What Are Soft Tissue Injuries?
As mentioned above, a soft tissue injury is any injury that affects the tendons, vessels, nerves, or ligaments in your hands. An injury to this area can disable simple motions, as well as cause more severe symptoms depending on the severity of the injury. An individual can injure the soft tissue of their hand simply with excessive everyday use or by overloading the hand, as well as lacerating or cutting the hand with sharp objects. Below, we’ve outlined the types of injuries you can experience to the soft tissues in your hands.
Tendon Injuries
In your hands, there are two types of tendons that help you flex and extend your fingers: the extensor and flexor tendons. These tendons are responsible for helping you grip, grasp, and let go of objects — think of the movements you would make if you were to pick up a cup or a water bottle. If these tendons are damaged, either partially severed or cut completely, it can result in partial or total loss of mobility. An injury to these tendons can also result in the inability to straighten or bend the finger, as well as pain or numbness.
Ligament Injuries
Your ligaments are the tissues in your fingers that are attached to your bones and joints. These ligaments give strength to your joints and stabilize them. Unlike some of the other soft tissue injuries, ligament injuries are often caused by excessive everyday motions and activities that can strain or tear the ligaments. If you injure the ligaments in your hand, you may experience pain and instability of the hands and fingers, as well as abnormal movement.
Vessel Injuries
As you may know, blood vessels are responsible for carrying blood from the heart to the rest of your body. An injury to one of the main blood vessels in your hand can either be severe or easily treatable at home. For example, if you get a small laceration on your hand, you may be able to stop the bleeding with elevation and pressure on the wound. However, if you are not able to stop the bleeding, or the laceration is deep, you will need to see a doctor right away, as the hand can become necrotic from lack of blood if left untreated.
Nerve Injuries
The nerves in your hand communicate to your brain about sensations and commands, as well as signals that tell the hands what to do. You can experience both minor injuries, such as strains, to your hands, or you can suffer from more severe injuries caused by tears or cuts to the finger. If you’ve experienced an injury to the nerves in your hand, you may experience a lack of sensation, delayed motion, weakness, or pain.
Recovery
Depending on the type of injury and the severity, an individual can receive surgical or nonsurgical treatment. The best way to diagnose a soft tissue injury in your hand is through a physical examination performed by a trained physician. An MRI scan can also help detect soft tissue damage. If the injury is mild, the individual will likely not need surgery, and the doctor may be able to repair the injury with splinting, rest, ice, compression, elevation, and NSAID medications. However, if the injury is more severe, it may require surgery to ensure that the individual is still able to use their hand. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at The Vu Center.
Schedule a Consultation
An injury to the hand can make daily tasks much more difficult, and if you are struggling from an injury to the soft tissue in your hand, The Vu Center can help. Our board-certified hand specialist has years of experience and education, making her an expert in the field of hand surgery. If you suspect that the soft tissue in your hand has been injured, don’t wait until it’s too late — reach out to The Vu Center in Portland today to request a consultation.