Preventing Long-Term Problems After a Hand Injury

While a hand injury can be traumatic, the true risk comes later. If recovery is not handled properly, life-long complications can develop. This is because the hand is an extremely complicated structure, meaning that one thing healing out of place or incorrectly can change the way the hand functions. Let’s look at some of the things you can do to ensure that you don’t have any long-term problems after a hand injury.

Common Long-Term Problems After a Hand Injury

To make sure you understand how important proper recovery is, let’s first look at the most common long-term problems that can develop. This can include:

• Chronic Pain: This is pain that continues after the injury. It is recurring and can usually only be managed, not fully cured.
• Joint Stiffness: This is when the joints in your hand, especially those in your fingers become hard to move, reducing flexibility and range of motion.
• Loss of Grip Strength: This is when your grip becomes weaker, making it difficult to grasp objects.
• Nerve Damage: This usually takes the form of persistent numbness, tingling, or weakness.

None of these are innocuous problems. Any one of these can make everyday tasks difficult to perform, lowering your quality of life significantly.

Seek Medical Care Promptly

The best thing you can do is seek medical attention promptly for the initial injury. Prompt care almost always means a better prognosis and smoother recovery. It is also important that you follow your treatment plan to the letter. This means wearing splints as directed, avoiding returning to activities too soon, and attending all follow up appointments. This is made much easier by using a doctor local to you, and that doctor should be top of their field. For example, if you live in Boston, see a hand specialist Massachusetts residents review highly.

Prioritize Rehabilitation

The number one mistake people make is thinking that physical rehabilitation is silly or pointless. Rehabilitation may seem like just a lot of stretching, but it is specially designed to restore flexibility, improve strength, and rebuild coordination and dexterity. If you fail to follow your rehabilitation plan, long-term problems are almost inevitable. Additionally, make sure you use a rehabilitation plan that is provided by your doctor. Do not try to make your own plan. Self-made plans are not only ineffective, they can do more harm than good.

Protect Your Hand During Recovery

During recovery, your hand is extremely fragile. Should you injure your hand during this time, it is almost guaranteed to be worse than the initial injury. To avoid this from happening, take your time returning to sports, work, and hobbies. Only do so when your doctor says it is safe to do so. Additionally, make sure you wear protective equipment when necessary. The extra waiting period and effort of wearing protective gear is worth it to ensure that you don’t have to deal with life-long hand issues.

Support Healing With Healthy Habits

Your body naturally heals, but it can’t do it on its own. It needs your support. This means maintaining good nutrition by eating foods that provide all the necessary protein, vitamins, and minerals to support tissue repair. You should also be getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep per night, and more if possible. Sleeping is when your body does its best healing. Finally, avoid smoking, as it has been proven to slow the healing process.

Watch for Signs That the Hand Isn’t Healing Properly

Finally, keep an eye out for signs that something isn’t right. This includes:

• Increasing pain after the initial recovery period.
• Persistent swelling.
• Numbness or tingling.
• Limited range of motion.
• Weak grip strength.
• Fingers that won’t straighten or bend normally.
• Signs of infection, such as redness, warmth, or drainage.

If you experience any of the above, see your doctor immediately. Doing so can be the difference between having a perfectly healthy hand and one that doesn’t work properly.

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