Our hand framework is complicated because it is made up of multiple parts. Our hand comprises bones, ligaments, nerves, tendons, skin, & other structures that help our hands do different types of tasks that may cause pain.
In this article, we will cover different reasons for hand pain. Here you’ll get to learn about different basic hand pain treatments.
Let’s quickly jump into the topic.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
This condition occurs when the carpal tunnel ruptures the median nerve, which starts narrowing. Why does the process of narrowing start because of the inflammation, irritated tendons getting thicken or something which causes swelling of the area? Carpal Tunnel is the narrow passage of bones and ligaments at the hand’s base. It has the median nerve and tendons, which provide flexibility and range of motion to fingers.
The Common Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include:
- Itching, numbness in the finger or palm
- The patient may feel the frequent sensation of burning
- Excruciating pain in the index finger, thumb, and middle finger
- Inflammation in the affected finger
- Having less gripping strength
- Temperature insensitivity, difficulty in differentiating between cold and hot
- Deterioration of thumb base muscle
- Trouble in holding even light objects.
Treatment
CTS has some standard procedures for treatment. They are such:
- Basic acupuncture treatment
- Giving injections of steroids or anesthesia
- Doing open-surgery
- Consuming steroid orally
- Consuming over-the-counter medication for pain relieve
- Avoiding some activities that aggravate pain
- Doing stretching exercises to restore range-of-motion
- Using ice pack
Ganglion Cyst
Ganglion cysts usually develop in the wrists. It appears as a large lump of flesh coming out from the back of the wrist. It can be in different sizes on the back side of the wrist, and base of the finger, and the end of the finger joint.
The cyst is not consistent, full of fluid, and can disappear, reappear, or change its size from time to time. However, if the cyst is too big, it pressurizes the nearby nerves and creates numbness, pain, and tingling around the wrist.
The actual cause of ganglion cyst is not known, but experts say that ganglion cyst develops due to an accumulation of fluid in the tissue around the tendon and joint.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis:
This is tendon related severe condition which basically affects our thumb. The proximity area of the thumb gets inflamed, & this kind of inflammation creates pressure on the adjacent nerves. Here the base of the thumb suffers extremely from excruciating pain and numbness.
The common symptoms of D’Q tendosynovitis are swelling at the base of the thumb, pain around the thumb, problems in moving or clasping the fingers, and getting a popping sensation while moving the thumb.
Gout
Gout is a complex form of arthritis. It is a painful condition that can severely impact patients. People who suffer from gout can experience a sudden, severe attack of hand pain around the joint. Generally, gout impacts the base of the big toes, thumb, joints, knees, feet, wrist, and hand. When patients have gout in their wrists and hand, they often encounter several burning attacks, redness, and tenderness. The pain is unbearable, and one could spend a sleepless night with gout. The extreme burning sensation vanishes patients’ holding ability.
Another cause of hand pain is lupus, arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, traumatic injury, and Raynaud’s phenomenon. Here we will focus on hand pain relief treatment as per expert guidance.
Splinting: A splint helps patients to stabilize the affected fingers, wrist, or thumb. Orthopaedic experts suggest wearing a splint for a week to reduce the pain of arthritis significantly.
Injections: A corticosteroid injection at your joint can reduce inflammation to a better extent. This steroid injection helps your pain relief for at least 1 year. Even the pain can vanish if the subsequent dosage of injections is taken.
Heat & cold: Heat is usually used to lose stiffness or the forearm muscle. Thus doctors usually ask to take a hot water shower. Cold water or ice is a great pain reliever. It is good to use ice pads available in the market. Ice pads must be kept in the freezer to maintain their efficiency. Heat & Cold technique is a very good natural procedure for hand complications.
Exercises and stretches– Here, you need to take a physiotherapist’s help. They will help you through different easy exercises that directly target affected muscles and tendons. These exercises help you strengthen muscles, and the pain gets better absorbed.
NSAIDs- These are the steroid-category that reduces inflammation. It blocks enzymes that are inflammation and pain. However, this is not effective for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Apart from the above-mentioned exercises, one can use a smart grip trainer to perform some isometric exercises. It basically helps strengthen affected forearm muscles and increase the range of motion of fingers. It is considered to be a safe and easiest option to restore hand functionality.
