The intricate bones, joints, muscles, tissue, and nerves in your hands and wrists enable you to hold a book while reading, pick up a child, type on the computer, chop garlic, rake leaves, throw a baseball, or knit a scarf. An injured hand or wrist can seriously impede your ability to participate in everyday activities. At VOA, our objective is to return your hand or wrist to maximum capability as quickly as we can. VOA physicians provide compassionate, professional care using the latest technologies.

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, some common hand and wrist conditions include:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The median nerve travels from the forearm to the hand through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve is "squeezed" at the wrist, resulting in numbness and tingling in the hand.
• Trigger Finger: This condition affects the tendons and pulleys in the hand that enable the finger to bend. Tendons connect the forearm muscles and the bones of the fingers and thumb. The tendons are covered with a slick lining, allowing them to easily glide back and forth, guided by the pulley. When the tendon lining is irritated or inflamed, a knot may develop, preventing the tendon from gliding easily. These circumstances may cause the finger to become locked in a "trigger" or bent position. Although the cause is unknown, people over 40 with diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis seem to be at a greater risk for developing trigger finger.
• Arthritis: This disease affects the joints in the body including those in the hands, elbow, arm, and shoulder. Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint disease, caused when the cartilage between joints wears out and bone rubs against bone. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common inflammatory arthritis typically affecting the joints in the fingers, wrists, arms, and legs.

If you are experiencing hand or wrist pain or other problems, talk with your primary care physician about a referral to Valley Orthopedic Associates or call VOA at 425-656-5060.

Hand Surgery & Wrist Surgery - Physicians

Craig T. Arntz, M.D.
Traci G. Barthel, M.D.
John Howlett, M.D.
Niket Shrivastava, M.D.

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