Upper extremity specialists specialize in caring for patients with shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand conditions. Upper extremity specialists, also known as orthopedic surgeons and hand surgeons, complete four years of college and graduate from four years of medical school. They then complete a five-year residency in general surgery before specializing in orthopedics for an additional two to three years.
Dr. Kristopher Downing in La Jolla, an upper extremity specialist, has the required training and experience to provide surgical and non-surgical treatment for complex upper limb problems. They diagnose, manage and treat medical conditions related to the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder using various minimally invasive techniques. They deal with several conditions, as you can see here.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is caused by pressure on the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the palm through a narrow passageway at the wrist called the carpal tunnel. The median nerve provides feeling to parts of your thumb and first three fingers (thumb side of palm, index finger, middle finger, half of the ring finger, and back of the small finger), so when compressed, you lose sensation in these areas. This loss of feeling can happen gradually or instantly after a quick or hard hit to the wrist on that area of the hand.
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
A rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and tendons that make up the shoulder. They help position and stabilize your shoulder by attaching your upper arm bone to the shoulder blade. A rotator cuff injury occurs when these tissues are overused, injured, or torn due to repetitive motion or a one-time event like a heavyweight lifted over your head.
- Repetitive Stress Injury
Repetitive stress injury, or RSI, is an umbrella term that refers to several different conditions that can affect the tendons, nerves, and muscles in your upper body when you repeat the same movements over and over again. Sometimes it’s caused by working with poor posture at a keyboard or working on an assembly line. Still, repetitive stress injuries can also happen while playing a sport or performing physical activity.
- Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is the common name for an injury to your outer elbow caused by repetitive wrist and forearm motions. More specifically, it affects the tendons on the outside front part of your upper arm bone, where they attach to your elbow. This area can be injured by several activities, including playing tennis. Still, it’s usually the result of overusing your arm in a way that puts stress on or irritates those tendons.
- Acute Fractures
An acute fracture occurs suddenly. A fall or impact causes the bone to break. This type of fracture typically has jagged edges and can sometimes cause damage to surrounding tissues, including nerves, muscles, and blood vessels.
In summary, upper extremity specialists specialize in caring for patients with shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand conditions. They deal with various conditions and injuries affecting the upper body, such as acute fractures, plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, repetitive stress injury, and rotator cuff injuries.
