Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to look inside a joint using a small cut with instruments the width of a pencil. Most people are aware of knee and shoulder arthroscopy, but the elbow joint has many conditions that can be treated with this procedure as well.

Reduced motion of the elbow and elbow pain in general can make it difficult to perform even simple tasks. With a stiff elbow, it may be difficult to bend or straighten your elbow, turn your palm up (to wash your face), or turn the palm down.

Elbow fractures may result from a fall, a direct impact to the elbow, or a twisting injury to the arm. Sprains, strains or dislocations may occur at the same time as a fracture.

Dupuytren’s contracture is a disorder of the palm of the hand and fingers. In the normal hand there is a fibrous tissue called fascia. Fascia covers the important nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and tendons. Fascia also stabilizes the skin. In Dupuytren’s disease, this fascia can become abnormal. It becomes thicker, forming cords.

Your biceps muscle is in the front of your arm. It bends your elbow and twists your forearm to turn your palm upward. The biceps tendon connects the biceps muscle to your radius bone, which is one of the forearm bones. People frequently develop biceps tendonitis (inflammation around the tendon) or tendonosis (problems with the health of the tendon).

The normal shoulder joint can be thought of as a golf ball balancing on a tee. If a large enough force in the right direction is applied to the arm, the ball will dislocate from the socket, resulting in a dislocated shoulder.

Patients with de Quervain’s Tenosynovitis have painful tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. Tendons are the rope-like structures that the muscle uses to pull the bone. You can see them on the back of your hand when you straighten your fingers.

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome is a condition that involves pressure or stretching of the ulnar nerve (also known as the “funny bone” nerve), which can cause numbness or tingling in the ring and small fingers, pain in the forearm, and/or weakness in the hand.

A cortisone shot can be used to treat some problems in the arm and hand. These can include trigger fingers, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, tennis elbow and rotator cuff tendonitis. These injections usually contain a numbing medicine.

Having cold hands at all times usually occurs due to decreased blood flow to the hands. Our bodies keep our hands warm primarily by regulating the blood flow that travels from the heart, down the arm, all the way to our fingertips. More blood to the hands means pink, warmer hands; less blood flow means colder and sometimes painful hands.