If opening jars, turning keys, or pinching small objects has become painful, you may be dealing with arthritis at the base of your thumb. The carpometacarpal (CMC) joint—where the thumb meets the wrist—is one of the most common locations for arthritis in the hand, particularly in women over 50. As a hand surgeon in Phoenix, I see thumb basal joint arthritis almost daily. The good news is there are excellent treatment options at every stage of the disease. What Is Thumb CMC Ar

You’re walking through the frozen food aisle at the grocery store, and suddenly your fingers turn stark white, then blue, then red—accompanied by numbness, tingling, and pain. If this sounds familiar, you may have Raynaud’s disease (also called Raynaud’s phenomenon). "But I live in Phoenix—how can I have a cold-related condition?" I hear this often. While Arizona’s warm climate helps, Raynaud’s attacks can be triggered by air conditioning, cold water, refrigerated items, and

Chronic wrist pain can be frustrating—especially when X-rays look normal and MRI results are inconclusive. If you’ve been dealing with persistent wrist pain, clicking, or weakness that hasn’t responded to conservative treatment, wrist arthroscopy may provide both the answer and the solution. What Is Wrist Arthroscopy? Wrist arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which a small camera (arthroscope) is inserted into the wrist joint through tiny incisions (port

You fell on an outstretched hand, jammed your thumb during a sport, or got your thumb caught awkwardly—and now the thumb feels weak and unstable when you try to pinch or grip. You may have torn the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of your thumb, commonly known as skier’s thumb or gamekeeper’s thumb. What Is the UCL and Why Does It Matter? The ulnar collateral ligament stabilizes the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint of the thumb—the big knuckle at the base of the thumb. This lig

You slammed your finger in a door, hit it with a hammer, or caught it in a piece of equipment. Your nail is bleeding, lifted, or cracked, and the fingertip is throbbing. Nail bed injuries are one of the most common fingertip injuries, and how they’re treated in the first few days makes a significant difference in whether the nail grows back normally. Anatomy of the Nail Bed The nail bed is the tissue beneath the fingernail. It consists of two parts: the germinal matrix (at th

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is one of the most common causes of elbow and forearm pain—and despite the name, you don’t have to play tennis to get it. This condition affects anyone who repeatedly uses their forearm muscles: office workers, tradespeople, golfers, gym-goers, and weekend warriors alike. What Is Tennis Elbow? Tennis elbow is a degenerative condition (tendinosis, not true inflammation) of the common extensor tendon where it attaches to the lateral epicondy

Wrist pain has many causes, and tendonitis is one of the most common. While De Quervain’s tendonitis (which I cover in a separate blog post) gets the most attention, several other wrist tendon conditions cause significant pain and are frequently misdiagnosed or undertreated. Intersection Syndrome Intersection syndrome causes pain and swelling on the back of the forearm, about 2–3 inches above the wrist. It occurs where two groups of tendons cross over each other (the first a

You’ve noticed a small, firm, translucent bump on the back of your finger near the nail. It may have appeared, gone away, and come back. Maybe it’s caused a groove or ridge in your fingernail. This is most likely a mucous cyst (also called a myxoid cyst or digital mucous cyst)—a common condition related to arthritis of the finger’s last joint. What Is a Mucous Cyst? A mucous cyst is a type of ganglion cyst that forms at the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint of the finger—the

You jammed your finger catching a ball, making the bed, or reaching for something—and now the tip of your finger droops and you can’t straighten it on your own. This is a mallet finger, and it’s one of the most common tendon injuries in the hand. What Is a Mallet Finger? A mallet finger occurs when the extensor tendon that straightens the tip of your finger (the distal interphalangeal or DIP joint) is disrupted. This can happen as a pure tendon rupture (the tendon pulls off t

You have chronic wrist pain that won’t go away, stiffness, and weakness—but you never had a significant injury. Your X-rays may have been read as "normal" at first. If this sounds familiar, you could be dealing with Kienböck’s disease—a condition in which the lunate bone in the center of the wrist loses its blood supply and gradually dies (avascular necrosis). What Is Kienböck’s Disease? The lunate is one of eight small carpal bones in the wrist. It sits in a critical positio

Arizona’s outdoor lifestyle is one of the best things about living here—hiking Camelback Mountain, mountain biking in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, rock climbing in Queen Creek, or playing golf year-round in Scottsdale. But these activities also bring a steady stream of hand and wrist injuries to my practice. Here’s what to watch for, how to prevent injuries, and when to see a hand surgeon. Hiking Injuries The most common hand injury from hiking is a wrist fracture from a FO

You’ve noticed a firm, painless lump on your finger or hand that’s been slowly growing over months or years. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s getting bigger and now interferes with gripping or bending the finger. The most likely diagnosis? A giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath (GCTTS)—the second most common hand tumor after ganglion cysts. What Is a Giant Cell Tumor of the Tendon Sheath? Also known as pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) of the tendon sheath, this is a benign (

You cut your hand or finger on glass, a knife, or a piece of metal. The wound may not look that deep, but now you can’t bend one of your fingers. If this has happened to you, there’s a strong chance you’ve cut a flexor tendon—and this is a hand emergency that requires surgical repair, usually within days. What Are Flexor Tendons? Flexor tendons are the rope-like structures that run from the forearm through the wrist and palm into each finger. When your forearm muscles contrac

You jammed your finger during a game, a fall, or while doing yard work. It swelled up, maybe looked crooked for a moment, and someone "popped it back in." You buddy taped it and figured it would get better. But weeks later, the finger is still swollen, stiff, and unstable. This is one of the most common scenarios I see in my Phoenix practice—a dismissed finger dislocation that needed more attention from the start. What Happens When a Finger Dislocates? A finger dislocation oc

You bumped your hand lightly and your finger broke—or an X-ray for another reason revealed a hole or cyst-like area in one of your finger bones. In either case, the most likely diagnosis is an enchondroma—the most common primary bone tumor of the hand. What Is an Enchondroma of the Hand? An enchondroma is a benign (non-cancerous) cartilage tumor that develops inside bone. In the hand, enchondromas most commonly occur in the proximal phalanges (the finger bone closest to the p

Imagine excruciating, stabbing pain in your fingertip—triggered by the slightest touch, a cold breeze, or bumping your finger on something. You’ve seen multiple doctors, had X-rays that look normal, and been told "nothing is wrong." If this sounds like your story, you may have a glomus tumor. Glomus tumors are one of the most underdiagnosed conditions in hand surgery. They’re small, benign, and often invisible on standard imaging—but they cause pain that is wildly disproporti

A finger amputation is terrifying. Whether from a saw, machinery, a door, or another accident, the immediate question is: can my finger be saved? The answer depends on several factors, and knowing what to do in the first minutes and hours after the injury is critical. What to Do Immediately After a Finger Amputation If a finger or fingertip has been amputated: Control bleeding: Apply direct pressure with a clean cloth. Elevate the hand above the heart. Preserve the amputated

After a jammed finger, cut, or crush injury, you may notice your finger developing an unusual posture: the middle joint (PIP joint) is stuck in a bent position while the fingertip (DIP joint) hyperextends backward. This is a boutonniere deformity, and it’s one of the most commonly missed injuries in the hand. What Causes a Boutonniere Deformity? The boutonniere deformity results from disruption of the central slip—the portion of the extensor tendon that straightens the PIP (m

If you’re experiencing numbness or tingling in your ring and small fingers—especially when your elbow is bent—you may have cubital tunnel syndrome. This condition is the second most common nerve compression in the upper extremity (after carpal tunnel syndrome) and involves the ulnar nerve at the elbow. The ulnar nerve is the "funny bone" nerve. When you hit your elbow on a hard surface and feel that electric shock down to your small finger—that’s the ulnar nerve. In cubital t

You’ve got a hand or wrist problem and you’re not sure where to go. Your primary care doctor? The ER? An orthopedic surgeon? A hand surgeon? The options can be confusing, and choosing the right specialist from the start can save you time, money, and—most importantly—get you the best outcome. What Is a Hand Surgeon? A hand surgeon is a specialist who has completed additional fellowship training beyond residency specifically focused on conditions of the hand, wrist, and forearm