Reasons for Hand Pain

Hand pain is a common problem, especially for people whose job requires them to type a lot. Hand pain can be tough to diagnose, especially when it becomes most intense and seems to be radiating from everywhere. There are a number of causes for pain in the joints and muscles of your hand. In many cases, leaving hand pain untreated can put you at risk of more serious, chronic pain and tissue damage.

Arthritis

• Arthritis is a general name for any kind of joint inflammation. There are many types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, which can cause joint pain. Of the types of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is most frequently the cause of hand pain. According to the Arthritis Disease Center, the cure for RA is still not known, but many sufferers of the chronic disease find relief in yoga, exercise and modern drug treatments for rheumatoid arthritis.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a disorder in which the median nerve of the hand becomes pinched or compressed at the wrist. According to the NIH Carpal Tunnel Guide, symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include tingling in the palm of the hand, and may progress to a loss of feeling in the hand or a reduction in the affected hand's grip strength. Carpal tunnel can be caused by a variety of factors, including rheumatoid arthritis and repetitive work injury. Repetitive work injuries happen when you type or use a mouse too often, if you position your hands poorly, or if you do not take breaks to rest and stretch your hands.

Trauma

• Hand pain can occur for years after trauma and injury to the hand. The bones, tendons and muscle structure in your hand are delicate, and can easily be stressed or fractured in a way that causes a long-term injury. If you have ever broken or seriously sprained your hand, even a long time ago, you may still be experiencing pain from that injury.
  If you perform a job or play a sport in which you repeatedly compress your hand, such as scooping ice cream, you may be at risk for a stress fracture. A stress fracture is a small break in the delicate bones of your hand, a hairline fracture which occurs as a result of repeated compression of the small bones of the hand.

Sprain or strain

• If you have recently experienced minor trauma to your hand that did not result in a fracture, you may have a strain or sprain. Though the names sound similar, strains and sprains have different features.
  A strain occurs in the muscles of the hand, usually as a result of overworking a fatigued muscle. A strained hand can happen from something as simple as carrying too many grocery bags in your hands.
  A sprain is an injury to the ligaments of the hand. Unlike a strain, a sprain occurs when the hand is flexed or forced to contort quickly, causing injuries or tears to the ligaments inside the hand. If you fell onto an outstretched hand, you may have sprained it.

Joint or Skin Infection

• If the pain in your hand is accompanied with a high fever or a skin rash, you may have a skin or joint infection. Staph infections are common and easily treated with antibiotics. However, if they are left untreated, they can spread to the rest of the body, including the organs.
  An infection can occur if you have been exposed to unsanitary conditions with an open sore or fresh cut. A hand infection with pain along with swelling, redness or a high fever should be treated urgently, as it could spread and cause heart failure, brain damage or death.