Hand Arthritis · Tarzana · Los Angeles

Hand Arthritis Treatment in Los Angeles

Move Without the Ache

Our board-certified orthopedic surgeons at Foundation Hand Surgery Institute focus exclusively on the hand and upper extremity, and hand arthritis is one of the conditions we manage most. We treat the specific joints causing your pain, starting with the least invasive option that will actually work.

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Least invasive

Where most plans start

Months to a year

Typical relief from an injection

Same day

Most procedures are outpatient

Don’t Let Hand Arthritis Steal Your Grip

Arthritis in the hand shows up in the small moments. A jar lid that will not budge, a thumb that aches after texting, knuckles that feel stiff and swollen every morning before the coffee is even made.

Left alone, worn joints keep wearing. Cartilage thins further, bone spurs form, the base of the thumb loses its stability, and grip strength quietly drains away until writing, cooking, gardening, and lifting a grandchild all start to feel negotiable.

The treatment

What Hand Arthritis Treatment Can Do for You

Arthritis care here is never a single prescription handed to every patient.

Thumb basal joint arthritis behaves differently than finger joint arthritis or wrist arthritis, and your treatment plan reflects which joints are involved and how far the wear has progressed.

Everyday tasks

Without bracing for the pain that follows.

Grip and pinch strength

For opening, lifting, twisting, and carrying.

Mornings with less stiffness and swelling

In the knuckles and thumb.

Good hand arthritis treatment gives you back:

Slower progression of joint damage

When we intervene early.

A realistic plan

That matches your activity level, not a generic protocol.

Most patients start with non-surgical care

Custom thumb bracing, activity changes, anti-inflammatory options, hand therapy, and targeted joint injections that can quiet a painful joint for months. Surgery enters the conversation when those measures stop carrying you, and we say so plainly when that point arrives.

Candidacy

Who Is a Good Candidate for Arthritis Care in Los Angeles?

Almost anyone with persistent hand or wrist pain deserves an evaluation, since the earlier we see the joint, the more options stay open. You are likely a good fit if any of this sounds familiar:

Aching at the base of your thumb when you pinch, grip, or open containers
Morning stiffness in the fingers that eases as the day goes on
Knobby or swollen knuckles that have changed the shape of your fingers
Wrist pain that flares with weight bearing, push-ups, or lifting
A previous fracture or injury in a joint that now hurts years later
Pain that has stopped responding to over-the-counter medication and rest

Age, arthritis type, and severity all shape the plan rather than disqualify you. We treat osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, and inflammatory arthritis affecting the hand, and we coordinate with your rheumatologist when one is already involved.

What to expect

Your Plan for Hands That Cooperate Again

Step 01

Listening First

We ask what you can no longer do comfortably, because that answer shapes the goal. Pain scores matter, and so does the piano, the pickleball paddle, or the tool you hold all day.

Step 02

Pinpointing the Joint

A focused exam plus X-rays tell us exactly which joints are worn and how much structure remains. Naming the joint precisely is what separates real relief from guesswork.

Step 03

Starting Conservative

Custom splinting, hand therapy, and joint injections resolve the pain for a large share of our patients. We give these approaches a genuine trial before anyone talks about an operating room.

Step 04

Surgical Options When You Need Them

When a joint is worn past what conservative care can manage, we discuss reconstruction, joint replacement, or fusion based on which joint is involved and what you need that hand to do.

Step 05

Rebuilding Strength

After excision, we manage your dressing, monitor the incision, and start gentle motion early to protect wrist mobility as you heal.

Your Questions Answered

FAQs About Hand Arthritis Treatment in LA

Arthritis itself cannot be reversed, though the pain and loss of function it causes are very treatable. Splinting, therapy, injections, and surgery all work by changing how the damaged joint carries load. Many patients go years with well-controlled symptoms and a hand that handles daily life comfortably.
Relief from a corticosteroid injection commonly lasts anywhere from a few months to a year, depending on the joint and how much cartilage remains. Some patients repeat them periodically with good results. We space injections responsibly, since repeated doses in one small joint carry their own tradeoffs.
Not at all. A well-fitted thumb spica brace, hand therapy, and a targeted injection settle symptoms for many patients with basal joint arthritis. Surgery becomes worth discussing when pain persists through those measures or the joint has collapsed enough to limit your pinch strength.
It depends on the procedure and joint involved. Splinting typically runs several weeks, followed by hand therapy to restore motion and strength, with full comfort building over a few months. Most procedures are outpatient, so you head home the same day and start recovery at home.
When pain lasts beyond several weeks, wakes you at night, weakens your grip, or changes how you use the hand. Early evaluation often means simpler treatment. Our Tarzana office serves patients throughout the San Fernando Valley and West LA and is currently accepting new patients.
Joint wear generally progresses over time, though the speed varies widely between people and joints. Protecting the joint with bracing, adjusting how you load your hand, and treating flares early all slow the trajectory and preserve function longer than waiting until the pain becomes constant.

What Our Customers Say

Stop Planning Your Day Around Your Hands

Painful joints tend to quiet a life. You stop cooking the meals you love, hand the jar to someone else, skip the round of golf, and tell yourself it is simply age. It does not have to go that way.

Dr. Rob Viswanath and Dr. Ryan Tantone are accepting new patients from the San Fernando Valley, West Valley, and West LA at our Tarzana office. Call 818-578-3152 or request an appointment online, and let us find out what your hands are still capable of.

Call 818-578-3152 Request an appointment

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