There are many causes of pain in the back of your hand. You can often ease the pain yourself. But contact your GP if the pain does not improve.
Common causes of pain in the back of your hand
Common causes of pain in the back of the hand include:
- tendonitis or arthritis - aching joints and you find it hard to move your fingers
- a broken bone in your hand - sudden sharp pain and swelling, usually from an injury
- ganglion cyst - a lump near a joint or tendon
- carpal tunnel syndrome - aching pain with numbness or difficulty gripping things
- scabies - itchy and painful skin with a rash
How you can ease pain in the back of your hand
There are things you can do to help ease a pain in the back of your hand.
Do
-
rest your hand when you can
-
put an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) in a towel and place it on the back of your hand for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
-
take off any jewellery if your hand is swollen
-
wrap a bandage around your hand to support it
Don't
-
do not use ibuprofen in the first 48 hours after an injury
-
do not use heat packs or have hot baths for the first 2 to 3 days after an injury
A pharmacist can help
Your pharmacist can tell you:
- what painkiller to take
- about treatments for common skin problems
- if you need to see a GP
Emergency action required: Go to an injury unit or emergency department (ED) if you:
- have severe pain
- feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain
- heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of the injury
- cannot move your hand or hold things
- notice a change in the shape or colour of your hand
These are signs you may have a broken hand.
What we mean by severe pain
Severe pain:
- always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
- you cannot sleep
- it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress
- you cannot work due to the pain
Moderate pain:
- always there
- makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
- you can manage to get up, wash or dress
Mild pain:
- comes and goes
- is annoying but does not stop you from doing things like going to work
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
