Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesSymptomsSelf-CareTreatmentReducing Flares
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Symptoms
Self-Care
Treatment
Reducing Flares
Hand cramps can occur for many reasons and can cause significant pain and problems for some people. Hand cramps commonly result from an injury or health conditions.
Cramping in the hands might also affects the fingers. Hand and finger cramping can limit your ability to do certain activities, including writing and driving.
Hand cramps can be treated and prevented depending on the cause. While rare, hand cramps can sometimes be a sign of a more severe condition, likerheumatoid arthritis (RA)ordiabetes.
Jacob Wackerhausen / Getty Images
Hand Cramps: Causes in Palms, Fingers, and on Top
Electrolyte Imbalances
Sodium, potassium, and calcium are types of electrolytes, substances responsible for maintaining normal body functions, including nerve and muscle activity. The muscles require optimal electrolyte levels for the body to function properly.
Alterations in electrolyte levelscan affect how the muscles contract and relax, leading to cramps in your hands and fingers.
Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium plays a vital role in controlling muscle contractions. If your body’smagnesium levels are low, you can experiencemuscle crampsthroughout the body, including in the hands.
Additional symptoms of a magnesium deficiency may include:
Preventing a Magnesium Deficiency With Diet
Foods that are high in magnesium include:
Severe Dehydration
You can be dehydrated in the following ways:
If you are severely dehydrated, you may experience hand cramps when your muscles lose the proper balance of electrolytes and fluids.
Additional symptoms of dehydration include:
Writer’s Cramp
Writer’s cramp, an overuse injury of the hand, affects the muscles used in fine motor movements.It is a type offocal dystoniathat affects a single body part—usually the fingers or hands—and causes involuntary or unusual movements.
Certain activities can lead to writer’s cramp, including:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) occurs when the nerve that goes from the forearm to the palm is compressed. People with CTS may experience hand cramps.
Additional symptoms of CTS include:
Rheumatoid Arthritis
RA is aninflammatory diseasein which the immune system malfunctions and attacks the tissue protecting the joints and in other body areas. It causes joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. Hand cramps are common in people with RA.
Hand cramping in RA can get worse under certain conditions, such as cold weather, periods of increased joint inflammation, and repetitive motions, such as typing and writing.
Kidney Disease
Hand cramping is common in people withkidney damage.It is thought to be related to nerve damage, blood circulation problems, or electrolyte and fluid imbalances. It is not unusual for people with kidney disease to experience cramping in their hands and wrists.
Diabetes
Diabetes, a condition that affects how the body regulates blood sugar, can cause muscle cramps throughout the body, including in the hands.Hand cramping in diabetes might be linked to low blood sugar, reduced blood flow to the hands,neuropathy(diabetic nerve damage),nephropathy(diabetic kidney damage), and electrolyte imbalance.
Diabetes is also linked to diabetic cheiroarthropathy (also known as stiff hand syndrome), which causes hand cramps and thickening of the skin in the hands.
Neurological Conditions
A number of neurological conditions can cause hand cramps. These conditions affect the nerves that manage muscle functions. Examples includeParkinson’s disease,myasthenia gravis, andamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Medications
Various medications can cause cramps as a side effect of treatment. These include:
Describing Hand Cramping Symptoms
The terms “cramp” and “spasm” are often used interchangeably, but they are actually different symptoms.
Muscle cramps are sustained muscle contractions.They can be intense and painful, affecting one muscle or a group of muscles. They occur spontaneously, often with exercise, but they can also occur with rest.
Amuscle spasmis a sudden, involuntary contraction or relaxation of a muscle or muscle group.It occurs when the nerves controlling muscle movement fail, leading to sudden contraction and tightening.
The symptoms of hand cramps vary in severity, duration, and the condition causing them. Cramping might feel like a slight nuisance, or it can cause excruciating pain.
Some people may also experience numbness, tingling, and burning of the affected hands. Others may have problems with grip and strength.
Additional symptoms that may occur with hand cramps include:
When Hand Cramps Signal Something Else
Some cases of hand cramps are harmless and easily managed at home. Other causes may present health risks and require medical treatment.
13 Hand Pain Causes and Treatment Options
Self-Care for Mild Hand Cramps
Mild hand cramp symptoms can be treated at home with self-care.
Self-care remedies for hand cramps include:
Better Writing Form
You can do things to prevent hand cramping and pain if you do a lot of writing:
Treatments for Severe Hand Cramping
Depending on the cause and severity of the hand cramps, your healthcare provider can create a treatment plan to manage your symptoms.
How to Reduce Hand Flares
Aflare-upis a worsening of symptoms, and hand cramping can lead to periods of flare-up.
One of the best things you can do to avoid hand cramps is to not smoke. Smoking is linked to various hand problems, including reduced blood flow, poor wound and bone healing, nerve problems, and pain.If you need helpquitting, let a healthcare provider know.
Additional ways to prevent hand cramps are:
Summary
Hand cramps occur for many reasons, some mild and others considered severe or concerning. Causes may include electrolyte imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, dehydration, injury, or chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, or kidney disease.
Treatment options depend on the underlying cause but can include medication, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and surgery. You can manage symptoms at home with self-care remedies like hand exercises, hot and cold therapy, rest, increasing fluids and electrolytes, and massage.
Contact your healthcare provider if you experience new or ongoing symptoms, severe pain, or changes in hand function.
21 Sources
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