Common hand injuries include cuts, burns, bites, jammed or broken fingers, and wrist injuries. Some injuries require medical attention, such as severe burns or bites from unknown animals. Repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome can also cause pain and should be mentioned to a doctor.
There are many types of hand injuries. Sometimes these are classified by where they occur on the hands, such as on a specific finger or the back of the hand or palm. A more useful classification system is to discuss the types of injuries most commonly associated with the hands.
Common hand injuries include cuts or lacerations, animal bites, and burns. Other injuries that can occur with great frequency are jammed fingers and broken fingers, or sprains and strains of the hands or fingers. Some conditions greatly affect the hands but tend to be the result of wrist problems. Repetitive motion injuries such as carpal syndrome fall into the latter category.
Most cuts and burns are minor and cause only temporary discomfort. Similarly, a small bite from an animal that doesn’t have rabies is unlikely to cause long-term incapacity, if at all. There are, of course, very serious hand injuries from cuts or burns, and people with burns that look like second degree or higher should see a doctor. Bites from unknown and potentially rabies animals can also be dangerous and require medical attention. In general, people should follow wound or burn care guidelines for first aid and seek medical attention if there is any concern about the severity of an injury.
Jammed and broken fingers are also fairly common hand injuries. It’s quite easy to get a finger stuck by sliding it against a wall or catching a soccer or basketball the wrong way. This can cause swelling in the injured finger joint and can be very painful. It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish this condition from a broken finger, and if the finger has been hit hard, crushed, or bent backwards, it may be important to see a doctor to rule out breaking the bone. People should ice the injured digit and after the swelling has eased from the ice, they should try to move the finger. If the movement is extremely painful, this may indicate a break or fracture, requiring medical attention.
Sometimes a finger injury shows immediate problems and this can occur when a finger becomes jammed. If the finger is no longer straight, it may be dislocated and require immediate medical attention. While some people may be able to fix a dislocated finger without a doctor’s attention, this is not recommended as it could cause permanent damage to the hand, especially if other injuries are present.
The wrists can be considered part of the hands and breaking or other injuries to the wrist can definitely affect the way the hands work. There are eight bones in the wrists that can break, and people can easily dislocate or strain their wrists in many different ways. Suspected sprains and fractures are hand injuries that are best seen by a doctor to determine if further treatment is needed.
Repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome also affect the hands and fingers and can cause pain and numbness in some fingers. Chronic pain or numbness in the hands or fingers should definitely be mentioned to a doctor. This is especially true when people use their hands to perform repetitive tasks at work or at home.
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