Hand Therapist Nigel Chua

Ulnar impaction is little-finger-side wrist pain from an ulna a few millimeters too long. Most cases get 3 to 6 months of load changes, bracing and strengthening first; if that fails, ulnar shortening takes 4 to 6 months to full loading.

Boxer’s knuckle is a torn sling that lets the finger tendon slip off the knuckle. Caught within 3 weeks, most heal in a yoke splint worn 6 to 8 weeks; after 2 to 3 months, it usually needs surgery.

Start scar management once the wound is closed, usually day 10 to 14, and keep going daily for six months: silicone, firm massage and full movement. Here’s how hard, how often, and when to get it checked.

Raynaud’s is an overreaction of the finger arteries to cold or stress: white, then blue, then red. Usually harmless, but onset after 40, one hand, or fingertip sores need screening for a connective tissue disease.

Swan neck deformity is a middle finger joint that bends backwards with a drooping fingertip. While it’s flexible, a ring splint usually restores grip and is often the whole treatment; once it’s fixed, surgery becomes the option.

Carpal tunnel in pregnancy is fluid squeezing the median nerve at the wrist, usually in the second half of pregnancy, and most cases settle within weeks to a few months after delivery. A neutral night splint is the safe first-line treatment.

Trigger thumb is the thumb tendon catching on a thickened pulley at its base. Caught at the click stage, most settle with a night splint in 6 to 10 weeks; after a release, full use is usually back by 6 to 8 weeks.