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Best Treatments for High-Tech Injuries of the Hand

Best Treatments for High-Tech Injuries of the Hand
Best Treatments for High-Tech Injuries of the Hand

Did you know that your high-tech devices can cause hand pain? Cell phones, gaming controllers, computers, and tablets are all capable of causing injury to your hands and wrist. These injuries develop from repetitive overuse putting stress on the muscles, nerves, and ligaments in your hand.

Excessive gaming and device use can result in tendonitis and synovitis for teens and adults. In fact, the love for gaming correlates with a rise in repetitive-stress hand and wrist injuries including gamer’s thumb, or de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis.

It is important for parents, teens, and anyone who overuses uses their hands at work or home to understand the risk of injury and take preventive measures to avoid it. Most people don’t realize they are at risk of a high-tech hand injury until they experience pain and soreness over time.

Fortunately, these treatment options can help:

  • RICE Method
    Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) is a conservative treatment option for mild to moderate injuries of the hand. This works best for hand strains, sprains, and tendonitis.
  • Physical Therapy
    Physical therapy is almost always indicated in minor and major injuries of the hand. Targeted exercises and stretches will help to rebuild strength and flexibility in your hand following injury.
  • Injections
    Anti-inflammatory injections are an excellent new way to reduce inflammation in your hand joints due to technology use. These injections are typically made of steroidal and anesthetic medication used to target both inflammation and pain.
  • Hand surgery
    If the hand injury is severe, hand surgery may be indicated. The type of operative intervention will vary based on the type of injury sustained. Trigger finger is a common injury which can be treated with surgery

Technology continues to evolve and grow, so parents and individuals should watch out for damage to the hands and wrist from technology overuse. Dr. Shrouder-Henry specializes in hand and wrist injuries for children, teens and adults and can recommend a treatment plan customized to your injury.

AUTHOR: Jason Shrouder-Henry MD MBA, is a Board certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in the hand, wrist, and shoulder throughout Chicagoland and NW Indiana.