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Hand Pain Information

Hand Pain Information

Located at the distal of each arm, the hands are the most essential limb for humans. We use our hands to grasp and pick up objects. The hand consists of a broad palm with five metacarpal bones called digits (four fingers and a thumb), attached to the forearm by a joint called the wrist. Specifically, the hand is made up of many small bones called carpals, metacarpals and phalanges. The back of the hand is called the opisthenar. Someone will experience a hand pain or finger pain when all or one of these parts are bruised or infected. This pain is described as any kind of discomfort in the tissues or joints of the hands or fingers, which may include throbbing, aching, increased warmth, tingling, soreness, or stiffness. Also experienced may be a pins and needles or burning and tingling sensation. This hand pain information article is about what causes this type of pain, the symptoms and also suggests treatments.

Causes of Hand Pain

As part of the hand pain information, the causes of hand pain vary in degree and intensity. Usually irritation and inflammation of the hand is due to mild or serious injuries, nerve compression and even the natural process of aging. The common causes of hand or finger pain is overuse of the hand or fingers resulting in the sufferer experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome. It is caused by pressure on the nerves in the wrist and gradually makes the hand tingle with numbness or loss of feeling in the hand. The pain proceeds to worsen if the sufferer does not stop the causative activity. Arthritis, or inflammation of a joint, is another type of hand or finger pain that happens when the cartilage in the hand joint damage or lost. To compensate the loss, a fluid in the joint lining will form to act as a cushion between the two bones. But, it also causes the joints to swell, which stretches the joint cover. As a result, the sufferer will feel the pain due to a restriction in movement of the hand or finger. Unless one seeks treatment, the pain will persist when the bones that formed the joint lose shape and leads to a limit to the range of motions.

Hand Pain Symptoms

This hand pain information lists several symptoms of hand pain including arm or wrist pain, bruising or other discoloration on the fingers, decreased in grip strength, difficulty in writing or keyboarding, discoloration or detachment of the fingernails, experiencing flu-like fever: fatigue, headache, and joint aches and pains, lumps or bumps along the finger, numbness, and stiffness. If the hand pain is caused by a serious infection, the symptoms are swelling, fever and chills along with redness and warmth around the infected area. Also, a life-threatening condition can occur as evidenced through symptoms like a change in skin color or sensation of the hand and fingers after cold exposure. A high fever may occur, where the sufferer is unable to move the hand or fingers, a red, warm and tender skin along with a red streak up the arm becomes visible. Additionally, hands or fingers show serious burns, nonstop bleeding or a deep laceration and the wrist, hand, or fingers deform. If the sufferer experiences any of these symptoms, or a combination, he or she needs to seek immediate medical attention.

Hand Pain Treatment

Many easy exercises can be used to relieve common hand or finger pain. A sufferer can cease the repetitive activity to ensure the wrist and fingers have proper rest. As this hand pain information article has mentioned the importance of exercise, a finger bending exercise helps to improve muscle strength and joint range of motion for those who suffer from arthritis. Hand exercise can be done daily. But, make sure to understand your limit to avoid pain due to the exercise. For serious hand or finger pain caused by injury or infection, it is recommended to contact your medical health provider. A doctor can provide a diagnosis by examining the hand and taking x-rays. Over-the-counter pain medication, such as Tylenol and Advil, can temporarily relieve hand and finger pain due to arthritis. Such pain medications are anti-inflammatory, which will stop the body from producing chemicals that cause the joint to swell. Hand and finger pain sufferers also use injections to relieve the pain, as well as splinting to support the affected joints. All this hand pain information is essential to help the sufferer to seek a solution to relieve their hand and finger pain.

Last Updated: September 06, 2016