Get a grip on common injuries.

Tiny paper cuts sting unmercifully. Arthritis-stricken fingers throb. Nerves damaged by carpal tunnel syndrome tingle as though on fire. It seems as if hand problems hurt more than injuries to other parts of the body.

This feeling isn't imaginary, explains Robert Buchanan, hand medicine and surgery specialist, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. "Our hands are often injured first, because we throw them up to protect other parts of the body, especially the face and head." Not only are they the body's front line of defense, but almost one-third of the brain's sensory input area is devoted exclusively to the hands. "That's why a paper cut stings so badly. The brain is wired' to pay more attention to it, neurologically speaking."

Hand injuries are fairly common, falling into two categories. Acute ones result from cuts, burns, crushed tissue, or any other type of external trauma. Repetitive injury is based on cumulative damage and usually is not visible. "We are seeing more and more repetitive motion injury cases, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. These are the ones that sneak up on you. The symptoms of nerve tingling, swelling, and pain often aren't paid attention to until the problem has become serious."

In comparison to the rest of the body, hands are resilient, but quite often the natural healing process results in impaired function. Physicians and therapists, therefore, have to work against many of the body's healing tendencies in order to...