The Most Common Hand Injuries & How to Avoid Them

Our hands are one of the most versatile and valuable body parts. They’re used all the time, from cutting fruit to working on your car, and even as you scroll through this blog! If you’ve ever had a hand injury, you know that even the slightest bit of discomfort can impact your ability to perform any activity, so it’s good to know how to avoid hand issues. With expert advice from our center for hand and physical therapy, here are some of the most common hand injuries, how they impact your life, and how best to avoid them.  Read more “The Most Common Hand Injuries & How to Avoid Them”

Why Does My Elbow Hurt? Top Causes of Elbow Pain

Did you extend your arm recently to catch a closing door before it shut all the way, only to have a shooting pain jolt your elbow? Or did you try to pick up your grandchild and feel debilitating pain wrap around your elbow? No matter what you were doing when you experienced elbow pain, your first thought was likely, “Why is my elbow hurting so bad?” Read more “Why Does My Elbow Hurt? Top Causes of Elbow Pain”

man holding wrist in pain

What Happens if Tendonitis Goes Untreated?

Managing your tendonitis can be frustrating — one day, your joints are just mildly uncomfortable, and the next, the pain is slightly worse. You may be tempted to brush this phenomenon off as the healing process. However, it’s important to note that tendonitis will not heal without the proper treatment. If you fail to treat your tendonitis, you could develop a more severe condition that limits your mobility and requires surgery to recover. Keep reading to find out how leaving your tendonitis untreated can lead to more issues.

Read more “What Happens if Tendonitis Goes Untreated?”

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Dr. A. Lee Osterman Interviewed about Thumb Injuries Like Joel Embid’s

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will need surgery in the offseason, but he vows to continue to play even though he’s in a lot of pain. Doctors say Embiid’s thumb injury is common and the surgery to fix it is pretty basic.

Embiid says he’ll find a way to adjust, noting that this is the NBA playoffs and that nothing will stop him.

You can see Embiid grabbing his hand, wincing in pain as he continues to play through the playoffs after his thumb was injured Wednesday during Game 3.

“I think it must have been during those physical battles, pushing each other,” Embiid said. “Maybe I think my hand or my finger must have gotten caught on someone’s shirt. I mean, it’s painful. In basketball, you need to use your hand a lot.”

An MRI on Sunday confirmed Embiid has a torn ligament in his right thumb.

“A ligament is a structure made of collagen that goes from bone to bone,” said Dr. A. Lee Osterman, a surgeon and president of the Philadelphia Hand to Shoulder Center. “It’s what gives your joints stability.”

Osterman is not treating Embiid but says he has a common sports injury.

“It will hurt his effectiveness a bit but not completely,” Osterman said, “and obviously 90% of him is better than no percent of him. Every time he grabs the ball, it hurts. It’s not like it’s a dainty thing. He’s grabbing it and so it hurts a fair amount. And he’s played with a bunch of injuries this year. He’s been a warrior and continues to be this year.”

The question, though, is it safe for Embiid to continue to play?

“Fortunately, you can tape it and splint it as Mr. Embiid is, and that will often give you some protection and stability,” Osterman said.

Sixers head coach Doc Rivers says Embiid will continue to play and have surgery to reattach the ligament in the offseason.

“This is an injury which is absolutely recoverable to all the things that he can be, so this is not a career-ending injury,” Osterman said.

Recovery from surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament can take four to six weeks.

The 76ers aren’t saying when or where the surgery will take place, only that it will be in the offseason when Embiid will have plenty of time to recover.

thumb pressing into palm of hand

Trigger Finger: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

No matter what you do for a living, chances are that your hands are essential to your job. From busy contractors to food service professionals to office workers, most people use their hands all day, every day. And because you rely so much on your hands, if you’ve ever experienced any medical conditions causing hand pain, you know that hand pain can range from anywhere to distracting to debilitating.

Read more “Trigger Finger: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options”

mother holding baby's hands

PHSC Physicians Present at AAOS Annual Meeting

Drs. A. Lee Osterman, Randall Culp, David Zelouf, Mark Rekant, Meredith Osterman, Rick Tosti, Adam Strohl and Matthew Wilson presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting recently held in Chicago. Dr. Meredith Osterman was the program chair for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand / American Association for Hand Surgery Specialty Day.

mother holding baby's hands

What Is Mommy’s Wrist, and How Can It Be Treated?

As a new mother, you expected to be a bit sleep-deprived and sore in those first few weeks, but you never imagined that your wrists would start hurting. Why is this happening, and is there anything you can do to lessen the pain you feel in your thumb and wrist? You’re experiencing Mommy’s Wrist (or Mommy Thumb, as it is sometimes called), which is a condition mothers develop from repetitive awkward movements involved with picking up, holding, and nursing an infant.

Read more “What Is Mommy’s Wrist, and How Can It Be Treated?”

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