Stretching of the ligament of the hand

The bone-ligament mechanism of our body allows us to make a variety of simple and complex movements of limbs and separate joints. But sometimes under certain circumstances the supporting assignment of the ligament is violated. Why and how does the sprain of the arm develop?

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Causes of sprain of the ligament

Stretching of the ligaments can happen as a result of excessive ligament tension. Ligaments are elastic joints between the bones that serve to strengthen the joints. In order to stretch the ligaments, it is necessary to make a sharp movement in the joint, often exceeding its amplitude.

Stretching of ligaments is more often experienced by athletes and just active people, as well as mobile children.

What can cause stretching of the ligaments of the hand:

• lifting weights, strength exercises on the shoulder girdle and elbow joints;
• fall with an emphasis on a straight arm;
• exercises on uneven bars, horizontal bars or rings.

Stretching can be easy, with damage to a small amount of fibers; average, with damage to half of the total number of fibers of the ligaments; significant, with the rupture of a large number of fibers, but not allowing to characterize the damage as a complete rupture of ligaments.

Depending on the cause of the strain, this kind of damage to the ligaments is divided into the following categories:

• degenerative change. Sprain stretching in this case is associated with age-related changes in tissues, in particular, in tendons and ligaments. Patients after 40 years of age get stretching and ligament rupture much easier than younger people. Why? Over the course of the age, nutrition and circulation in the ligamentous apparatus are disrupted, bones can sometimes contain osteophytes, which can aggravate damage to the ligaments. The work of the ligaments worsens, the tissues become less elastic;
• traumatic damage - this stretching ligaments due to injury, sloppy movements, work with great physical exertion.

[2], [3], [4]

Symptoms of sprain of the ligament

Signs of sprain of the ligaments of the hand are, first of all:

• a feeling of severe pain, which becomes even stronger when trying to move the hand (by the way, in many cases, stretching can bring more pain than with fractures);
• the appearance of swelling in the affected area;
• impossibility or limited movement in the damaged area;
• feeling of pain when trying to touch the damaged area;
• redness of the damaged area or appearance of bruises and hemorrhages on it.

If the hand began to ache a few hours after the injury, this indicates that there is a stretching not of the ligaments, but of the muscle fibers. Pain in tension, as a rule, appears immediately, but it can gradually increase, intensifying throughout the day.

If during the trauma the patient has heard a characteristic crack, this is most likely a fracture or rupture of the tendon, but not a stretching of the ligament apparatus.

For a more accurate diagnosis, you need to see a doctor. Usually they go to the nearest trauma clinic where the doctor will accurately indicate the nature of the damage and will provide the first necessary assistance.

Sprain of the hand

Injuries to the ligamentous mechanism of the hand are determined by a violation of their integrity, hemorrhages in nearby tissues and joint cavities.

Often, stretchings of the radial and ulnar collateral ligaments are found. A sudden change in the amplitude of motion to the radial side will inevitably lead to a stretching or a complete rupture of the collateral radial ligament.

Stretching of the ligaments of the hand may result from trauma or a prolonged monotonous load on the wrist. Immediately after the injury, severe soreness appears, a hemorrhage is formed at the injury site, the functionality of the brush is broken. Gradually, swelling of the tissues in the area of the brush grows.

X-ray examination will indirectly confirm the extension of the ligaments: the pictures are taken with the most possible retraction of the brush in the radial joint, and the dimensions of the joint gap are equated with the slit in the paired undamaged joint.

Tension of the ligament of the finger

Injury of the ligaments of the fingers is quite common among those who are actively involved in rock climbing. The ring ligaments of the fingers are the most susceptible to stretching.

Ring bunches assume the bulk of the load, especially in situations where it is necessary to use an active finger grip. If the load to which the ligaments are exposed exceeds the permissible norm, or a sudden load is applied, it is possible to stretch or tear the ligament system. In this case, the severity of the damage can fluctuate from an insignificant extension of the annular ligaments to their full-length rupture.

After stretching, you can notice the characteristic curvature of the finger, it becomes difficult, and sometimes it is impossible to unbend a finger. The joint or entire finger swells.

The stretching of the flexural ligament of the fingers is also very common. Most often, such a trauma is observed on the ring finger. This happens, for example, if you have to hold by two or three fingers with an open grip. After damage, the feeling of soreness can be felt all over the tendon, from the ring finger to the wrist. After injury, it is necessary to avoid captures that can affect injured ligaments.

Sprain of the thumbs

The location of the first metacarpal phalangeal joint causes, in some cases, an increase in the load. This joint is at the base of the thumb. His injury can occur under the influence of force directed at the straightened thumb: this can happen with an awkward blow on the finger, for example, while playing with the ball.

When the ligaments of the thumb of the hand are stretched, the victim marks pain when trying to move the thumb, especially when the finger is moved to the right or to the left. On the perimeter of the joint, edema is formed in the form of a tumor.

Less commonly, there may be an extension of the lateral ligaments of the interphalangeal joint: these ligaments are located on the sides of the finger phalanges and serve to protect the interphalangeal joint. As a rule, the stretching of these ligaments occurs during sharp abduction of the finger to the side: this withdrawal can be caused by impact or fall. With such a trauma, pain in the thumb and swelling in the area of damage are also observed.

Sprain of the child's ligaments

In childhood, stretching of the ligaments of the hand occurs much more often than fractures of bones and dislocations of the joints. The cause of injuries is the increased physical activity of the child, his desire to learn new things, energy and restlessness.

With active games, children can fall and hurt, but fractures in childhood happen much less often than sprains. This happens because the child's bones are more flexible than the adult's, so they tend to withstand a heavy load. The accent at a trauma falls on the ligamentous device which, compensating force of influence, is exposed to a stretching.

At the time of injury, the baby feels a strong enough and sharp pain, which in most cases can gradually subside. For this reason the child, having received an injury, can run and play for a while, not paying attention to the damage. However, for several hours (depending on the severity of the injury), a swelling appears in the damaged area, possibly forming a hematoma. The child complains of soreness when moving with a pen, as well as with her palpation.

Movement of the hand is limited, the child tries not to use the injured hand in movements.

In childhood, the elbow joint is most often injured: the ligaments of the elbow joint in children are not strong enough, they contain a lot of nerve fibers and vessels, which explains the appearance of considerable soreness and swelling due to stretching.

Parents need to understand that it is not worthwhile to treat the baby alone: only the doctor can establish the nature of the child's trauma. Fracture, sprain, rupture, bone fracture or dislocation - an accurate diagnosis is established after examination by a specialist. Treatment of various types of injuries has its own peculiarities, that is why independent therapeutic measures, whether alternative medicine methods or "what helped the neighbor", are completely excluded before the diagnosis and consultation of the doctor.

Diagnosis of sprain of the ligament

In case of any trauma and suspicion of ligament strain, you should consult a specialist who will carefully inspect the damaged area, ask about the causes and mechanism of injury, assess the degree of tissue damage. If you need additional methods of diagnosing stretching of the ligaments of the hand, the doctor will appoint them.

1. Laboratory tests with sprains are rarely used: only in neglected cases, if it is necessary to confirm or deny the presence of an inflammatory process in the joint. For this purpose:
   • a general blood test (accelerated ESR, elevated white blood cell count);
   • post-puncture analysis of synovial fluid (presence of protein spectrum or leukocytosis).
2. X-ray diagnostics allows you to determine the exact area of damage, as well as differentiate the tension from fracture of bone and rupture of muscle fibers. Sometimes x-rays can be the only additional research method that will provide enough data to establish the diagnosis and determine the treatment regimen.
3. The method of magnetic resonance imaging helps to obtain a layered image of soft tissues in different angles. This method does not provide for the use of ionizing radiation: here the principles of the resonance action of hydrogen nuclei are used, which makes the procedure much less harmful, in contrast to the X-ray. For this reason, the MRI method is used to diagnose and dynamically observe injuries in childhood.
4. The method of ultrasound scanning (ultrasound examination of joints) is a highly informative and harmless procedure. Such a method can be used quite often and as necessary, both for diagnosis and for evaluating the results of treatment. Using ultrasound scanning, you can determine the condition of muscle tissue, joints, tendons and ligaments. An additional advantage of this method is its low cost compared with tomography, and its informativeness is not inferior, and sometimes even surpasses MRI.
5. The method of arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure, equivalent to a small operation: in the skin, the surgeon makes punctures, through which an optical system and a surgical instrument enter the skin. The use of arthroscopy is carried out when the treatment does not bring relief, as well as in cases where it is impossible to understand the cause of the pain syndrome. A particularly effective technique is considered for the diagnosis of rupture of ligaments.

Setting an accurate diagnosis allows the doctor to determine the tactics of treatment and prescribe effective in this case, medical procedures.

[5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]

Treatment of sprains

Treatment of sprains of the ligaments of the arm is carried out depending on the severity of the injury. However, it is much more important for us in the everyday life to first of all know how to help the person who pulled the ligaments before contacting a specialist. After all, from the timely assistance rendered depends on how quickly and successfully the further healing of the damage takes place.

Let's characterize the most acceptable sequence of actions in this situation:

• the injured person should be seated or laid, ensuring the peace of the injured limb;
• it is necessary to give the joint immobility: for this purpose we impose a dense bandage on the damaged area, possibly with the use of a tire;
• apply a cold object on the injured area for several hours; it can be a frozen product from the refrigerator, ice cold bottle, ice bottle. All frozen objects should be wrapped in a cloth or towel before applying;
• if the affected person has swelling, a damaged limb should be given an elevated position.

The next step is to call the doctor, or the patient should be taken to a trauma clinic.

What can a doctor do to alleviate the condition of the victim and his speedy recovery?

As a rule, first of all the doctor anesthetizes the damaged joint or limb. In severe cases, a novocain blockade can be used: 0.25% and 0.5% novocaine + 2 ml 50% analgin and ampules of vitamin B¹². The blockade is conducted one or several times with an interval of 3-4 days. Further it is possible to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - diclofenac or ibuprofen.

Damage to the ligamentous apparatus requires a relatively long recovery period - at least one month. After arresting the pain syndrome, the doctor prescribes funds for the regeneration of damaged tissues: these are chondroprotective drugs (chondroitin, glucosamine), hyaluronic acid preparations.

A few days after the injury, physiotherapy procedures are prescribed: Bernard's currents, electrophoresis with Kiod-novocaine, manual therapy, medical baths.

Massage with sprain of the ligament

With the doctor's permission, it is often recommended to perform massage rehabilitation measures. Light massage usually begins with the third day after the injury, with no damage to large vessels and the risk of bleeding, and body temperature does not exceed the norm.

Massage sessions should be daily. During the initial two to three days, a resorptive massage is practiced - attention is paid only to sites located above the damaged site. Use stroking, grinding in a circle, dashed effect, longitudinal kneading, easy vibrating. A good effect gives zonal massaging of cervical sympathetic plexuses. Treat the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the supraclavicular border of the trapezius muscle, the outer limits of the latissimus muscle of the back, the deltoid muscle, the zones of the sternoclavicular and clavicle-acromial joint from the injured side.

If after 1-2 sessions of such massage there is no increase in pain syndrome and worsening of well-being, go to massage directly injured site. Use light surface stroking, low-amplitude vibration and gentle grinding.

Gradually, along with the process of restoring tissues, massage movements become more intense: techniques of kneading, patting, and shearing of tissues are included. Carefully massaged tendons, protrusions of bones, articular bags.

Initial sessions last about 5-10 minutes, then the duration of the massage is increased to 20 minutes. The duration of the therapeutic course is about 2 weeks.

The best effect is achieved when carrying out thermal procedures (saltyks, paraffin applications, electrolight baths) immediately before the massage session.

Ointment with a sprain of the ligament

The therapeutic effect of the ointment when stretching the ligaments of the hand is explained by the composition of the drug, its active substance. By the principle of action of the ointment can be divided into several categories.

1. Ointments with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory composition relieve swelling and pain syndrome. Use them can be no more than 7-10 days. These ointments include ketoprofen, indomethacin, voltaren, diclofenac.
2. Steroid ointments contain hormonal substances that can suppress the development of the inflammatory process and prevent puffiness. To the steroid ointments are hydrocortisone and prednisolone ointment.
3. Dissolving ointments are designed to enhance local blood circulation, which helps to resolve the inflammatory infiltrate and prompt recovery of damaged tissues. This category includes ointments prepared from the poison of bees or snakes, with the addition of essential oils, vitamins and camphor, as well as ointments with heparin. It should be noted that such ointments can be used only after a decrease in swelling, that is, a few days after the injury. Degradable ointments: Apizartron, Viprosal, Vipratox.
4. Cooling ointment, in contrast to warming, is used immediately after damage. Such ointments contain menthol, which calms the pain and cools inflamed tissues. Among such ointments, Efkamon, Gevkamen, is most famous.
5. The heating distracting ointments are prepared mainly on the basis of capsicum or turpentine. When applied to the skin, such ointments, as a rule, cause burning and have a warming effect, which contributes to the activation of local circulation and the acceleration of tissue regeneration. As well as ointments absorbable, they are used several days after getting the damage, but in no case immediately after the injury. Known warming up ointments: Espol, Nikofleks, Finalgon, Myoton, Mellivenon.
6. Angioprotective ointments are designed to strengthen the walls of the vessels, which can be broken as a result of trauma. In addition, the improvement of the vascular status will contribute to the relief of swelling and the disappearance of bruises. To such ointments carry troxevasin, venoruton, etc.

All ointments should be applied to the damaged area as neatly as possible, in a thin layer, rub soft movements without excessive pressure on the tissue. After the procedure, it is necessary to wash your hands of the remnants of the product. The course of treatment with one type of ointment should not exceed 10 days.

Alternative recipes for stretching hand ligaments

If your doctor does not mind, you can also use alternative ways to treat sprains in your arm. Here are a few of the most effective ways:

• rub the raw potatoes, add the grated onion and a little sugar. The resulting mixture is applied in the form of compresses to the injured area;
• we clean and grind garlic, pour melted fat and add as many leaves of mint or eucalyptus. After cooling the mixture, we filter it and rub it into the sore spot 2-3 times a day;
• buy a blue clay in the pharmacy, distribute it to the fabric (a layer of clay - about 3 cm). We put it in the form of a compress and wrap it with a warm kerchief. They say that three procedures a day are enough;
• In addition, you should drink tea from a mixture of elderberry, willow bark and birch leaves. In the mixture, if desired, you can add nettle or parsley root. Such a collection removes the pain syndrome, eliminates the inflammatory process and prevents the development of infection in damaged tissues.

All of the above compresses and ointments can be used only with the disappearance of swelling from the injured area.

To stimulate the work of the adrenal glands, it is recommended to drink tea from currant leaves, cowberries and dogrose berries: as is known, hormones of the adrenal cortex have an anti-inflammatory and healing effect. Tea should be drunk at 400-500 ml per day for half an hour before meals.

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Prevention of sprains of the ligament

Stretching of the ligamentous apparatus of the hand can arise practically at all, if you do not observe the safety rules for physical exertion, sports or during outdoor games. Physical education should be carried out in appropriate equipment and sports shoes.

If you prefer shoes with high heels, go carefully, so as not to fall. Be bypassed by the side of the pit and the rough surface of the road, try to look under your feet.

If the mass of your body is far from ideal, it is desirable to lose extra pounds. Change your lifestyle, take charge, review the principles of daily nutrition. Absence of excess weight and moderate physical exertion strengthens the ligamentous apparatus.

Before exercise, do a few stretching exercises and warming up the muscles: this will make the ligaments more elastic and protect you from stretching.

If you are doing strength training with an emphasis on the upper limbs, use special wrist protectors. Do not try to immediately take a large weight load after a long break: load the muscular system should be gradual, gradually moving from small weight to more.

Revise your diet: in the menu must be present vitamin D and calcium. You can also use special drugs that strengthen the ligament apparatus. These drugs include collagen drugs, chondroitin and glucosamine.

Forecast of sprain of the ligament

After the treatment course is completed after stretching the ligaments of the arm, for some time you will have to limit yourself in sports and lifting weights using the upper limbs. The rehabilitation course can last up to several months, this period is of an individual nature, depending on the severity of the trauma and the age category of the patient.

If you follow all the recommendations of your doctor and adhere to the ligament repair scheme, the prognosis is usually favorable.

Unfortunately, many people tend to attribute stretching of the ligaments of the hand to frivolous injuries that do not require the doctor's intervention. But here it is important to remember that without certain knowledge it is easy to make a mistake with a diagnosis, and then it will not be possible to avoid negative consequences. Still, it is better to get specialist help, at least to exclude the dangerous moments of trauma, and also to choose the most appropriate treatment in this case.

[12], [13], [14], [15], [16]