Why does my hand hurt, and how to remedy it
Overuse of the hand, an injury, and certain health conditions can cause pain in the palm, fingers, and wrist.
A person’s hands and wrists have many structures, such as bones, muscles, and joints.
These structures work together to enable a person to perform various tasks. Hand pain can affect a person’s ability to carry out these tasks and reduce their quality of life.
This article will cover some potential causes of hand pain, possible treatments, and when to see a doctor.
Causes of palm pain
There are numerous causes of pain in the palm.
Injury
Injuries to the palm can cause pain, swelling, bruising, and other symptoms.
Causes of palm injuries can include:
- knocks and blows
- landing on the hands during a fall
- cuts
- burns
- repetitive trauma from sports or other activities
Soft tissue injuries
A person’s palm contains various soft tissues, such as muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Symptoms of soft tissue damage include:
- pain
- swelling
- inflammation
- bruising
Sometimes, a person can initially treat soft tissue injuries using the Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE) protocol. The RICE protocol involves:
Rest: Rest the injured area and avoid the activity that caused the injury.
Ice: Apply ice to the area for 20 minutes several times a day. You can also try using cold packs or frozen bags of vegetables. However, you should never apply ice directly to the skin.
Compression: Wear a compression bandage to prevent swelling and additional blood loss.
Elevation: Raise the injury above the heart while resting to help reduce swelling.
If the RICE protocol does not help reduce pain and swelling, a person should speak with their doctor.
Fractures
A person’s palm contains five long bones called metacarpals. These bones connect the finger and thumb bones to the wrist bones. Trauma to the palm can result in breaks to one or more of the metacarpals.
The most commonly broken bone in the hand is the metacarpal that supports the little finger.
Generally, hand fractures heal well without surgery. Doctors can treat broken bones using splints or casts. However, more serious fractures may require surgical treatment. For example, some metacarpal fractures require surgery if they affect the fingers’ alignment and range of motion.
Symptoms of a fractured hand include:
- swelling
- bruising
- tenderness
- pain
- inability to move a finger
- deformity
When does it hurt?
If a person injures their palm, they may experience pain when:
- lifting things
- holding things
- making a fist
- playing certain sports, such as basketball or golf
Overuse
Overuse, also known as repetitive strain injury (RSI), occurs when repetitive movements cause the hand to become painful or tense. Pain and tension from muscles in the arms and shoulders can also radiate down to the hands.
Carrying out repetitive or high-intensity activities for long periods or holding hands in awkward positions for too long can cause RSI.
RSI can occur in several places in the hand, including the palms, though it is more common in the fingers or wrists.
According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), RSI can cause:
- pain
- stiffness
- throbbing
- tingling
- numbness
- weakness
- cramp
Treatment for RSI in the palm includes:
- identifying the cause and modifying it to reduce repetitive motions
- stopping the activity responsible altogether if necessary
- taking rain relieving medication, such as acetaminophen
- taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen
- using hot or cold packs
A doctor may also recommend physical therapy to treat RSI.
Home remedies
The kind of treatment a person can use to soothe hand pain can depend on the cause of the issue.
Injury and overuse
Using the RICE protocol, minor hand injuries to the palms, fingers, or wrists can be treated.
Thoroughly wash and disinfect any minor cuts and cover them with a Band-Aid or another dressing.
Taping an injured finger to the one beside it can help keep it still. This can help the finger heal and prevent pain from movement.
Anti-inflammatory pain medication can reduce pain in the fingers, palms, and wrists.
Arthritis
There are specific treatments a person can use at home to soothe arthritis pain in the wrists, fingers, and thumbs, including Source:
- using topical NSAID gels
- applying hot or cold packs to affected areas
- NSAID oral medication
- using a paraffin wax bath, which coats the hand in wax as a form of heat therapy
- exercising
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Home treatments for carpal tunnel syndrome include:
- doing hand and wrist exercises daily
- increasing physical activity and exercise
- weight loss
- stopping smoking cigarettes or tobacco products
- modifying activities that cause or worsen symptoms
- reducing computer use
Scleroderma
The following home remedies may help a person relieve scleroderma hand pain:
- keeping affected areas warm
- stopping smoking cigarettes
- exercising hands
If a person finds that home treatments do not relieve their hand pain, they should speak to their doctor.
Other causes of palm pain
Other causes of pain in the palm may include:
- carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition that causes pain and numbness due to a trapped nerve
- other forms of nerve damage
- infection
- inflammation
When to see a doctor
A person should talk with a doctor for severe, persistent, or reoccurring pain in the hands or wrists or pain that:
- does not get better with home treatment
- gets steadily worse
- does not respond to treatment that a doctor recommends
- may be due to a fall or other injury
- occurs along with other symptoms, such as arm pain, a fever, or exhaustion
A person should seek immediate medical attention for:
- intense, sudden, unbearable hand pain
- a suspected broken wrist or arm
- a visible injury to the hand that causes very intense pain
