Why Does My Hand Hurt? Causes of Hand Pain

Hand pain can surface from several sources, such as overuse of the hand, an injury sustained through an accident or athletic endeavour, or health conditions. The problem with hand pain is that it can result from a condition that you aren’t aware of, and the underlying causes have yet to surface.

Working from home may see a person with less than ideal conditions attempting to navigate their work requirements, and then the situation becomes worse.  If you don’t have a suitable workstation to perform the tasks that need to be completed, you could make your hand condition worse, and the pain you feel will be more intense. If you can’t upgrade your workstation with the latest in ergonomic aids, you can take steps to help mitigate the pain you feel through the use of medical devices.

If your physician has prescribed a solution to help eliminate hand pain, where do you go to purchase such an aid to assist you in your daily work-related chores? The easy answer is Care-Med. We have medical devices you need to help correct problems and reduce hand pain with our top-shelf medical devices that are the industry’s best.

Our staff is credential and certified to provide the equipment you need with their in-depth knowledge of the human body’s biomechanical movement. Their work is among the Greater Toronto Area’s best in class. At Care-Med, we would like to illuminate the causes of hand pain, and what can be done to reduce the suffering you feel at work, play or at rest.

Hand pain, origins

Your hand has many bones, joints, and tissues that connect to tendons, ligaments and nerves. The blood vessels in your hand can be injured or become inflamed, and a source of hand pain. The wrist plays a role in the hand as it works with the hand to perform many functions that we often take for granted when using the hand and wrist.

Here are some common causes of hand pain that occur daily.

• Heavy impact or some type of blow to your hand
• Using your hands to cushion a fall
• A jammed finger
• Having your fingers or wrist bent too far back causes trauma
• Repetitive activities like typing, lifting heavy objects or participating in athletic activities

Fractures and dislocation of fingers are common injuries, and with all the bones in the hand, a random fracture isn’t out of the realm of the possible. When you have a broken or dislocated finger or fingers, you will know immediately. Intense pain followed by swelling and the loss of use of the digit or digits for weeks at a time will tell you something is amiss with your fingers.

The impact of the severe blow to the hand can be felt in the wrist as the impact will travel through the hand to the wrist and up the arm should the blow be that extreme. If the broken finger or fingers needs a cast, it could be a six-week experience with a cast, but in many cases, a doctor can reset the bones back in place for the healing process to begin.

Common causes of hand pain

Soft tissue injuries cause hand pain.

When the muscles, tendons or ligaments in your hand sustain an injury, it is called a soft tissue injury. In many cases, hand pain isn’t as acute as a broken bone in your hand, but there is pain nevertheless.

Tendon injuries to the extensor tendon will cause mallet finger. The tendon is torn or overstretched, leaving a person with limited use of the finger. The signs of mallet finger are described as a fingernail that droops and won’t reset without help – bruising, swelling, and soreness are the symptoms to watch out for.

Overuse of the fingers, hands or wrists

Many occupations, vocations and professions require repetitive tasks to achieve work-related goals, which is a problem for the people who perform repetitive tasks. Tendons and muscles and nerves will bear the brunt of the pain you experience, and it will reduce the use of the hand when problems come to the forefront.

High-intensity activities performed over the years will create a perfect storm for hand pain, and when you have it, you need help. Injuries that occur from overuse or awkward positioning of the hands include typing for long periods or using a computer mouse, using tools to perform tasks, moving heavy items from one place to another, and participating in sports.

Ganglion cysts

Ganglion cysts are pockets of fluid that manifest themselves on the hand and sometimes render the hand useless when performing specific tasks. The cyst can be treated, but in many cases, an operation is the only solution to remove the cyst as it impairs the use of the hand and causes pain when the hand is used.

Trigger finger

When the tendon sheath at the base of the thumb becomes swollen, it is a condition known as stenosing tenosynovitis. The swelling that occurs causes pain and limits movement in the affected digit. A feeling of that your thumb is catching on something, or a popping sound is prevalent when you experience the condition.

Scleroderma

The condition relates to an overgrowth of connective tissue around organs or under the skin. When occurring in the fingers, it causes a thickening, and your fingers will tighten due to tissue overgrowth. A byproduct of the condition is that your blood vessels will become narrow, causing pain in your hand, and a tingling sensation will be a determinant of the condition.

Raynaud’s phenomenon

Raynaud’s is a narrowing of blood vessels in the hands or feet and is a common reaction to stress or cold temperatures. When the condition flares up, blood flow is reduced to the fingers, and the fingers will change colour become numb and painful.

Arthritis

Arthritis causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints, with the most common being osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is wearing down of the protective cartilage in the joints, and once the cartilage is gone, you have bone on bone rubbing that creates intense pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis is another form of arthritis, it tricks your immune system into attacking the tissues in the finger joints, and when inflamed, pain is the result. If the problem isn’t treated, the joint damage where the problem occurs can be permanent.

Osteoporosis

When you have osteoporosis, you will see the gradual elimination of bone mass in your fingers. The weakened bones will be prone to fractures as time passes and is a common ailment for women.

When the hand is the problem, Care-Med is the solution.

For more than 13 years, your friends at Car-Med have made a difference for people who suffer from hand pain. The state-of-the-art facility that is the office at Care-Med has only the best medical devices available to treat your hand pain. Working with your physician, the staff at Care-Med will supply the device that corrects or limits hand pain and help make your successful transition from the working wounded to a productive team member at your place of employment.

Our office accepts extended healthcare plans from all major carriers, and we accept Circle of Care, Veteran’s Affairs benefits, ADP, ODSP and Ontario Works benefits.