Whenever you have any kind of injury, your first consideration should be whether or not you need to be seen by a doctor. Some minor injuries do not require a doctor’s attention. When it comes to hand injuries, it is better to be safe than sorry. It is important to seek immediate treatment for most hand injuries for a variety of reasons.
Risk of Infection
The risk of infection with hand injuries is greatly increased over other parts of the body. Your hands come into contact with so many surfaces that the chance of bacteria invading even a small wound is fair odds. If you have a minor cut or scrape, you may not need to see a doctor right away. Anything that could potentially require stitches, or a cut or scrape that becomes red and swollen, needs immediate treatment. If infection invades the hand and goes unchecked, it could lead to permanent disability or even amputation.
Risk of Loss of Mobility
With a sprain in the hand, the injury may only require to be bandaged, iced, and rested. Fractures can take even longer to heal. If you do not seek treatment right away and get ahead of the game, you could wind up losing mobility and flexibility of your hand. Sprains, fractures, or torn or pulled tendons can be minor at first but lead to crippling disability if not treated and healed properly. To protect the use of your hand, it is a good idea to get medical treatment and advice right away.
Strengthening Exercises
In many cases, hand injuries require some strengthening exercises and physical therapy to get back to the strength and flexibility that you enjoyed before the injury. The sooner such exercises are implemented, the faster your recovery will be. At the same time, if you start exercises too soon, you could further injure the hand. Physical therapy and strengthening exercises should be done at a doctor’s order and under their direct supervision.
If you have had a recent hand injury that is not healing properly, contact our offices today. We can conduct a thorough examination and determine the best course of action to get your hand back to where it needs to be.