Sore, swollen hands not uncommon

Hand-specialty therapists Scott Nobis and LeAndra Brush were surprised how many people who called Saturday's Deseret Morning News/Intermountain Healthcare Hotline and assumed that painful hands are just something you must learn to endure.

The truth, they said, is hands are not supposed to hurt, and something can usually be done to help. If you aren't getting any answers, look elsewhere, but don't give up. Brush said many people assume they have to live with pain and lost function, when they may be very treatable.

One man called because he worried about his wife. They were goofing off and she was showing him how strong her grip is when he felt a pop. Her hand has hurt ever since.

Nobis suggested she have her hand x-rayed to see if she broke the small metacarpal bone on the outside of her hand, below her pinky. If she did, she likely needs a splint to help it heal, said Nobis, a certified hand occupational therapist at The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital.

He talked to another caller, whose hands have been swollen and sore ever since she worked on her roof, about anti-inflammatory nonprescription drugs and comfort measures she could take.

It's not uncommon to have sore, even swollen hands after you use them intensely, Nobis said. But he told her to see her a doctor if they're still sore in another week. Someone can have arthritis or another problem in their hands, and that kind of activity can make it flare up.

While arthritis is a chronic condition, there are treatments for it, several callers were told. Brush, who's a certified hand physical therapist, discussed different therapy modes with several callers. Those range from using contrast baths (alternating hot and cold), use of different anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing medications, and surgery to replace afflicted joints. One of the more common surgeries is replacement of the lower thumb joint.

Other calls concerned hand cramps, numbness and weakness.

Brush told one caller a soft-tissue injury to the finger can take up to a year to heal — and that's if it's not continually being irritated. The only way to really know what's happening is to have it checked by a health-care professional who deals often with hands.

The experts also answered several calls each about trigger finger, carpal tunnel syndrome and other overuse, repetitive-motion injuries.

The health hotline tackles a different topic the second Saturday of each month.

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E-mail: lois@desnews.com