Several orthopedic (musculoskeletal) conditions can cause varying degrees of hand pain. These painful symptoms may sometimes develop because of nerve-related problems.
The first step in successfully treating hand pain is knowing the root cause. Let’s talk about the most common causes of nerve conditions that can result in hand pain, and where you can go across North Dakota for an efficient evaluation and effective treatment.
Hand Pain Due to Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy can cause numbness, tingling pain, and weakness in your extremities. It affects the nerves in your peripheral nervous system, which are the nerves that are not located in your spine and brain (the central nervous system). This nerve condition can especially affect the hands and feet.
Peripheral neuropathy can affect numerous motor, sensory, and autonomic nerves in various areas of the body. This issue can also disrupt your circulatory or digestive systems and can even make urination difficult.
If your hand pain is accompanied by the following symptoms, your orthopedic doctor may check you for peripheral neuropathy:
- Sensitivity to touch
- Muscle weakness
- Poor coordination
- Lightheadedness
- Excessive sweating
- Heat intolerance
- Digestion problems
Overexposure to alcohol, heavy metals, and other toxins can also increase the risk of peripheral neuropathy. Vitamin deficiency, especially of vitamins E and B, can also lead to poor nerve health.
Several conditions may also have peripheral neuropathy as one symptom, including:
- Autoimmune diseases
- Bone marrow conditions
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Tumors
- Hereditary neuropathic conditions such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Hand Pain Due to Entrapment Neuropathy
One of the most common types of peripheral neuropathy is also a type of entrapment neuropathy, and that is carpal tunnel syndrome. Entrapment neuropathy occurs when a nerve is compressed or pinched. This condition tends to occur in the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, lower legs, or feet. Entrapment neuropathies usually start as mild but can progress over time.
Carpal tunnel syndrome affects the median nerve, which is located in the passageway through the bones and ligaments of the wrist. If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you may feel a numbing or tingling pain in your hands and fingers. Some patients report a feeling of electric shock in the fingers.
Hand pain due to carpal tunnel syndrome can also be accompanied by weakness in your hand, which can cause you to lose your grip and drop objects. For some people, these symptoms can worsen during the night or early morning. Some also notice increased numbing when in cold environments.
There is no single cause behind this condition, but these factors increase the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome:
- Fluid retention issues
- Medications like anastrozole (a type of chemotherapy)
- Having a narrow carpal tunnel
- Rheumatoid arthritis affecting the wrist
- Wrist fracture or dislocation
- Repetitive flexing of wrists
Hand Pain Treatment in North Dakota
If you’re struggling with hand pain, visit The Bone & Joint Center. We have experienced hand and wrist doctors who know how to diagnose and treat your condition, and we will recommend the least-invasive treatment possible that would work in your case.
We have convenient locations across North Dakota, with our main office in Bismarck. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a consultation, call us today at (800) 424-2663 or fill out our online form now. We look forward to freeing you from hand pain!
