The hands are in use all day long, and even a small hand problem can reduce quality of life more than people expect. The most common issues we address are carpal tunnel syndrome, causing numbness and tingling in the fingers; trigger finger, where a finger locks in a bent position; Dupuytren's disease, where cords in the palm pull the fingers into a bent position; osteoarthritis in the base of the thumb and other hand joints; ganglions (tendon cysts); tendon injuries; and fractures.

Most procedures are performed under local anaesthesia as day surgeries – for example, carpal tunnel release takes 15–20 minutes, and you go home on the same day. Trigger finger is often treated with a steroid injection or a minor surgery, and Dupuytren's with surgery or needle aponeurotomy.

The first step is a consultation and examination with a hand surgeon, sometimes accompanied by a nerve conduction test or an X-ray, to determine whether surgery, an injection, a splint, or hand therapy is the most suitable option.