What Are The Signs Of Nerve Damage In The Hands?

It’s no secret that we all use our hands a lot. From typing to brushing our hair to holding our coffee cups, our hands are used all day long. With so much use, though, it’s no wonder that our hands can become damaged. The nerves of the hands can become damaged due to everyday wear-and-tear, but people with occupations that require excessive hand use like typists or athletes who use their hands strenuously and excessively can be at risk for nerve damage, or peripheral neuropathy. If you believe that you may have nerve damage in your hands, seek hand therapy in Suffolk county.

Causes for Nerve Damage

There are unfortunately, various ways in which your hand nerves can become damaged, including simple everyday use. Since we use our hands so much, a good preventative measure to avoid nerve damage is seeing a doctor who specializes in hand therapy in Suffolk county, in order to facilitate good blood flow and ensure that you aren’t overworking your hands or wrists.

Despite preventative measures, unpredictable events or underlying conditions may arise that can cause damage to the nerves of the hand. These are some common causes of nerve damage in the hands:

• Excess pressure: Too much pressure on the nerves of the hand, like the median nerve, can compress the nerve, which can be painful. If there is too much pressure on the median nerve, Carpal tunnel may occur. Avoid pressing too hard on the keyboard, or putting excess pressure on the wrists.
•  Overuse: overstretching, too much heavy lifting, or improper form when doing so can cause nerve damage over time.
• Trauma (deep wounds, burns, fractures, etc.): Trauma, like from a car accident or a sports injury, can be unavoidable and cause painful nerve damage. A burn or a cut to a nerve can cause the nerve to stop working properly, not sending out or receiving signals from other nerves, which can cause numbness.
• Infection: A viral or bacterial infection may cause nerve damage. 

Generally, anyone can be at risk for nerve damage in the hands. If you are feeling pain or weakness in your hands, and believe that these causes might pertain to you, seek hand therapy in Suffolk county for relief.

Symptoms of Nerve Damage in the Hands

The signs of nerve damage in the hands may vary depending on which nerves are damaged and how severely. Generally, most patients feel numbness or pain. If the pain or numbness becomes severe or spreads to other parts of the body, see a doctor immediately.

• Numbness that might spread from the hands or wrists to other extremities.
• Weakness
• Burning or tingling sensation
• Pain: The pain can be different depending upon the nature of the injury or the patient involved. Commonly, there may be shooting pain, a constant dull pain, or sharp nighttime pain.

Treatment for Damaged Nerves in the Hand

It can be hard to know how severe your nerve damage is on your own. Pain can be a telltale sign, but even if the pain seems minor, you should seek the opinion of a doctor or hand specialist. A cut or the severely damaged nerve may require surgery in order to restore full function or prevent further damage.

The best treatment to seek is treatment from a hand specialist, who understands how the nerves, muscles, and tendons of the hand work together and how they may be damaged and properly healed. 

When treating nerve damage, a specialist for hand therapy in Suffolk county will focus on restoring your hands or upper extremities to their full function. These are some of the techniques that may be used by a hand therapist:

• Pain medication. Some pain or numbness in hand may only be the result of bruised nerves, which may heal on their own over time. Pain medication may be administered in the meantime.
• Steroid injection.
• Physical therapy or home-exercises that will help you to regain strength in weakened areas.
• Massage.
• Splint or brace. East End Occupational Therapy offers custom splints, which is a far more efficient treatment than a commercial hand brace, in order to ensure that you are healing to the best of your ability.
• Surgery. If the damage to your nerves appears to be severe, such as from trauma, surgical intervention may be recommended, followed by hand therapy in Suffolk county.

Hand Therapy in Suffolk County at East End Occupational Therapy

East Occupational Therapy is a facility that specializes in treating hand injuries. Our hand therapists are licensed professionals who will craft a treatment plan tailored to your conditions. We will help alleviate your pains and discomforts and get your hands back to their everyday use!