Pain in the hand

Pain in the wrist can prevent a person from working fully, let alone sleeping peacefully at night. Pain in the wrist can be a symptom not only of a blow or bruise, but also a sign of hidden diseases.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ]

Causes of pain in the hand

Symptoms of pain in the hand can be caused by various diseases. One of the groups of these diseases is various injuries to the hand, for example, a bruise, a fracture, a sprain. Another group is diseases that affect the hand: inflammation, pathologies of the joints, bones, cartilage.

[ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ]

Fractures, sprains, dislocations

Under these circumstances, not only pain in the hand may occur, but also deformation of bone tissue, sprains, swelling, and tumors. The pain may be sharp or nagging. The hand in this case is greatly limited in movement. If it is treated incorrectly, the hand (or hand) may lose mobility.

Ligament rupture, ligament sprain

When a person sharply bends his arm or hand, his ligaments can stretch or tear. The symptoms are the same as with fractures or bruises. The wrist hurts, the hand swells, even light movements are difficult, not to mention increased load. Such injuries and such pain should be treated as soon as possible to avoid serious consequences.

Pathology of the tendons of the hand

With tendon pathologies, it is difficult to move the hands, pain in the hand, swelling, and edema occur. These unpleasant and painful sensations can be accompanied by pain that prevents a person from sleeping normally and working fully. If a person with such injuries is not helped in time, his condition can significantly worsen, and then the treatment will take much more time and effort. Tendon inflammation can be localized in different parts of the hand and their causes are also different.

Tendinitis

This is a disease in which the flexor tendons that connect the metacarpal bones to the wrist become inflamed. Tendinitis is a disease that is typical for athletes or those who often carry heavy objects or constantly work with their hands. It can even be embroidery at home. Therefore, if you do such work and your wrist hurts, it is highly recommended to consult a doctor for treatment. Otherwise, mild pain at first can gradually turn into acute pain.

Peritendinitis

With this disease, the tendons of the hand and wrist joint become inflamed. The most characteristic symptoms are pain in the hand, the index finger and thumb begin to move poorly due to pain in them.

Tunnel syndrome (also called carpal tunnel syndrome)

Another name for this disease is carpal tunnel syndrome. In this case, the nerve located in the wrist between the three walls of the bones and the wrist flexor retainer becomes inflamed. This is a very painful sensation. The wrist hurts very much, the pain in the hand is sharp, the hand may go numb and its mobility is limited. The mobility of the fingers may also be severely limited. Tunnel syndrome can occur in office workers who often and for a long time work at the computer, musicians who play an instrument for a long time and without breaks, sculptors, surgeons, watchmakers.

If a person also holds his hands incorrectly and strains them too much, he has an increased risk of developing tunnel syndrome. As a result, if this disease is not treated, the person will not be able to work and will develop tunnel neuropathy.

Pathologies of the wrist joints

The hand may also hurt due to the development of pathology of the wrist joints. The pains may be sharp and acute, or they may be nagging, long-lasting, annoying, exhausting. These pains may be manifestations of arthritis and end in complications.

Deforming osteoarthritis

This is a disease in which the cartilage of the radial joints of the wrist is damaged. One of the most common causes of this disease is fractures of the carpal bones that have not healed properly. Osteoarthritis with tissue deformation can also be a consequence of improper metabolism or genetic abnormalities. The most characteristic symptoms of this disease are severe pain in the wrist area and pain even when pressing a finger on the hand.

[ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ], [ 9 ]

Rheumatoid arthritis

This disease affects the small joints of the hand, especially the wrist joint. It is not just the hand that hurts. The person cannot control his own fingers. Fine motor skills of the hands are at risk, and the mobility of the hand and fingers separately is impaired.

In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor for examination and treatment. If the arthritis development process is not taken into account and no action is taken, it will continue to develop. Careful diagnostics and equally careful treatment are necessary. Otherwise, chronic inflammation may develop not only in the hand area, but also in vital organs. For example, the lungs and heart suffer. Arthritis can also lead to fatal consequences.

Pathological process in the bones of the wrist

This process can be triggered by a blow, inflammation or sprain. Wrist bone pathology can also develop for other reasons. Moreover, misdiagnosis happens very often. Sometimes a patient goes to a clinic or emergency room complaining of sprained ligaments, but upon careful diagnosis it turns out that he has a pathological process in bone tissue. For example, necrosis (death) of bone tissue. Therefore, careful attention to any pain in the hand is vital.

Avascular or aseptic necrosis

This is a serious condition that is characterized by the destruction of the wrist bone, either partially or completely. When the bone tissue dies, the area becomes inflamed and very painful, even with light pressure on the hand. Bone necrosis can be caused by inflammation or damage to the bone. It is quite difficult to diagnose this pathology, because necrosis can be disguised as another disease, such as arthritis or osteoarthritis.

[ 10 ], [ 11 ], [ 12 ], [ 13 ]

How is the hand structured?

As a rule, the wrist hurts most often. This is one of the sections of the hand that connects the bones of the forearm with the bone tissue of the hand. The wrist is small, but it is a very complex formation. It consists of 8 bones of a multifaceted structure. Since the wrist is located at the very end of the limb, it is constantly loaded - a person is always wearing something. Therefore, it is not surprising that the wrist can greatly affect a person's performance if it hurts. And it is not surprising that with constant loads, the wrist (and therefore the hand) can hurt.

Who should you contact if you have pain in your wrist?

Wrist pain is a serious symptom that should not be ignored. Consulting a doctor should be your first step towards wrist health.

If you have pain in your hand, you need to see a doctor, because this pain can soon become chronic. Especially if the loads continue. Self-medication can make the situation worse. To determine what problems you have with your wrist and hand, you need to see a traumatologist, surgeon or rheumatologist.