Symptoms and Treatment of Hand Pain - An Insight!

Hand pain is a problem that may stem from injury or disease which may affect any structure of the hand such as the bones, muscles, joints, tendons and blood vessels. It is one of the manifestations of joint inflammation and may be caused by repetitive motion injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome and can cause pain in the hand and wrist.

What are the symptoms of hand pain?
As mentioned earlier, hand pain may affect any part of the hand including wrist, middle knuckles of the fingers, fingertips and basilar joints connecting the thumb and wrist. If you have osteoarthritis, the cartilage in between the joints starts wearing down and leads to the collision of bones.

The symptoms of hand pain may include an ache which worsens when the affected hand is used. It may also lead to stiffness of the joints, difficulty in moving the fingers, swelling along with tenderness in the knuckles and wrist.

Heberden nodes may also be affected in some people suffering from hand pain. It is important to note here that a bone spur is a hardened area of the bone which attaches the bone to the joint. The spurs present in the hands are called Heberden nodes. It consists of hard, round and swollen areas which develop in the joint near the fingertips. This condition is permanent which makes the fingers appear misshapen. People who have arthritis of joints can also suffer from bony nodes known as Bouchard’s nodes.

Who are at a higher risk of having hand pain?
People with a family history of joint disorders are likely to have hand pain. It may also affect those who perform a job which demands an excessive use of hands such as manufacturing any product. The more one uses his or her hands, the more wear and tear take place on the joints and cartilage of the hands. Females are at a higher risk of developing hand pain stemming from arthritis.

How to treat hand pain?
There are many medicinal choices to treat hand arthritis. One may tackle hand arthritis with the help of pain relieving medicines, steroid injections and exercises. In case these treatments fail to offer some relief, surgery can be the most suitable way of treating this problem. Your doctor will be able to advise in this regard.

Some home treatments can help in reducing the pain as well as the disability of the hand. An easy and non-invasive method of treatment is to keep the hands as flexible as you can while improving the range of motion gradually. Your doctor may also recommend some muscle strengthening exercise that can support the structure of the hand. With regular practice, you will be able to perform your daily tasks with lesser discomfort.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!