Table of contents:
- Hand drawing and its functions
- 1. Bones and joints
- 2. Muscle
- 3. Nerves
- 4. Blood vessels
- 5. Ligaments and tendons
- Interference with hands
- 1. Abnormalities in the structure of the bones and fingers
- 2. Hand and finger infection
- 3. Hand nerve disorders
- Treatment options for sore hands
- Simple tips for protecting hands
One of the unique anatomy of the human body is the hand. Hands have a very vital function to support your daily activities, from carrying things, holding objects, grasping, and so on. For a brief explanation of hand drawing and the function of each part, see the reviews below.
Hand drawing and its functions
The structure of the human hand can be divided into several categories which include:
1. Bones and joints
hand bone image
There are 27 bones on your wrist and palm. Judging from the picture of the hand above, on the wrist itself there are eight small bones called the carpal (carpals). The carpal is supported by the two bones of the forearm, the collect bone (radius), and the cubit bone (ulna) forms the wrist joint.
Metacarpal is the long bone in the hand that connects to the carpal and phalanges (finger bones). Top metacarpal forming the knuckles that join the wrist. On the side of the palm, metacarpal covered with connective tissue. There are five metacarpal which makes up the palm. You can feel and see it when you make a fist.
Every metacarpal connected to the bone phalanges , namely the finger bones. There are two finger bones on each thumb and three finger bones on each of the other fingers (index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger). We can see it through the fingers.
The hinge joint that forms between the finger and bone bones metacarpal makes it more flexible for you to move your fingers and grasp things. These joints are called joints metacarpophalangeal (MCP joint).
2. Muscle
hand muscle image
The muscles that work on the hands can be divided into two groups, namely:
- Extrinsic muscles. This muscle is located in the front and back compartments of the forearm. This muscle function is used to help straighten or flex the wrist.
- Intrinsic muscle. The intrinsic muscles are located in the palms of the hands. This muscle functions to provide strength when your fingers perform fine motor movements. Fine motor skills are abilities related to physical skills that involve small muscles and the coordination of the eyes and hands, such as grasping, pinching, clenching, gripping, and other movements performed by the hand.
3. Nerves
hand nerve image
The nerves that run along the arms and fingers begin to unite at the shoulder. All these nerves travel to the side of the hand alongside the blood vessels. The nerves carry signals from the brain to the muscles to move the muscles in the arms, hands, fingers and thumbs. The nerves also carry signals back to the brain so you can feel sensations such as touch, pain, and temperature.
In general, here are the pictures of the hand and the nerves and their functions:
radial nerve of the hand
The radial nerve runs along the edge of the thumb to the side of the forearm and wraps around the end of the radius bone and the back of the hand. This nerve functions to provide sensation to the back of the hand from the thumb to the third finger.
median ulnar nerve
The median nerve passes through a structure on the wrist called a tunnel carpal tunnel (carpal tunnel). This nerve functions to move the thumb, index finger, middle finger and half ring finger.
This nerve also sends nerve branches to control the tenar muscles of the thumb. The tenar muscles help move the thumbs and touch the pads of the thumbs to the tips of each finger on the same hand. This movement is called thumb opposition , aka the opposition of the thumbs.
While the ulnar nerve is a nerve that runs along the inner back of the elbow, penetrating the narrow gap between the forearm muscles. This nerve functions to move the little finger and half of the ring finger. These nerve branches also supply the small muscles in the palm and the muscles that pull the thumb to the palm.
4. Blood vessels
hand vein image
There are two blood vessels in your arm and hand, namely the radial artery and the ulnar artery. The largest blood vessel along your arm and hand is the radial artery. These arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the collecting bones (radius) up to the thumb.
The radial artery you can find and feel right on your wrist. While the ulnar vessels are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the ulna, to the middle, ring and little fingers.
As you can see from the hand image above, these two veins curl together in the palm, to supply blood to the front of the hand, fingers and thumb. Another artery runs across the back of the wrist to supply blood to the back of the hand, fingers and thumb.
5. Ligaments and tendons
hand ligament tendon image
Ligaments are hard tissues that connect one bone to another and stabilize the joints in your hands. Two important structures, called collateral ligaments, are found on either side of each finger and the joint of your thumb. The function of the collateral ligaments is to prevent abnormal sideways bending of each finger joint.
While tendons or better known as tendons are a group of connective tissues that are strong fibrous and stick to muscles. Tendons have a function to connect muscle tissue to bone. The tendon that allows each finger and thumb to be extended is called the extensor tendon. While the tendons that allow each finger to bend are called flexors.
Interference with hands
The hand structure as seen from the hand drawing above shows how complex and complex this limb is. Minor problems with the hands may interfere with the overall function of the hand.
Yes! Even though they have their respective functions and duties, each part of the hand is related to one another. Therefore, if one or more parts of your hand experience interference, it will have a direct impact on your ability to carry out daily activities.
Here are some common conditions that can affect the hand, whether it's the joints, bones, or even the surrounding soft tissue.
1. Abnormalities in the structure of the bones and fingers
Source: Ticinohealth.ch
Dupuytren's contracture is an example of a common hand and finger deformity. This condition is characterized by the appearance of hard lumps growing on the ligaments between the palms and fingers. When pressed, the lumps are sometimes painful. The ring and little fingers are the two most commonly affected fingers. This condition can occur on one side of the hand or even both hands simultaneously.
To date, the cause of Dupuytren's contracture is unknown. However, in most cases, this condition is caused due to a family history, hand injury, or certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, epilepsy, and HIV infection. Compared to women, middle-aged or elderly men are more likely to experience Dupuytren's contracture.
Although not a contagious and life threatening disease, it can cause disability. Yes, if left without proper treatment, Dupuytren's contracture can cause crooked fingers. Crooked fingers make it difficult or even impossible for sufferers to move their own hands. Therefore, if this condition must be treated immediately so as not to cause disability in the future.
Hand deformities can be treated with orthopedic splints, physiotherapy, or other physical therapy. However, in severe cases, surgery may be required to repair the affected hand structure.
2. Hand and finger infection
Depending on the cause, infection in the hands and fingers can be caused by many things. Here are some of the most common.
Paronychia
One of the infections that can affect your fingers and toes is paronychia or ferns. This condition can be caused due to a fungal, bacterial, or parasitic infection that accumulates under the skin and causes inflammation.
Sometimes, paronychia can also occur because you bite your nails often, for short, use artificial nails, or use damp gloves for too long.
Nails that have an infection will appear swollen, inflamed, and painful. The skin around the nails can also be moist and slimy. If not handled properly, this condition can cause the nails to harden and be damaged. Even worse, this condition can cause your nails to fall out.
Therefore, you need to deal with this condition immediately before the symptoms get worse.
Tendon sheath infection
As explained above, tendons are the tissues that attach to muscles. Every activity you do all involves movement of the tendons in the joints. Though tough, tendons can also be damaged from overuse, bacterial infection, or injury.
Tenosynovitis is one of the most common forms of tendon problems. This condition occurs when the tendon sheath (synovium) that runs along the inside of your hand and fingers becomes inflamed. A pocket of pus (abscess) can form in the sheath of the tendon, causing swelling and excruciating pain in the infected finger. The pain may make it difficult or even impossible to move your fingers at all.
Depending on the underlying cause, infection in the hands can be treated by taking antibiotics orally (mouth). The doctor may also give antibiotics through a vein (blood vessel). In severe cases, sometimes surgery can also be done to treat the infection in your hands and fingers.
3. Hand nerve disorders
From the various pictures of the hand above, it can be seen that your hand is composed of many nerves. The number of nerves that run along the arm to the hand makes the area prone to problems. Carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome are some of the most common nerve disorders that can affect your hands.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes your wrists and fingers to experience numbness, tingling, or intense pain like needling. The thumb, middle finger, index finger, and palm area are the most painful areas.
This condition is caused due to narrowing of the carpal tunnel due to swollen wrists. Well, the pain itself is caused by the narrowing of the vessel's tunnel pressing on the median nerve, which is the nerve that controls the sense of taste and movement of your wrists and hands.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is often experienced by people who make repetitive movements of their hands for a long time, such as typists, cashiers, butchers, cleaners, professional gamers, and other workers.
Cubital tunnel syndrome
Cubital tunnel syndrome is a condition when the nerve inside the elbow, called the ulnar nerve, hurts when pressed. This condition is caused by excessive pressure on the nerves in the elbow, arm, or wrist due to intense physical activity.
Cubital tunnel syndrome can also result from repeated impacts to the elbow. This condition may be experienced by everyone, but people who are obese are more at risk.
Both carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome can be treated with simple lifestyle medications. For example, to relieve symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, you can use wrist support pads while typing. Meanwhile, to treat cubital tunnel syndrome, you can use elbow pads and supports at night.
In addition, avoiding folding your elbows for a long time (for example when you are on the phone) is also effective in relieving symptoms of cubital tunnel syndrome.
Treatment options for sore hands
Basically, the treatment options for dealing with various hand disorders that have been mentioned above depend on the cause. If it is caused by abnormalities in the bone structure or injury, then treatment such as dressing, physiotherapy, or other physical therapy is an option.
If the pain you are experiencing is severe, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers that are sold in pharmacies or drug stores. However, before using pain relievers, make sure that you read the dress code carefully to avoid side effects of the medication.
Surgical procedures are usually performed if these various treatments do not produce positive results. With surgery, you usually recover faster. Even so, you may be required to rest for at least 6 weeks to speed healing and avoid new symptoms.
Simple tips for protecting hands
After knowing the structure of the hand drawing, how it works, and the various disturbances that may occur, it is important for you to protect and protect this important organ. Some simple steps you can take to protect your hands include:
- Avoiding overly strenuous and repetitive hand activities
- Maintain cleanliness of the area of the hands and between the fingers, so that the risk of infection can be prevented
- Always use caution when acting to prevent injury or trauma to the hands and fingers.