Pain and Stiffness

Common symptoms of hand and wrist pain and stiffness include: 

Pain 

• Aching, sharp or throbbing pain 
• Pain that worsens with movement or gripping 
• Pain that radiates up the arm 

Stiffness 

• Difficulty bending fingers or wrist 
• Morning stiffness 
• Stiffness after periods of rest 

There are a wide variety of hand and wrist conditions that may cause pain. The location of the pain and any known injuries can help to narrow down some of the more common causes:

Whole hand and wrist pain 

• Hand and wrist arthritis (osteoarthritis)
• Hand and wrist arthritis (rheumatoid)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

Wrist pain

• De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
• Ganglion cysts
• Hand and wrist osteoarthritis
• Tendonitis
• SLAC wrist
• Ulnocarpal abutment

Palm pain

• Pain at heel of palm
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Pain at base of thumb
• Trigger thumb
• Thumb CMC (basal joint) arthritis
• Pain at base of fingers
• Trigger finger

Finger pain

• Trigger finger or thumb
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Cubital tunnel syndrome
• Hand and wrist arthritis (osteoarthritis)
• Hand bone

Whole hand and wrist injuries

• Hand and wrist fractures
• Wrist and finger sprains
• Complex regional pain syndrome

Wrist injuries

• Distal radius fracture
• Scaphoid fracture

Wrist and finger sprains

• Scapholunate ligament injuries
• SLAC wrist
• TFCC injuries

Hand injuries

• Metacarpal fracture
• Boxer’s fracture

Finger injuries

• Phalanx fracture
• Mallet finger
• Tendon injuries/lacerations

Thumb injuries

UCL injuries (gamekeeper’s or skier’s thumb)

Your care team will ask about the history of your pain and stiffness and perform a physical exam. This will include checking the range of motion, feeling for any tenderness or swelling, assessing your grip strength and looking for any deformities. You may also need imaging or laboratory tests to narrow down what is happening and identify the best path for treatment. 

Seeking prompt treatment can prevent worsening damage and protect nerve function. It will also help you maintain your strength and hand function because pain and stiffness causes you to use your hand less which can lead to weakness, reduced grip strength and loss of fine motor skills. Treatment can also prevent chronic pain - many conditions can start mild but become chronic if not addressed. Having pain in your hand and wrist can affect many things  you do - driving, typing, lifting and even sleeping.