modalities to provide a comprehensive therapeutic solution to injuries and chronic conditions.
Electrical Stimulation is non-invasive, and while it may sound scary, it is actually a very gentle treatment for many complex injuries. In addition to stimulating the nerves and muscles, it also increases and promotes blood supply to the area, which helps the healing process.
Not only does electronic stimulation help heal, it can also help reduce pain through stimulating sensory nerves using a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation unit or a “TENS” Unit. TENS Units are great for patients with chronic conditions such as arthritis and carpal tunnel, as they provide relief while also providing stimulation.
Do you have questions? Perhaps concerns that you may be suffering from a chronic condition? Contact us today to find out more about the comprehensive treatment plans we can offer you!
Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis that causes pain, swelling, and reduced motion in your joints. It can occur in any joint, but it usually affects the hands, knees, hips or spine.
Osteoarthritis breaks down the cartilage in the joints. Cartilage is the soft, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Healthy cartilage absorbs the shock of movement. When you lose cartilage, your bones rub together. Over time, this rubbing can permanently damage the joint. Most doctors use several methods to diagnose osteoarthritis, including medical history, a physical exam, x-rays, or lab tests.
Risk factors for osteoarthritis include:
Being overweight
Getting older
Injuring a joint
Warning signs of osteoarthritis are:
Stiffness in a joint after getting out of bed or sitting for a long time
Swelling or tenderness in one or more joints
A crunching feeling or the sound of bone rubbing on bone
Other tests such as blood tests or exams of the fluid in the joints
Treatments include exercise, medicines, and sometimes surgery. Doctors often combine treatments to fit a patient’s needs, lifestyle, and health.
A fracture is a break in the bone. If the broken bone punctures the skin, it is called an “open” or “compound” fracture. Fractures commonly happen because of accidents, falls or sports related injuries. Other causes are low bone density and osteoporosis, which cause weakening of the bones. Overuse can cause “stress” fractures, which are small cracks in the bone.
Symptoms of bone fractures:
Out-of-place or misshapen limb or joint
Swelling, bruising or bleeding
Intense pain
Numbness and tingling
Limited mobility or inability to move a limb
Treating bone fractures:
If you think you may have broken a bone, seek emergency medical care immediately.
A medical examination and x-rays can help determine if and where a bone is broken.
The broken pieces may need to be put back in place and then immobilized until the bones can heal as new bone forms around the break.
External Fixation- Pins or wires are set into the bone through the skin above and below the fracture. These are connected to a ring or bar outside the skin that holds the pin in place until the bones heal.
Internal Fixation- In a surgical procedure metal rods, wires or screws are inserted into the bone fragments to keep them together.
Fractured bones usually need at least 4 weeks to heal although casts may be removed before that to prevent stiffness (particularly for fractures involving the elbow or hand).
Physical therapy may be required after the bone has healed.
A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between a bone and other moving parts, such as muscles, tendons, or skin. Bursitis occurs when a bursa becomes inflamed. People get bursitis by overusing a joint. It can also be caused by an injury. It usually occurs at the knee or elbow. Kneeling or leaning your elbows on a hard surface for a long time can make bursitis start. Doing the same kinds of movements every day or putting stress on joints increases your risk.
Symptoms of bursitis include pain and swelling. Your doctor will diagnose bursitis with a physical exam and tests such as x-rays and MRIs. He or she may also take fluid from the swollen area to be sure the problem isn’t an infection.
Infection of a bursa, referred to as “septic bursitis,” may occur following trauma to the nearby skin. If a bursa becomes infected, the skin in the area around the bursa usually becomes red, warm, and swollen. Excess fluid may also accumulate within an infected bursa. The elbow and the knee are the most common sites of an infected bursa, often as a result of injury to the overlying skin. When redness and swelling are present, urgent medical attention may be necessary to determine if an infection is present.
Treatment of non-septic bursitis typically includes rest, pain medicines, or ice. If there is no improvement, an injection into the area around the swollen bursa may be recommended. If the joint still does not improve after 6 to 12 months, you may need surgery to repair damage and relieve pressure on the bursa.
For more information on bursitis, or if you are experiencing pain, please contact us at Midwest Hand Therapy.
A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament. Ligaments are tissues that connect bones at a joint. Falling, twisting, or getting hit can all cause a sprain. Ankle and wrist sprains are often the most common. Symptoms can include pain, swelling, bruising, and being unable to move the joint. You might even feel a pop or tear when the injury happens.
A strain is a stretched or torn muscle or tendon. Tendons are tissues that connect muscle to bone. Twisting or pulling these tissues can cause a strain. Strains can happen suddenly, or develop over time. Back and hamstring muscle strains are common. Many people get strains playing sports. Symptoms can include pain, muscle spasms, swelling, and trouble moving the muscle.
At first, treatment of both sprains and strains usually involves resting and elevating the injured area. Icing, wearing a bandage or a cast, boot, or splint that compresses the area may also be recommended. Medicines to relieve the pain can include aspirin and Ibuprofen, and using a cane or crutch can also help with leg issues. If the pain and swelling persists, later treatment may include exercise and physical therapy.
For more information on sprains and strains, or if you are experiencing pain, please contact us at Midwest Hand Therapy
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