3 Symptoms That Might Require a Hand Specialist

by Kevin Smith Author

If you’ve suffered a hand injury, you might wonder if you’ll need to see an orthopedic surgeon. While some symptoms require treatment from a specialist, others can be treated by a general physician. Usually, your general physician will recommend a specialist if you need one. You still might want to know what symptoms will likely require this type of help. Here are some of the symptoms that might require a hand orthopedic near me in Atlanta.

Pain Lasting Multiple Days

An injury to your hand might impact your fingers, hand, wrist, or arm. This type of pain might scare you into wanting to see a doctor. In many cases, this pain will subside in a few hours. If it doesn’t and lasts for a few days, there might be a more serious problem. In all likelihood, you’ll need images so that the doctor can determine if there are any broken bones or damaged interior parts. This might include cartilage, ligaments, or nerves. In this case, it might be a good idea to have a specialist look over the images. This will ensure that it’s not a problem that will require surgery to repair.

Swelling or Bruising

If you injure your hand, wrist, or arm, you might experience some swelling or bruising. In many cases, this will go away when you apply ice for a period of time. If the swelling or bruising doesn’t go away after a day or so, it’s a sign that you might have a bigger problem, such as a bone break. A specialist will be needed to take images of the affected area. This will allow them to determine the extent of the damage and what needs to be done to repair it.

Limited Range of Motion

After you suffer an injury, you might notice a limited range of motion in the affected area. This will usually be because it’s painful to put your hand, wrist, or arm in a certain position. This should go away after a few hours. If you suffer from a limited range of motion beyond a day, it might not hurt but won’t allow you to reach a certain position. In this situation, you’ll need a hand specialist to examine you to see if you need surgery or some other procedure. You’ll want this type of treatment as limiting your range of motion will negatively impact certain parts of your daily life. If you wait too long to see a specialist, it could result in permanent damage.

You use your hand in various ways so a hand or wrist injury might be a scary situation. This could result in a visit to the doctor. Depending on how your hand, wrist, or arm feels, you might think that you’ll need to visit a hand specialist. These are some of the symptoms that might require a visit to a hand orthopedic near me in Atlanta.