PainCare Florida Physicians

Hand Pain

PAIN CONDITION

Hand Pain: Causes, Treatment & Pain Relief

Hand pain can affect your fingers, thumb, palm, or wrist. Each hand contains numerous bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles responsible for a lot of movement and dexterity, but can be affected by injury or health conditions. Whether it’s a dull ache, sharp pain, or persistent stiffness, chronic hand pain can make even simple tasks like holding a cup or typing difficult. While some hand and wrist issues may heal with rest and home care, a pain management doctor must evaluate severe or persistent pain.

About Hand Pain

Hand pain can be acute (sudden and short-term) or chronic (long-lasting), affecting your fingers, thumbs, palm, or middle hand due to injury or various medical conditions. The human hand is a complex structure with 27 bones and joints, supported by 34 muscles, over 100 ligaments, and numerous tendons, nerve endings, and blood vessels.[1] Pain may extend into the wrist, forearm, or even the elbow, depending on the condition. Your hands, especially the fingers, are full of nerves that allow for sensations like pressure, temperature, touch and pain. Because the hand has a high concentration of nerve endings, even minor injuries or damage can feel intensely painful.

Symptoms can include stiffness, numbness, weakness, tingling, swelling, or finger locking (trigger finger). While acute injuries often heal on their own, chronic hand pain may require ongoing treatment when conventional methods fail. Conditions such as fractures, tendinitis, and arthritis can significantly impact grip strength and flexibility and interfere with daily activities like writing, typing, or buttoning clothing.[1]

Hand Pain Symptoms

Your hand is a complex structure of bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, all working together to allow movement and dexterity. When pain disrupts this balance, even simple tasks can become difficult, impacting your daily life and leading to frustration. Recognizing the symptoms of hand pain is the first step toward finding relief.

  • Difficulty gripping objects (loss of strength or dexterity) [2]
  • Numbness or “pins and needles” [2]
  • Burning or tingling sensations [2]
  • Swollen fingers or swollen, stiff joints [2]
  • Deformed or bony nodules on joints [2]
  • Thumb base swelling and pain [2]
  • Wrist pain, especially when gripping, extending, or flexing [2]
  • Aching and weakness [2]
  • Locked or frozen fingers [2]
  • Morning pain and stiffness [3]
  • Pain after use [3]
  • Grinding, grating, or looseness in finger joints [3]
  • Reduced temperature sensations [3]
  • Pain and tenderness [3]
  • Pale, cold, or color changing in fingers [3]
  • Extreme sensitivity [3]
  • Sharp, jabbing, or throbbing pain [3]
  • Inability to straighten finger or stuck in a bent position [3]
  • Popping, snapping when using fingers [3]

Hand Pain Causes

Your hand has many moving parts, making it susceptible to overuse, injury, and disease. Pain may affect a single finger or knuckle, the entire hand or both hands, or radiate to the wrist and arm. But what are the most common causes of hand pain?

Here are several causes of moderate to debilitating hand pain:

  • Fractures [4]

  • Dislocation [4]

  • Soft tissue injury [4]

  • Gout [4]

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome [4]

  • Osteoarthritis [4]

  • Rheumatoid arthritis [4]

  • Lupus [4]

  • Ganglion cyst [4]

  • Trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) [4]

  • De Quervain’s disease [4]

  • Raynaud’s syndrome [4]

  • Overuse or repetitive movements [5]

  • Nerve damage or compression [5]

  • Diabetes or other underlying health conditions [5]

Hand Pain Management Treatments

The first line of treatment for hand pain is often home care, including the RICE method and OTC oral and topical pain relievers. For more severe pain, prescription medications for pain relief and inflammation reduction may be used.

Depending on the underlying cause of your hand pain, physical therapy can strengthen, stretch, and improve function. Bracing or splinting offers support and immobilization for sprains and fractures, allowing for healing and preventing further injury. You may temporarily avoid or modify certain activities to minimize stress on your affected hand or fingers.

You may also find relief from complementary therapies like acupuncture, massage, and ultrasound therapy. These are meant to be used alongside traditional medical care and may include lifestyle modifications like quitting smoking, eating healthy, and exercising.

Pain management may be the key to relieving discomfort and improving dexterity if you’ve tried conventional treatment but still experience pain in your hand, fingers, or thumb. These less invasive procedures offer an alternative to surgery. They can be combined with medication, physical therapy, and complementary therapies to ease hand and wrist discomfort, restore function, and make daily activities easier.

Interventional pain control procedures for hand pain may include:

  • Trigger point injections

  • Corticosteroid injections

  • Joint injections

  • Nerve blocks

  • Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections

  • Peripheral nerve blocks

  • Prolotherapy

  • Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy

  • Stem cell therapy

  • Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)

  • Stellate ganglion block

  • Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS)

  • Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)

  • Intrathecal pain pumps

When to Consult a Hand Pain Care Specialist

Hand and wrist pain that doesn’t improve with self-care or traditional treatment may mean you’re a candidate for pain management procedures. If your pain is debilitating and keeping you from daily tasks, it’s time to consult a board-certified pain management physician. A comprehensive approach won’t just address your pain—it will also target the underlying cause.

Hands down, pain management is the best solution for aching fingers, thumbs, and palms that interfere with sleep or daily activities. With the right combination of medications, interventional procedures, complementary therapies, and lifestyle changes, you can give stiff, painful fingers a thumbs down—and a pain-free life a big thumbs up!

Disclaimer: This resource provides general information about hand pain, associated medical conditions and injuries and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience severe hand trauma, sudden and intense swelling, signs of infection (redness, warmth, pus), or complete loss of movement. Always consult a doctor for proper evaluation and treatment.

Resources:

  1. Anatomy of the Hand & Wrist: Bones, Muscles & Ligaments. Cleveland Clinic [Internet]. Published 2023. Accessed March 25, 2025. Available from:https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/25060-anatomy-of-the-hand-and-wrist
  2. Hand Pain and Problems. Johns Hopkins Medicine [Internet]. Published 2019. Accessed March 25, 2025. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/hand-pain-and-problems
  3. Corinne O’Keefe Osborn. What’s Causing My Hand Pain? Healthline [Internet]. Published September 26, 2017. Accessed March 25, 2025. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/hand-pain
  4. Smith Y. Causes of Hand Pain. News-Medical [Internet]. Published January 4, 2017. Accessed March 25, 2025. Available from: https://www.news-medical.net/health/Causes-of-Hand-Pain.aspx
  5. Healthgrades Editorial Staff. Hand Pain. Healthgrades [Internet]. Published December 2, 2020. Accessed March 25, 2025. Available from: https://resources.healthgrades.com/right-care/bones-joints-and-muscles/hand-pain
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