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Tag Archives: pain

Why are my hands always cold?

If your hands are always cold, it is due to reduced blood flow. For some people it may be physiological (normal), and resolves with an increase in core temperature. However sometimes chronic poor circulation can result in skin changes that are permanent. Our bodies keep our hands warm primarily by regulating the blood flow that travels from the heart, down the arm, all the way to our fingertips. More blood to the hands means pink, warmer hands; less blood flow means colder and sometimes ... Read More

June 4, 2021 By Jai Sungaran in Hand & Wrist

Hand exercises while in a cast can improve grip strength

During this morning's first session at the Australian Hand Surgery Society annual meeting, Dr. Sungaran presented his study on grip strength in older patients treated for a wrist fracture with a cast. This was a prospective, randomised controlled trial (PRCT) which is regarded as high level evidence that the outcomes are of clinical significance. The main finding of this study was that grip strength was noticeably better in patients who had a hand exercise program even while they were in ... Read More

April 4, 2019 By Jai Sungaran in Developments, Hand & Wrist, Research, Teaching, trauma

What is your motivation to get well?

A chronic injury to your hand can be overwhelming. The immediate pain and disability with the acute injury can be explained, but what if it is ongoing. This is a difficult problem to treat, and even harder to live with. Chronic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, CRPS, RSI, reflex sympathetic dystrophy are all different names for the same problem. There are multiple causes and risk factors for developing chronic pain, and we are becoming better at identifying these early. The adage ... Read More

February 7, 2019 By Jai Sungaran in Arthritis, Hand & Wrist, Joint pain, Nerve injury, Rehabilitation, Sporting injury, trauma, Work injury

Sun safety for your hands

With the ongoing hot weather this summer, we should all be staying safe in the sun. The SunSmart message of slip, slop, slap, seek and slide protects us from skin cancer but what about those moments where you don't think you could get burnt. Such as a long drive in the sun travelling home after holidays. Or the hours fishing from your tinnie. Your hands receive just as much exposure to UVA and UVB rays during these activities and can become sunburnt quite quickly. It may not be fashionable ... Read More

January 4, 2019 By Jai Sungaran in Burns, Hand & Wrist, Skin

GP Active Learning Module

Looking forward to our GP Active Learning Module tomorrow. The hand and wrist program will cover arthritis of the thumb & wrist, and nerve compressions such as carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndromes. Being an ALM, it will be a great format for interactive case discussion and hands-on teaching.

October 19, 2018 By Jai Sungaran in Developments, Hand & Wrist, Nerve injury, Rehabilitation, Sporting injury, Tendon, Work injury

What is De Quervain’s tendinitis?

De Quervain's tenosynovitis is a painful condition of the thumb and wrist due to inflammation of two tendons. It seems to be more common in women than men, and there are multiple causes. Pregnant women and new mothers are a high risk group probably because of the generalised increased swelling, but also due to poor posture. This is especially noticeable when carrying the newborn, or positioning for feeding. Wrist and thumb flexion together with ulnar deviation (moving the wrist towards ... Read More

September 19, 2018 By Jai Sungaran in Hand & Wrist

I think I’ve just “jammed” my finger…

Finger injuries are common in sport, especially ball sports. One pattern of injury is the direct blow to the tip of the finger by a ball. As the joint is hyperextended the force goes through the volar plate. This is a thick ligament that prevents further hyperextension at the PIP joint (proximal interphalangeal joint). It is also common for a part of the bone to be torn off by the volar plate. This is called an avulsion fracture. Often these injuries can be managed with a custom made ... Read More

August 14, 2018 By Jai Sungaran in Hand & Wrist, Joint pain, Sporting injury, trauma, Work injury

Are there any natural medicines that can help arthritis pain?

Recently there has been more discussion about the use of natural therapy for managing painful arthritis. Most patients would rather avoid an operation if at all possible, so it is important to try all non surgical options to manage arthritis pain and loss of function. Medical management begins with drugs that have the least side effects, so what better way than to consider natural therapies first. Here are some herbal remedies that have been studied for their efficacy in managing arthritis ... Read More

July 18, 2018 By Jai Sungaran in Arthritis, Hand & Wrist, Joint pain

When is the right time to have carpal tunnel surgery?

This is a common question I hear from my patients. Surgery is a daunting prospect for anyone, and taking that first step by consulting with a Surgeon can be quite difficult. It may feel like you don't have any other option but to have an operation, but this may not necessarily be the case. Some patients may be better managed with splints, Hand therapy or even targeted cortisone injections. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a result of compression of the main nerve to the hand (median nerve) that ... Read More

April 17, 2018 By Jai Sungaran in corticosteroid, Hand & Wrist, Injections, Nerve injury, Work injury

What should I do with my clicky finger?

Trigger digits are a common condition that patients present with. Usually it is more a nuisance problem, but sometimes when a finger "locks" and stays in a flexed position it can lead to permanent damage to the joint and reduce the likelihood of regaining the motion in the finger. A trigger finger or thumb is caused by thickening of the covering sheath through which a flexor tendon runs. The A1 pulley thickens and causes friction against the tendon below. This leads to a cycle of ... Read More

June 28, 2017 By Jai Sungaran in corticosteroid, Hand & Wrist, Injections, Joint pain, Tendon, Work injury

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