Many people have hand problems; however, the causes or symptoms may vary significantly. Hand problems generally originate in the bones or the joints, develop through overuse, or accompany other medical conditions. Rather than lumping all hand-related problem into one broad category, we’ll break it down and show you several of the more common problems, and why they may occur.

Osteoporosis is not something to start thinking about after a fracture or in your twilight years. It is necessary to take good care of your bones when you are young, trying to prevent osteoporosis rather than manage symptoms. Here are four more reasons to fight osteoporosis before it begins, which will affect your quality of life

As the ski hills and outdoor ice rinks begin to open, we know we’re going to see an influx of upper extremity injuries. It happens every year, without fail, so this year we’re trying to be proactive; this year we’re sharing some tips on how to avoid the upper extremity injuries that are so common with winter sports and activities.

Winter is coming, with its blowing winds, cold temperatures, and snowy, icy conditions, which can lead to unexpected trips to your Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeons. The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) reports falls on icy surfaces are a major cause of ankle and wrist sprains and fractures, exactly what you want to avoid in the winter! Learn some ways to avoid winter falls:

Fine motor skills are needed to successfully tie your shoes, eat with utensils, and pick up small objects. Though most people naturally develop their fine motor skills, some people we work with at the Idaho Hand Institute need to improve their skills because of an injury, surgery or progressive disease. Young children, stroke survivors and people affected by various disabilities can work to increase their fine motor skills. Here are some fun ways how:

When to ice and when to heat…one of life’s little mysteries!  Not anymore!  We are going to set the record straight here and now.

If you spend any time on the internet or watching TV, you know that exercise is big!  There is no shortage of people telling you how to exercise, when to exercise, what to do when you exercise…the list is endless.  Idaho Hand Institute is about to make exercise really simple and let you in on the number one exercise blunder!!

Are the efforts to improve you health worth the effort? Read these benefits to help motivate you.

We’ve all felt that panicky feeling when we try on a ring and can’t get it off!  Why is it that we immediately go into shock!  Sweat beads up on our forehead, our eyes become larger than a blue moon in August and we see our life flash before our eyes?  Okay…that may be a bit dramatic, well maybe not for me!…but, nevertheless, it’s not a fun experience to have a swollen finger and ring that won’t budge!

Have you ever thought just how incredible food is? Yes, in a way, it has SUPER POWERS!  It provides us with everything we need to sustain life.  If we choose wisely, we can feed our body everything it needs to support good health as well as healing from disease.   As it is with just about everything in life, moderation is best and not all foods were created equally.

I’ll bet you didn’t even know keyboarding was dangerous?  Well it is!!  Treacherous.  Okay, I may be exaggerating slightly but truly, there is a right way and a wrong way to work your keyboard.  It’s such a common activity these days since just about every job requires the use of a computer that it may not be something you have spent much time thinking about.

We use our fingers and hands every day. EVERY DAY!  But what do you really know about your fingers other than they work, and when they don’t, you’re really in a bind?

You are a faithful gym rat but recently, wrist pain keeps you from enjoying your full workout.  Your pushups and planks are not what they use to be.  Maybe you are just beginning and can’t imagine after the pain you felt, doing one more push up let alone attempting a plank!

Head up! Chin In!  Shoulders back! It doesn’t seem like it would be a big deal to just maintain a straight and healthy posture…but it is!  It’s so hard.   Years of bad posturing habits now seem to be all we know.

Anymore, stress is just part of daily life.  We come to expect it, count on it and even plan for it. Stress can happen just because it’s a Monday!

Earlier this week, we talked about how important stretching is when you are seated at a desk all day or when your job doesn’t require much physical exertion.

Well, you finally found that dream job!   Congratulations!  The only problem now is … you find yourself saddled to a desk all day long.  That can be harder to manage than any report your boss throws at you.  Sitting around all day in a state of basic inactivity is sucking the mobility out of your joints...

Life without the use of your upper extremities would be very difficult and depending on the issue, next to impossible to live life without the constant help from others.  However, the upper extremities are sometimes the most ignored parts of our body.

Our hands are one of the most important resources we have, yet our hands are the least taken care of and likely the most abused and forgotten…

In our last article, we talked about all the ways we can injure our upper extremities when participating in sports and training whether it’s football or gymnastics!  As upper extremity, orthopedic specialists, we have some ideas to help you keep those joints in tip top shape.

o, why do you avoid the doctor? Not all docs are created equally. We like to think the providers at Idaho Hand Institute are head and shoulders above the rest...