Its presence can have various repercussions on the gestures of the affected hand (s), for example preventing them from grasping objects or bending the fingers in an attempt to clench the fist.
The main causes of hand pain are: carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, tendon cysts, De Quervain syndrome, trigger finger and bone fractures.
Understanding the precise condition at the origin of hand pain is essential for planning the most correct therapy.
The main causes of hand pain include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome;
- Arthritis;
- Tendon cysts;
- De Quervain's syndrome;
- The so-called trigger finger;
- The fracture of a bone of the hand.
These conditions can be responsible for both unilateral pain (i.e. in one of the two hands) and bilateral pain (i.e. in both hands).
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a nerve compression syndrome, which is characterized by the crushing of the so-called median nerve at the wrist, exactly in correspondence with the osteo-ligamentous structure known as the carpal tunnel.
In addition to pain in the hand, carpal tunnel syndrome causes numbness and tingling in the wrist, palm and fingers. Symptoms have a tendency to worsen over time and become more acute and unbearable during the night.
Typically, this nerve compression syndrome is the result of a combination of favoring / triggering factors; rarely, it comes from a single cause.
Therapy can be conservative or surgical, depending on the severity and duration of the symptoms.
To know more:
- Surgical treatment in case of carpal tunnel syndrome;
- Carpal tunnel syndrome drugs.
Figure: carpal tunnel anatomy. It is possible to recognize the transverse carpal ligament, the tendons and the median nerve that run through the tunnel and the carpal bones. From the site: posturologo.it
ARTHRITIS
Arthritis is the medical term for an inflammatory process affecting one or more joints.
There are several types (or forms) of arthritis, each with its own unique causes and characteristics.
Among the main forms of arthritis that can cause pain in the hands, osteoarthritis (or arthrosis) and rheumatoid arthritis deserve a special mention.
- L"osteoarthritis it is the most common type of arthritis in the general population. The inflammatory processes that characterize it derive from the progressive degeneration of the cartilage, which covers the bony surfaces of the affected joints.
Arthrosis of the hands can cause pain in the wrist, at the base of the thumb, in the proximal interphalangeal joints (Bouchard's nodules) and / or in the distal interphalangeal joints (Heberden's nodules).
Hand pain from osteoarthritis is often associated with other symptoms, including: joint stiffness, swelling, and reduced joint mobility. - L"rheumatoid arthritis it is the second most common form of arthritis in the general population.
It is an autoimmune disease, that is, it arises as a result of a malfunction of the immune system. The precise site of the inflammatory processes that characterize it is the synovial membrane of the synovial joints.
Rheumatoid arthritis induces throbbing and poignant pain in the hands, the intensity of which is greatest in the morning or after long periods of inactivity.
The most common symptoms that accompany the painful sensation in the hands are: swelling, a sense of joint stiffness and reduced mobility of the affected joints.
In some cases, rheumatoid arthritis can induce the appearance of Bouchard's and Heberden's nodules.
To know more:
- Pharmacological treatment of osteoarthritis;
- Medical care and drug treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
TENDON CYSTS IN THE HANDS
Tendon cysts (or synovial cysts) in the hands are fluid-filled swellings that form near the tendons (tendon sheaths) or joints (joint capsules).
Their size is extremely variable: some tendon cysts are the size of a pea, others are the size of a golf ball.
The most common sites of tendon cysts in the hands are the wrists; however, the central part of the hands (palm and back) and fingers can also develop these problems.
The fluid contained in the cyst is similar to the synovial fluid; it is light in color and has a muco-gelatinous consistency.
Synovial cysts are painful in all those cases in which they develop near a nerve end and cause it to be crushed.
DE QUERVAIN SYNDROME
De Quervain's syndrome, or De Quervain's stenosing tenosynovitis, is a painful condition following irritation of the synovial sheath, which envelops the tendons of the abductor long and extensor short muscles of the thumb.
Generally, the aforementioned irritation has a multifactorial origin; in fact, it can be caused by several factors, including: a certain individual predisposition, the continuous repetition of some specific movements with the hand, rheumatic diseases and sudden functional overloads.
The precise locations of the pain in the hand, induced by De Quervain syndrome, are: the outer face of the wrist and the base of the thumb. The painful sensation in particular is caused by the gripping movements, performed with the thumbs, and the inclination movements of the wrist.
In addition to pain in the hand, other typical symptoms are: the development of a swelling along the course of the irritated tendons, the presence of a painful protrusion at the level of the wrist and the appearance of pain in the forearm.
What does tenosynovitis mean? Where does the word stenosing come from?
In medicine, the term tenosynovitis indicates any inflammatory or irritative process affecting the synovial sheath, which surrounds the tendons of the human body.
The physiological role of the synovial sheath that surrounds the tendons is to preserve the latter from friction and friction.
The word stenosing derives from the term stenosis, which, in the medical field, indicates any abnormal and unnatural narrowing of a blood vessel, a hollow or tubular organ or an anatomical orifice.
SNAP FINGER
Trigger finger, or stenosing tenosynovitis of the finger flexors, is a disorder characterized by the narrowing of the synovial sheath that surrounds the tendon of one of the flexor muscles of the fingers.
The presence of the trigger finger means that, when the finger affected by the aforementioned narrowing is bent, it remains temporarily in the bent position, only to then straighten up suddenly and with a bad snap.
The trigger finger most commonly occurs in the dominant hand and most commonly affects the thumb, middle and / or ring finger.
The disorder can affect multiple fingers at the same time and involve both hands.
From unknown causes, trigger finger tends to occur more frequently in people with: diabetes, hypothyroidism, past history of trauma to the hand and rheumatic diseases.
The precise locations of the pain in the hand, induced by the trigger finger, are: the palm and the wrist.
In addition to pain, other typical clinical manifestations are joint stiffness in the affected finger (s) and the formation of a lump at the base of the affected finger (s).
To know more:
- Trigger finger medications and treatments.
BONE FRACTURES IN THE HANDS
Bone fractures of the hands are injuries of a mostly traumatic nature, consisting in the breaking of one or more bones making up the skeleton of the hands.
Recalling briefly that the bone skeleton of a human hand comprises 27 bones that can be divided into three categories, known as carpal bones, metacarpal bones and phalanges, bone fractures in the hands can be: simple, complex, multiple or compound.
The pain in the hand, induced by a fracture, is very intense and usually occurs at the point of the break.
In addition to pain in the hand, other typical symptoms are: a sense of stiffness, swelling and reduced mobility.
Then, depending on what emerges from these, doctors may prescribe: a radiograph (X-ray) of the hand, an MRI of the hand, a bone scan, an "ultrasound, an" electromyography or an "electroneurography.
Recognizing the precise triggers of hand pain is essential for planning the most appropriate therapy.
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