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Finger, Hand, and Wrist Problems, Noninjury

Overview

Everyone has had a minor problem with a finger, hand, or wrist. Most of the time our body movements don't cause problems. But sometimes symptoms occur from everyday wear and tear or from overuse. Finger, hand, or wrist problems can also be caused by injuries or the natural process of aging.

Your fingers, hands, or wrists may burn, sting, or hurt. Or they may feel tired, sore, stiff, numb, tingly, Opens dialog, hot, or cold. Maybe you can't move them as well as usual, or they are swollen. Perhaps your hands have turned a different color, such as red, pale, or blue. A lump or bump might have appeared on your wrist, palm, or fingers. Home treatment is often all that's needed to relieve your symptoms.

Overuse problems

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome, Opens dialog. This is caused by pressure on a nerve (median nerve, Opens dialog) in the wrist. The symptoms include tingling, numbness, weakness, and pain of the fingers and hand.
  • Tendon pain, Opens dialog. This is actually a symptom of tendinosis, a series of very small tears (microtears) in the tissue in or around the tendon, Opens dialog. Besides pain and tenderness, common symptoms include decreased strength and movement in the affected area.
  • De Quervain's tenosynovitis, Opens dialog. This can occur in the hand and wrist when tendons and the tendon covering (sheath) on the thumb side of the wrist swell and cause pain.
  • Repetitive motion syndrome. This is a term used to describe symptoms such as pain, swelling, or tenderness that occur from repeating the same motion over and over.
  • Writer's cramps. These are caused by repeated hand or finger motion, such as writing or typing.
  • Trigger finger or trigger thumb, Opens dialog. This occurs when the flexor tendon and its sheath in a finger or thumb thicken or swell.

Bone, muscle, or joint problems

  • Dupuytren's disease, Opens dialog. It causes tissue to thicken beneath the skin in the palm of the hand or hands and sometimes in the soles of the feet. Over time, the thickened skin and tendons (palmar fascia) may limit movement or cause the fingers to bend so that they can't be straightened.
  • Ganglion cysts, Opens dialog. These are small sacs (cysts) filled with clear, jellylike fluid. They often appear as bumps on the hands and wrists. They also can form on feet, ankles, knees, or shoulders.

Problems from medical conditions

  • Tingling or pain in the fingers or hand (especially the left hand) may be signs of a heart attack, Opens dialog.
  • Diabetes, Opens dialog may change how the hands normally feel or sense touch. Decreased feeling in the hands is common because of decreased blood flow to the hands or damage to nerves of the hand, Opens dialog.
  • Pregnancy may cause redness, itching, swelling, numbness, or tingling that often goes away after delivery.
  • Osteoarthritis, Opens dialog is the progressive breakdown of the tissue that protects and cushions joints (cartilage). It may cause stiffness and pain with movement.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis, Opens dialog may cause stiffness and pain with movement. Over time, deformity of the fingers may occur.
  • Lupus, Opens dialog is a long-lasting autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks normal body tissues as though they were foreign substances. It may cause joint pain.
  • Gout, Opens dialog is an inflammatory joint disease that causes acute pain and swelling. It's a form of arthritis that occurs when uric acid crystals form in and around the joints. It often affects the big toe joint.
  • Raynaud's phenomenon, Opens dialog is a condition in which some areas of the body, usually the fingers or toes, have an extreme response to cold temperature or emotional stress. During an attack of Raynaud's, the blood vessels in the affected areas tighten, severely limiting the flow of blood to the skin. This causes numbness, tingling, swelling, pain, and pale color.
  • Infection, Opens dialog can cause pain, redness, and swelling that occur with red streaks, heat, fever, or the drainage of pus. An infection often causes tenderness to the touch or pain with movement at the site of the infection.

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Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review Board
All Ignite Healthwise, LLC education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

 

PeaceHealth endeavors to provide comprehensive health care information, however some topics in this database describe services and procedures not offered by our providers or within our facilities because they do not comply with, nor are they condoned by, the ethics policies of our organization.