No matter how old you are or what you do for a living, you are always using your hands. When there is something wrong with them, you may not be able to do your regular activities.

Hand problems include

• Carpal tunnel syndrome - compression of a nerve as it goes through the wrist, often making your fingers feel numb
• Injuries that result in fractures, ruptured ligaments and dislocations
• Osteoarthritis - wear-and-tear arthritis, which can also cause deformity
• Tendinitis - irritation of the tendons
• Dupuytren's contracture - a hereditary thickening of the tough tissue that lies just below the skin of your palm
• Trigger finger - an irritation of the sheath that surrounds the flexor tendons, sometimes causing the tendon to catch and release like a trigger