Hand Pain & Problems

Causes & Risk Factors

The primary causes of hand pain include:

• Arthritis – While rheumatoid arthritis and gout can affect the hands, osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in older adults, affecting 82.7% of adults over 65 in South Africa. Known as a wear-and-tear disease, it occurs when the protective cover at the end of the bones, known as cartilage, begins to degrade. This can cause pain and inflammation in the hands.
• Overuse of tendons or nerves – Tendons connect muscles to bones. In the hand, the sheath, or wrapping around the tendon, is often inflamed more than the tendon itself. Both the tendons and nerves are easily overused in people who perform repetitive motions with the hands, wrists, and elbows. These can include playing sports like golf, tennis, or baseball, playing the piano, or typing frequently. Common tendon overuse injuries include golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, and trigger finger. Carpal tunnel is the most common nerve overuse disease. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when a nerve is pinched as it passes through the wrist and is often the result of repetitive grasping.
• Injury – Hand pain can be caused by sudden traumatic injury like a bone break or tear. An injury may occur in a car accident or playing outside. They often occur in the elderly when using the hands to catch a fall.
• Ganglion cysts – fluid-filled sacs, known as ganglion cysts, appear on either side of the hand. They’re completely harmless and can go untreated unless they start to cause symptoms. They grow on the tendon sheaths and other connective tissues.

Risk factors for hand pain and problems include:

• Prior injury
• Overuse and repetitive motion
• Lack of strength in the muscles of the hands
• Playing sports
• Chronic musculoskeletal illness – for example, the risk of ganglion cysts goes up if one already has arthritis
• Genetics – some families tend to have smaller carpal tunnels and osteoarthritis has been shown to have a genetic component
• Deformity to the wrist and hormone imbalance are unique risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome