Non-Surgical Hand & Wrist Pain Treatments

At St. Elizabeth, we know that having hand and wrist pain can limit your daily function. Typically, arthritis or injury are the cause of your hand or wrist pain. The St. Elizabeth Orthopaedic team has the expertise to diagnose the cause of hand and wrist pain and recommend treatment to help you get back to doing those everyday tasks with less pain. Your treatment plan will include non-surgical treatment options such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, injections and bracing or splinting. 

Specialized Hand Therapy

St. Elizabeth offers 13 different Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy locations throughout Northern Kentucky. The St. Elizabeth Healthcare Hand Therapy Center is the first and largest hospital-based hand therapy service in Northern Kentucky. Treatments include, range of motion exercise, strengthening, work simulation, electro and thermal modalities, wound care, and edema (swelling), pain, and scar management. We also offer a specialized hand therapy treatment approach for musicians.

Anti-Inflammatory Medications

Your physician may suggest anti-inflammation medication to help reduce the inflammation in and around your hand and wrist. These medications, known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), can help relieve mild to moderate pain by reducing inflammation. 

Injections 

A corticosteroid (also known as a cortisone shot) is often given as a temporary solution to help relieve your hand and wrist pain. The steroid is injected directly into your hand and wrist joint, helping to reduce inflammation and pain. However, there is a downside: too many injections can cause joint damage, so typically there is a limit on the number of cortisone shots a patient can receive.

Bracing, Splinting and Custom Orthotics

To effectively treat hand and wrist injuries a splint or brace is often required. Our certified hand therapists properly design and build splints or orthotics for your hand and your injury. Splints and bracing are used to heal, minimize development of scar tissue, maintain wrist or hand function and reduce pain.