Why hands hurt and what to do about it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The main advice is - do not tolerate it.

Very often, hand pain occurs due to trauma. Perhaps you were in a hurry, running out of the house, and accidentally hit your hand on the doorway. Or they mistook a pass while playing volleyball on the beach. Or maybe they landed unsuccessfully on the palm or fist when falling.

Minor injuries are usually harmless, but for something more serious, you can tell by its characteristic symptoms.

When to see a doctor immediately

Here are the signs of a Broken hand. Symptoms and Causes / Mayo Clinic, in which you urgently need to go to the nearest emergency room or emergency room:

• Strong pain. It becomes almost unbearable if you try to clench your fingers or twist your hand.
• Restricted mobility. It is hard for you or you cannot move all your fingers at all or just your thumb.
• Increased sensitivity of the hand. It hurts even to touch her.
• Severe edema.
• Marked subcutaneous hematoma.
• Numbness in the entire hand or only in the fingers.
• Skin discoloration Pain in the palm of the hand / NHS: the hand is blue or white.
• Obvious deformation of any of the bones of the hand. For example, an unnaturally curved finger.

Any of these symptoms, if it occurs after an injury, indicates a possible dislocation or fracture. You cannot do without the help of a trauma surgeon.

But if there was definitely no mechanical damage, but there is pain in the hand, it makes sense to analyze other possible factors.

Why do my hands hurt?

The British National Health Service identifies Pain in the palm of the hand / NHS as five main causes of pain in the hand. And he suggests on what grounds one can suspect each one.

1. Tunnel syndrome

He is also - carpal tunnel syndrome Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / OrthoInfo. These terms denote a situation where the median nerve, which is responsible for the movement and sensitivity of the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers, is pinched between the bones and tendons of the carpal muscles.

Dozens of different reasons lead to pinching. Risk factors may include working too hard with a brush (for example, if you drilled something or performed the same hand movements for half a day), pregnancy, diabetes and other diseases, some of which, at first glance, are not related to muscles. or bones.

How to recognize

• Aching pain worse at night.
• Feeling of weakness in the thumb.
• Problems with grabbing and holding heavy objects: a cup, a book.
• Numbness or tingling sensation in the hand.

2. Arthritis

Arthritis / NHS arthritis, which is inflammation of the joints, is one of the factors that can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. But in itself, this condition leads to acute pain in the joints, including the joints of the hand.

There are dozens of types of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, secondary arthritis, and gout. Any of them can hit on the hands - almost literally.

How to recognize

• Pain, swelling, stiffness of movements, which continue for days.
• Inability to move your fingers or serious difficulty with this.
• Lumps (bumps) around the affected joints.

3. Click finger syndrome

The syndrome is also known under other names: stenosing ligamentitis, tendonitis, tendosynovitis or tendovaginitis Finger flexor tendonitis and tenosynovitis (snap finger syndrome) / MSD Handbook of Finger Flexors. This condition is caused by inflammation of the tendons in the hand.

How to recognize

• Pain or tenderness in the hand at the base of the fingers.
• Stiffness, problems with movement of the phalanges.
• Clicks when trying to straighten the injured finger.

4. Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral Neuropathy Peripheral Neuropathy / NHS occurs when nerve endings in the legs or arms are damaged, including the hand. Diabetes is a common cause of this: peripheral nerves are impaired by regular increases in blood sugar (hyperglycemia). But other factors can play a role in the development of pathology. For example, certain viral infections, side effects from various medications, or alcohol abuse.

How to recognize

• Sharp or burning pain in the hand.
• Tingling or numbness in the palm or fingers.
• Increased sensitivity to touch or heat.

5. Erythromelalgia

This is the name of the rare Erythromelalgia / NHS syndrome, in which small arteries dilate regularly and strongly - most often in the upper extremities. The unpleasant sensations can last from a few minutes to several days.

How to recognize

• Sudden severe itching in the palms, in which the discomfort increases to the point of pain.
• Swelling in the hands.
• Redness of the skin and a feeling of heat in the palms.

What to do if your hands hurt

Try home pain in the palm of the hand / NHS methods first. This often works.

• Give your hand some rest. Try not to overload the brush for at least a day or two.
• Use a cold compress. Wrap a bag of ice or frozen vegetables in a thin napkin and hold it on your hand for 20 minutes. Repeat this procedure every 2-3 hours if necessary.
• Try an over-the-counter pain reliever. For example, based on paracetamol.
• If the brush is swollen, try to remove tight jewelry from it. Or change your clothes: too narrow cuffs on a shirt or dress, a tight sleeve of a T-shirt can pull your arm.
• Try wrapping an elastic bandage around your brush.

But watch your well-being carefully and do not tolerate discomfort for too long.

If painful sensations in the hand bother you for more than two weeks, see a therapist.

Don't wait two weeks and see your doctor right away if:

• the pain comes back and gets worse, although you have tried all the available home methods;
• because of the sensations in the hand, you cannot work or do your usual activities;
• each attack of pain is accompanied by tingling or numbness of the hand;
• you have been diagnosed with diabetes.

How to treat hand pain

The therapist will examine you, ask you about your symptoms, and try to establish the cause of the pain. For this, additional studies may be needed: blood and synovial fluid tests of the joints, x-rays or ultrasound of the bones of the hand.

Treatment will depend on the diagnosis.

For example, if your joints are inflamed, you may be prescribed Top 5 Ways to Reduce Crippling Hand Pain / Harvard Health Publishing corticosteroid injections - they can help relieve pain for up to a year. With erythromelalgia, local anesthetics in the form of creams or ointments help well. But there are other drugs: they are selected in each specific case by the doctor.

In addition to medications, your doctor may suggest physical therapy exercises. They can sometimes improve the condition of tendons and joints.