Minor hand injuries can often be treated with rest and home remedies, such as cold and heat therapy. If your pain persists or worsens, contact your healthcare provider.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
Causes of Hand Pain
Osteoarthritis
Symptoms of hand OA include:
There is no cure for OA. Treatment is focused on easing pain, improving joint mobility, and preventing disease disease.
Treatment options for hand OA include:
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)is anautoimmune diseasethat causes your immune system to attack the joints. Symptoms of RA are symmetrical, meaning the same joints are affected on both sides of the body (such as both knees). Most commonly, the wrist and hands are affected.
Symptoms of RA include:
Treatment for hand RA may include:
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA)is another autoimmune form of arthritis associated with the chronic skin diseasepsoriasis. The disease often occurs alongside psoriasis but can also occur on its own. Unlike RA which almost invariably affects joints symmetrically, PsA doesn’t always do the same.
Symptoms of PsA include:
Treatment for hand PsA may include:
Tendonitis
Symptoms of tendonitis include:
Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE)is the protocol used for the immediate treatment of tendinitis. Other options include:
Trigger Finger
Symptoms of trigger finger include:
Treatments for trigger fingerinclude:
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis
De Quervain’s tenosynovitisis swelling of the tendons that run along the thumb-side of the wrist and attach to the base of the thumb. It typically occurs from repetitive use of the thumb from activities pinching or twisting.
Symptoms of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis include:
Treatment of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis may include:
Hand Sprain
Symptoms of a hand or finger sprain include:
Treatment for hand or finger sprainsmay include:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndromeis the compression of themedian nerveof the wrist as it passes through a narrow passage called the carpal tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common repetitive stress injury seen in occupations that involve repetitive hand motions, such as typing, cashier work, welding, or packing.
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
Treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome may include:
Hand Fractures
Bone fracturesare common in the fingers and hands due to a fall, crush injury, twisting injury, or direct contact in sports. The break can range from astress fracture(a.k.a. hairline fracture) to acompound fracturewhere a broken bone penetrates the skin.
Symptoms of a hand fracture include:
Treatment of hand or finger fracturesincludes:
Ganglion Cyst
Aganglion cystis a fluid-filled lump that appears along the tendons or joints of the wrist or hand. It is usually the result of a minor trauma that causessynovialfluidto leak out of a joint. A wrist ganglion cyst is usually a cosmetic issue that may go away on its own and usually doesn’t require treatment.
Not all ganglion cysts cause symptoms, but those that do may lead to:
Ganglion cyst treatment may include:
Raynaud’s Phenomenon
Raynaud’s phenomenonhappens when small blood vessels in the fingers and toes over-respond to cold and constrict (narrow), reducing blood flow to the area. The opposite can occur when exposed to heat, causing the blood vessels to dilate (open) excessively. The ears, nose, nipples, and knees can also be affected.
Raynaud’s phenomenon causes symptoms like:
Scleroderma
Treatment of scleroderma may include:
Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathyis a type of nerve damage that affects the feet, legs, hands, and arms in people withdiabetes. It affects up to one-half of individuals living with diabetes to some degree.
There is no cure for diabetic neuropathy. The primary aim is to bring your blood sugar under control with diet, lifestyle, andmedications. Thereafter, medications may be prescribed to help manage the chronic pain, including:
Diagnosis
Healthcare providers use different tools to find out what is causing your hand pain. Most of the time, they’ll look at your hands and ask you about your symptoms, then decide what tests they need to do to make a diagnosis.
For example, if your provider wants to look at the structures inside your hand, they may order:
Your provider can also do blood tests that look for signs of infection or inflammation, including:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Sometimes hand pain gets better with time and some self-care strategies. However, there are more serious causes of hand pain that require medical treatment.
Call your provider if you have hand pain in addition to any of the following:
Seek immediate medical attentionif you have signs of infection, such as swelling, warmth, or increased pain.
If necessary, your healthcare provider can refer you to a provider who specializes in joint and autoimmune conditions (rheumatologist) or a bone specialist (orthopedist).
A Word From VerywellNot all hand pain feels the same, but regardless of the type of pain, it’s important to seek treatment if the pain is persistent despite home remedies, as certain causes of hand pain can lead to permanent stiffness or disability without treatment.—ANITA C. CHANDRASEKARAN, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Not all hand pain feels the same, but regardless of the type of pain, it’s important to seek treatment if the pain is persistent despite home remedies, as certain causes of hand pain can lead to permanent stiffness or disability without treatment.—ANITA C. CHANDRASEKARAN, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Not all hand pain feels the same, but regardless of the type of pain, it’s important to seek treatment if the pain is persistent despite home remedies, as certain causes of hand pain can lead to permanent stiffness or disability without treatment.
—ANITA C. CHANDRASEKARAN, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Summary
Hand pain can have many causes, many of which are common and can be managed at home. That being said, if the pain in your hands is affecting your life and making it hard for you to do your daily tasks, see your healthcare provider.
Your provider or a specialist like a rheumatologist or an orthopedist can figure out what is causing your hand pain and find the best treatment for you.
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Aging.Osteoarthritis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Babaahmadi M, Tayebi B, Gholipour NM, et al.Rheumatoid arthritis: the old issue, the new therapeutic approach.Stem Cell Res Ther. 2023;14(1):268. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03473-7Johns Hopkins Medicine.Psoriatic arthritis.American College of Rheumatology.Tendinitis (bursitis).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Trigger finger.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Trigger finger.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.Hause R, Dolan EE, Phillips HJ, et al.Ligament injury and healing: a review of current clinical diagnostics and therapeutics.Open Rehab Journ. 2013;6(1). doi:10.2174/1874943701306010001NYU Langone Health.Diagnosing hand sprains & strains.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Carpal tunnel syndrome.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Fractures (broken bones).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ganglion cyst of the wrist and hand.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Raynaud’s phenomenon.American Academy of Dermatology.Scleroderma: diagnosis and Treatment.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic neuropathy.Arthritis Foundation.Imaging and electrodiagnostic tests.Cleveland Clinic.Pain in your hand, wrist or elbow? When to seek help.
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Aging.Osteoarthritis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Babaahmadi M, Tayebi B, Gholipour NM, et al.Rheumatoid arthritis: the old issue, the new therapeutic approach.Stem Cell Res Ther. 2023;14(1):268. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03473-7Johns Hopkins Medicine.Psoriatic arthritis.American College of Rheumatology.Tendinitis (bursitis).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Trigger finger.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Trigger finger.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.Hause R, Dolan EE, Phillips HJ, et al.Ligament injury and healing: a review of current clinical diagnostics and therapeutics.Open Rehab Journ. 2013;6(1). doi:10.2174/1874943701306010001NYU Langone Health.Diagnosing hand sprains & strains.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Carpal tunnel syndrome.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Fractures (broken bones).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ganglion cyst of the wrist and hand.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Raynaud’s phenomenon.American Academy of Dermatology.Scleroderma: diagnosis and Treatment.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic neuropathy.Arthritis Foundation.Imaging and electrodiagnostic tests.Cleveland Clinic.Pain in your hand, wrist or elbow? When to seek help.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute on Aging.Osteoarthritis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Babaahmadi M, Tayebi B, Gholipour NM, et al.Rheumatoid arthritis: the old issue, the new therapeutic approach.Stem Cell Res Ther. 2023;14(1):268. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03473-7Johns Hopkins Medicine.Psoriatic arthritis.American College of Rheumatology.Tendinitis (bursitis).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Trigger finger.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Trigger finger.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.Hause R, Dolan EE, Phillips HJ, et al.Ligament injury and healing: a review of current clinical diagnostics and therapeutics.Open Rehab Journ. 2013;6(1). doi:10.2174/1874943701306010001NYU Langone Health.Diagnosing hand sprains & strains.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Carpal tunnel syndrome.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Fractures (broken bones).American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ganglion cyst of the wrist and hand.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Raynaud’s phenomenon.American Academy of Dermatology.Scleroderma: diagnosis and Treatment.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic neuropathy.Arthritis Foundation.Imaging and electrodiagnostic tests.Cleveland Clinic.Pain in your hand, wrist or elbow? When to seek help.
National Institute on Aging.Osteoarthritis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Babaahmadi M, Tayebi B, Gholipour NM, et al.Rheumatoid arthritis: the old issue, the new therapeutic approach.Stem Cell Res Ther. 2023;14(1):268. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03473-7
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Psoriatic arthritis.
American College of Rheumatology.Tendinitis (bursitis).
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Trigger finger.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
Hause R, Dolan EE, Phillips HJ, et al.Ligament injury and healing: a review of current clinical diagnostics and therapeutics.Open Rehab Journ. 2013;6(1). doi:10.2174/1874943701306010001
NYU Langone Health.Diagnosing hand sprains & strains.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Carpal tunnel syndrome.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Fractures (broken bones).
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Ganglion cyst of the wrist and hand.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Raynaud’s phenomenon.
American Academy of Dermatology.Scleroderma: diagnosis and Treatment.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diabetic neuropathy.
Arthritis Foundation.Imaging and electrodiagnostic tests.
Cleveland Clinic.Pain in your hand, wrist or elbow? When to seek help.
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