Sammy the Chihuahua was not happy. Mama was not picking up her fur baby like she used to. “He would sit in the crook of my arm just so and cross his paws. He is adorable. He is my “arm candy.”
As an occupational therapist at ORA Orthopedics, Christine Lindorfer, 47, has learned first-hand how painful wrists, palms, and fingers from years of providing hand therapy to her own patients was taking a toll on the tools of her trade, her own hands.
“It was becoming painful if I tried to twist a jar open. I had a hard time typing by the end of my workday. My hands felt weak and my wrists, especially at the base of my thumb, hurt all the time. Over the years, the pain just got worse and conservative treatments like stretching, hand braces, and a modified workstation were not alleviating my daily pain.”
With her children out of the nest, Christine is a self-described “dog mom.” In addition to Sammy, she also mothers her Boston terrier, “Rosie.”
“I couldn’t pick up Sammy with my right hand. I knew it was time to practice what I preach.” The two pups, along with the physically demanding work motivated Christine to seek the counsel of ORA Hand Surgeon, Dr. Tobias Mann.
From ORA Occupational Therapist to ORA Patient
“It just got to the point it was time to become a patient. I needed a carpal tunnel release, trigger finger release and wrist surgery for De Quervain tenosynovitis, a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of my wrist.”
Dr. Mann explains that all three of Christine’s conditions involve generalized inflammation that affects different locations in the hand. “The De Quervain pain is in the wrist and is a form of tendonitis. Her trigger finger is the same thing, only in the palm. Carpal tunnel is also at the wrist.
“Carpal tunnel and trigger finger are more related because the tendons that bend your fingers are in the palm and all of them run next to the nerve into the carpal tunnel at the base of the hand and wrist. When the tendons in the tunnel are inflamed, the nerve is compressed, numbness and tingling result.”
Christine needed hand surgery. In the span of less than a half hour and under local anesthesia, Dr. Mann made eight different tiny incisions for the three minimally invasive procedures. “Surgical techniques have greatly improved over the last 15-20 years. The incisions are less than an inch long and it only takes about five minutes for each procedure.”
Christine's Journey Gave Her a New Perspective on Patient Care
Dr. Mann, ORA Orthopedics
“It was really quick,” adds Christine. “The surgical team secured my arm. I chose local anesthesia, and the nurse kept me distracted while Dr. Mann worked.”
Dr. Mann says most patients regain fully normal hand function in six to eight weeks.
For Christine, she measured her progress in rehab with her ability to lift seven-pound Sammy. “At first, I couldn’t lift him at all. I was in a cast for a few weeks and my coworkers made my hand splint. I tried to lift Sammy a little bit more every day.”
Just as Dr. Mann predicted, by six weeks Christine had regained her mobility, and at eight weeks the Chihuahua was back in his mama’s arms. “I knew I was good when I could pick up Sammy.
“I can’t believe how my hands feel now. I put up with this pain for years.”
Christine says her journey has provided a new perspective on her own patient care practice.
“I can totally relate to my patients. I show them my tiny scars, and they see that they’ll be fine. It’s reassuring when patients see how the end result is worth it.”
Both Christine and Dr. Mann advise that if hand and wrist pain is affecting sleep, hobbies or daily activities, or if it’s hard to grab or pinch objects, it’s time to seek help. Dr. Mann especially emphasizes that prolonged numbness and tingling can lead to permanent nerve damage, so early intervention can protect and restore hand mobility.
Christine adds, “We take our hands for granted, and the surgery is so worth it. Just ask Sammy.”
