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CHECK UP
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MISSED A PROGRAMME?
Go to the Listen Again page |
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PROGRAMME INFO |
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Check Up is your chance to talk to doctors about the health issues that most concern you and your family. Each week Barbara Myers is joined by a medical expert to take your calls and emails on a particular topic and give you the most up to date advice. No appointment necessary.
Call 0870 010 0444
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Contact Check Up |
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LISTEN AGAIN Ìý30 min |
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PRESENTER |
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"There is no substitute for one-to-one advice from aÌýtop medical expert and that's what we offer our callers and emailers. But for each person who calls to ask for help, someone else phones in to pass on a tip or a suggestion -Ìýit's a great programme to present."
Barbara Myers |
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PROGRAMME DETAILS |
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| © P. Winberg |
 Full programme transcript >>
Hand Problems
Whether it is threading a needle or opening a can of beans, it is easy to take our hands from granted. But it’s their complex anatomy which makes this dexterity possible.
Flexible movement coupled with sensitive fingertips enable us to manipulate all sorts of objects. And through gesture and touch, they convey how we feel.
That is why hand disease and injury can be so disabling. In this week’s programme Barbara Myers and hand surgeon Mr Rupert Eckersley, from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, will take your questions.
Many disorders and injuries of the hand can be treated with hand therapies like splinting, wound care, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. And these therapies remain crucial when surgery is necessary.
Dupuytren’s Contracture
Painful lumps on the palm of the hand can be an indicator of Dupuytren’s contracture. The tissue in the palm thickens and shortens, causing curling of the ring finger or little fingers. Diabetes and alcohol, among others, can increase your risk. Surgery under local anaesthetic can help if the lump starts to restrict finger movement, but how successful is this operation?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Beneath the base of the palm is the carpal tunnel through which the median nerve passes up to the forearm. Compression of the median nerve causing numbness, pins and needles, and muscular weakness in the hand characterises the syndrome. It’s triggered by high levels of fluid in the body related to hormonal changes, so it’s common in middle aged and pregnant women.
A wrist splint used at nightÌýcan ease the symptoms, and steroid injections can help. But an operation to decompress the nerve is needed if the symptoms are severe.
Trigger Finger
Repetitive actions like gardening or playing a musical instrument make the onset of trigger finger all the more likely. Any digit in the hand can get stuck in a bent or flexed position. It’s caused by a knot in a tendon that joins the finger bone to the muscle of the forearm. Steroid injections, anti-inflammatory drugs and surgery are the main treatments. But if the symptoms are mild, will resting the hand help?
Osteoarthritis
As we age, the hands can become stiff and painful from normal wear and tear of the joints. Splints and painkillers can help but surgery is required if the pain and stiffness gets crippling. But what is the best approach – fusing the worn out joint or reconstructing it?
Please contact the programme with your questions or comments on 08700-100-444 on the day of broadcast or e-mail using the Contact Check Up link above.
Next week: Check up visits MEND, a family-based programme designed to help overweight and obese children lose weight.Ìý (Please note, it is not possible to send in questions for this programme.) |
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RELATED LINKS
Ìý
Radio 4 Case Notes: Hands
´óÏó´«Ã½ Health: ArthritisÌý
´óÏó´«Ã½ Health: Trigger Finger
The ´óÏó´«Ã½ is not responsible for the content of external websites
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