Sometimes mood disorders like depression can be partially caused by serious hand or arm injuries, especially if a patient has to adjust to a new disability, chronic pain, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from a traumatic event. However, it is less likely for a hand injury to cause depression than for depression to cause a more painful and limiting experience for a patient after an injury. After a hand injury, patients with depression are much more likely to suffer PTSD than patients without depression who experience a hand injury. Depression and PTSD after a hand injury often worsen a patient’s general health status.

Boxer’s fractures are very common hand injuries. The typical cause is striking a hard surface with a clenched fist – such as punching a wall. These injuries can also occur in contact sports, automobile collisions, altercations, or falling to the ground on an outstretched hand.

Hand infections can cause serious problems and symptoms, both before and after the infection is resolved. They can result in stiff hands, weak hands, and loss of tissues such as skin, nerve and bone.  It is important to visit a hand surgeon immediately and get early treatment if you have signs of one of these hand infections.