“What can I do for claw hand?”
I burned myself on the hand and when I noticed that my hand's scar was causing my fingers to curve, my doctor diagnosed me with claw hand. He told me that I should wear a brace for now to treat it at home. Is there anything else I can do for claw hand?
7 Answers
Scars perpendicular to a finger crease or burns with contractures associated with scars may respond to splinting. There are times when prophylactic splinting and scar remodeling may not improve contractures but at least prevent worsening. Other times burn contractures are so severe that no amount of splinting can work. Speak to your doctor or a hand surgeon who treats hand scar and burn contractures about the potential for surgical scar release. https://www.assh.org/handcare/fahs
Depending on how long ago and how severe the burn, this may be what you need. If it has been several months and you are continuing to have problems or it is getting worse, then seeing a hand or plastic surgeon to remove the scar tissue may be necessary.
A claw hand usually refers to a hand with ulnar nerve injury so a thorough exam by a hand surgeon is recommended. If you are only experiencing scar contractures then the treatment is a bit different.
Your scar will continue to mature for a year after the initial injury. Splinting or brace wear can help. Also, consider scar massage with Mederma, Vitamin E oil, bag balm, or cocoa butter. If the scar does not soften over time and you still have a "claw hand," you may want to consider surgical procedure to revise your scar.
Need to see a board certified hand surgeon as soon as possible. May have nerve injury.
Yes! You should be in hand therapy. And someday if it doesn’t improve, you may need surgery.
If you are developing a contracture secondary to a burn, then you should be referred to a hand therapist to work to stretch the fingers and minimize the scar tissue. For significant contractors, surgery may be indicated.
