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Reasons Why You Should See an Expert for Your Hand Injury

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Have you ever broken your hand and wondered where to go in such a situation? You might not have known hand surgeons exist. Your hands are critical, as they help accomplish many activities, and any time you are injured, you would want help as soon as possible. Kristopher Downing, MD, a La Jolla hand injuries expert, has what it takes to help your hands regain function after an injury.

Types of hand injuries

Hands are complex body parts with many bones in them to help you hold objects firmly. The hands consist of bones such as the phalangeal, and eight bones that make up the carpal that gives them their unique shapes and functions. In addition, the hands have a series of joints, tendons, and muscles, which help you make flexible movements possible for holding uniquely shaped objects. That is why you would want a way to get back to normal functioning much faster anytime you have a hand injury. Some common injuries that affect the hands include:

  • Jersey’s finger
  • Arthritis
  • Baseball finger
  • Fractures
  • Trigger finger
  • Thumb sprains
  • Tendonitis
  • Boutonniere deformity

Many hand injuries stem from common accidents, which might occur when you play baseball or wrongly protecting yourself from a fall using your hands. Stress is also why some people have hand injuries, as repeated movements irritate the muscle joints and inflame them.

How does a doctor diagnose hand injuries?

Diagnosis of hand injuries begins with thorough examinations, which involve extensive scans of the injured area. Upper Extremity Specialists have a unique way of accomplishing the diagnostic session. The doctors there include a talking session where they discuss the injury with you and provide ways to find relief much faster. Other procedures vital in the diagnostic session include feeling your bones. They investigate whether you have any swelling at any point in the hand and check for abnormalities that show signs for the best treatment plans.

Extensive x-rays or MRIs can also come in handy when the physical examinations do not give the desired results. Once the cause of your injury is established, your Upper Extremity Specialists will work with you to create the best yet most comfortable treatment plan available.

What techniques can help treat hand injuries?

Upper Extremity Specialists do not just give you a general treatment to deal with your problem; the center custom creates one that fits your profile. The first line of treatment involves the non-invasive ones, followed by the advanced ones for more profound injuries. The treatments you will likely find incudes:

  • Compression
  • Physical therapies
  • Bracing
  • Anti-inflammatory drugs delivered through needles

Surgery is an option for those with deeper cuts or extensive issues in their joints. However, for such procedures, Upper Extremity Specialists have the tools and skills to accomplish these surgeries.

Hand issues can make you less productive if they are ignored. That is why you need a partner like Upper Extremity Specialists, who have experience dealing with hand complications. Reach the center via phone call, or book your spot online to begin your journey to faster healing.

Michelle has been a part of the journey ever since Bigtime Daily started. As a strong learner and passionate writer, she contributes her editing skills for the news agency. She also jots down intellectual pieces from categories such as science and health.

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Health

The Scientist as Storyteller: How Steven Quay Makes Complex Medicine Relatable

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Scientific discovery often struggles to reach the people it is meant to serve. The distance between research and public understanding can be vast. For most scientists, publishing in peer-reviewed journals is the endpoint. For Dr. Steven Quay, it is only the beginning. His career has been defined not just by what he has discovered, but by how he communicates it. 

Scientific trust today faces growing skepticism and misinformation spreads faster than facts, Quay has embraced a rare role. He is both a scientist and a storyteller. His ability to bridge the technical and the human is what makes his voice resonate across disciplines, institutions, and communities.

Writing as a Lens into the Human Side of Science

One of the clearest examples of Quay’s narrative instinct lies in his writing. He has authored three major books, each rooted in a different part of his life and expertise. Together, they show how a medical researcher can also be an accessible public thinker.

In Stay Safe: A Physician’s Guide to Survive Coronavirus, published June 5, 2020, during the first days of the pandemic, Quay offered plainspoken, evidence-based guidance on protecting oneself and one’s family. It was not framed as a political statement or a policy directive. It was personal and grounded in the daily realities people faced. He wrote it not just as a scientist, but as someone who wanted to help others navigate a frightening time with clarity and calm.

His second book, The Origin of the Virus, tackled a more complex and controversial subject: the question of how SARS-CoV-2 emerged. Rather than speculate, Quay walked readers through the scientific evidence with the kind of transparency that is often lacking in public discourse. The tone was methodical, never alarmist. What set the book apart was its balance, engaging to a lay reader, yet rigorous enough to be taken seriously by professionals.

Then there is A Ride Through Northville, a deeply personal departure from the world of virology and oncology. Here, Quay revisits his childhood in Michigan, capturing the streets, friendships, and quiet moments that shaped him long before he entered a lab. The structure of the book mimics the experience of riding a bike through town, evoking memory not as a chronology, but as a sensory journey. For a scientist whose career has involved high-stakes research and global debates, this book offers a rare window into the reflective, grounded person behind the work.

Speaking Clearly Without Speaking Down

Quay’s communication skill is not limited to the written word. He has also become a frequent guest on health-focused podcasts and a speaker at public science forums. His TEDx talk on breast cancer prevention is one of the most viewed videos on the subject, and for good reason. He does not rely on drama or abstract theory. Instead, he explains mammographic density, hormonal risk, and clinical trial design in a way that makes the science both comprehensible and actionable.

In interviews, Quay has a habit of slowing things down. He avoids jargon unless he defines it. He is comfortable saying, “We don’t know yet,” which, in the realm of public science, is a kind of honesty that builds trust. He often discusses Atossa Therapeutics’ trials in plain terms, describing how experimental drugs like (Z)-endoxifen might help certain patients respond better to treatment. He emphasizes that these are ongoing studies, not marketing pitches, which sets him apart from many biotech executives.

Educating the Public Without Oversimplifying

One of the challenges of public-facing science is resisting the urge to oversimplify. Many well-intentioned scientists flatten complexity to fit the constraints of social media or mainstream news. Quay does not follow that path. He explains mechanisms and hypotheses with nuance, trusting that readers and listeners are capable of understanding more than they are often given credit for.

His social media presence reflects the same philosophy. He shares articles and research updates, but rarely with alarm or bravado. When he comments on current medical debates, he tends to lead with evidence rather than opinion. That steady tone has earned him a following that spans across ideological and professional divides.

During the pandemic, this approach stood out. While others chased headlines, Quay focused on distilling evolving guidance into practical advice. He acknowledged the limits of current knowledge, updated his views as new data emerged, and emphasized science as an iterative process. His voice became one that many people turned to not for certainty, but for clarity.

A Scientist’s Responsibility Beyond the Lab

Quay has often said that science does not exist in isolation. It is part of society. That belief informs why he writes, speaks, and engages in public discourse as actively as he does. He sees the scientist’s role not just as a producer of knowledge, but as a custodian of its meaning.

He has testified before the U.S. Congress and advised the State Department, not as a politician but as a physician-scientist committed to accuracy. In each case, his contribution has been grounded in data but shaped by a recognition of the human implications of policy and research.

This is especially evident in his work on breast cancer. By advocating for better screening tools and more personalized treatments, Quay speaks not only to clinicians and investors but to women facing real fears about their health. He explains the science behind mammographic density and hormonal modulation not just with charts, but with stories about what those risks mean in someone’s life.

Storytelling as a Form of Service

What makes Quay’s communication style compelling is that it never feels performative. He is not branding himself or building a media empire. He is doing what he believes scientists should do: make their work useful.

In every form of his storytelling, from the deeply personal to the technically specific, there is a throughline of responsibility. He understands that science touches people’s lives in ways that go far beyond the lab. For him, that means speaking clearly, writing honestly, and never underestimating the audience.

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