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Ganglion Cyst

Ganglion Cyst

Picture
What is a Ganglion Cyst?
  • A ganglion cyst is a fluid-filled sack of joint fluid that protrudes outside the joint space.
  • These are benign "bumps" that can spontaneously appear and spontaneously disappear.
  • Common locations for a cyst to form are on the front or the back of the wrist.  They can also occur at the base of a finger. 
  • Symptoms
    • A visible, contained swelling or bump
    • Often, cysts are pain-free.  However, at times they can be tender and can cause pain with joint movement, or when placing body-weight onto the hand or wrist.
    • In more severe cases, joint movement may become stiffer and painful.
Common Treatments may include:
  • Use of a wrist brace, splint or orthotic at night to immobilize the joint allowing the inflammation or pain to go down.
  • Implementing Ergonomic Improvements & Activity Modification
    • Avoid activities that cause pain.
  • Use of Heat and cold 
    • Use cold packs for acute pain or swelling.
    • Use heat packs to control more chronic pain or relax the muscles.
  • Wearing compression or Isotoner gloves at night may help control swelling and provide a comforting, neutral warmth.
  • Perform gentle exercise to keep the joints flexible.
  • Use of topical pain relieving creams if helpful and as needed.
  • Modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation and iontophoresis may be helpful to reduce pain and inflammation.
  • Therapeutic taping may be helpful to reduce pain and provide gentle support.
  • A short course of anti-inflammatory medications, such as NSAIDs, may be helpful as prescribed by an MD or over-the-counter (Advil, Aleve) if not contraindicated by other medical conditions.
  • A Cortisone injection may help to reduce inflammation and pain.
  • A physician may use a needle to try to remove (aspirate) excess fluid.
  • If conservative treatment methods do not alleviate the symptoms, surgical options may be considered.
Helpful Links for More Information
  • American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) - PDF Educational Handout
  • American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) -Website Information
  • American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS) - PDF FAQ
  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) - Website Information
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Photo used under Creative Commons from taymtaym
  • Home
  • TELEHEALTH
  • Hand Therapy
    • What does a CHT do?
    • Injuries a CHT Treats
  • Injuries
    • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
    • CMC Arthritis
    • Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
    • DeQuervain Tenosynovitis
    • Distal Radius Fracture
    • Dupuytren Contracture
    • Finger Fracture
    • Ganglion Cyst
    • OsteoArthritis
    • Tennis Elbow/Golfer's Elbow
    • Thumb Sprain
    • Trigger Finger
  • Treatments
    • Mobility - Range of Moition
    • Strengthening
    • Manual Therapy
    • Managing Swelling & Inflammation
    • Managing Pain
    • Managing Scar
    • Heat, Cold & Paraffin
    • Ultrasound
    • Electrical Stimulation
    • Iontophoresis
    • Education
    • Orthotic Fabrication, Splints & Braces
    • Therapeutic Taping
  • Exercises
    • Tendon Gliding Exercises
    • Finger Blocking Exercises
    • Finger Bending Stretches
    • Finger Straightening Exercises
    • Thumb Bending Exercises
    • Thumb Straightening Exercises
    • Wrist Exercises
    • Forearm & Elbow Exercises
    • Nerve Gliding Exercises
    • Computer Stretches
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Contact Us