The hand is one of the most commonly used parts of our body and is susceptible to damage, wear and tear as well as injury. Pain in the hand can be attributed to numerous causes, including damage and other conditions that can affect the joints, cartilage, nerves and other parts of the hand.

Causes

De Quervain's tendinitis: This is also known as de Quervain's tendinosis. It causes pain on the thumb side of the wrist. The pain may grow slowly or suddenly. It can also spread to every part of the thumb and up the lower arm. On the off chance that you have de Quervain's tendinitis, you may experience pain while performing the following actions:

- Clenching The fist

- Handling on or holding objects

- Turning the wrist

Treatment for this includes the following:

- Wearing a prop to rest the thumb and wrist

- Calming drugs

- Cortisone infusions

Carpal tunnel disorder: This is common amongst the well-known nerve issues. It can cause pain in the following parts of the hand:

- Palm and a few fingers

- Wrist

- Lower arm


The treatment methods includes the following:

- Resting the hand and wrist

- Painkillers

- Wrist support

- Steroid infusions

- Active recuperation

- Breaks

Fracture: It's a crack or break in a bone that can cause immense pain in the hand. Other than this, the hand may also experience the following:

- Stiffness

- Swelling

- Loss of proper motion and movement

The kind of treatment depends on the kind of fracture. Braces are usually used for small fractures. Sticks, wires, or plates might be used to treat severe fractures. Likewise, surgery may also be recommended to set the broken bone properly.

Arthritis: This is a disease causing joint inflammation and stiffness of the joints. It causes the joints to lose the ligament that permits them to move easily against each other. This tears the ligament, giving rise to crippling pain and swelling.

In the hand, the regions where this regularly happens are as follows:

- Base of the thumb

- Center joint of one or more fingers

- End joint, which is nearest to the fingertip

The treatment depends on the seriousness of the injury and the following may be used:

- Painkillers

- Props for the fingers or wrist

- Heat

- Non-intrusive treatment

Trigger finger: Also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, this defect causes the fingers or the thumb to bend. It can be difficult, particularly when bowing or fixing the influenced finger or thumb.

Knobs may form on the influenced ligaments. Also, the sheath itself may thicken. In the long run, the ligament may get to be adhered when you attempt to fix a twisted finger or thumb.

Resting now and again while wearing a support may help resolve the issue. Over-the-counter torment pharmaceuticals can facilitate the agony. Corticosteroid infusions can mitigate side effects. Surgery might be recommended for extreme cases.

Causes of Common Hand Pain and How to Find Relief

Bones and muscles, together known as the musculoskeletal system, are responsible for all bodily movements. The bones and muscles move in unison, as they are connected by what are known as tendons, which are thin fibrous tissue. These tendons are prone to damage and inflammation known as tendinitis (this can cause inflammation in any organ). It can occur in any bone/joint but most common in areas which are prone for repetitive use including the wrists, arms, elbows, shoulder, knees, and ankles. 

Read on to understand how it happens and how it can be managed.

Causes: Depending on the onset, tendinitis can be acute or chronic. Though it can occur in any individual, the risk increases with age, as bones lose their elasticity and can tear.

Acute is caused by a sudden injury like a fall or accident or infections
Chronic is caused by repetitive movements, poor posture, poor stretching, overuse, etc. Some common movements include carpentry, painting, golfing, tennis, gardening, lawn mowing, badminton, etc.
Symptoms: As with any inflammation, the symptoms of tendinitis would include swelling, pain, redness, and warmth. There is also a reduced range of motion of the affected joint, producing what is known as adhesive capsulitis.

Prevention: Tendinitis is preventable to some extent by avoiding repetitive work and overuse of the joint. Those who are used to a lazy week and an active weekend should definitely watch out. Sudden, excessive stress can cause tendinitis. The tendons should be subjected to limited stress and activity. With any kind of activity, if there is even a slight hint of pain or any issue, get it checked with the doctor. Continuing to do the same activity will only make it worse. Symptoms to watch for include fever, swollen and painful joints, and limited movement of the affected joint.

Management: If identified and arrested in the early stages, tendinitis can be managed conservatively. Progressive measures of treatment would include the following.

As soon as there is discomfort identified, rest the joint and stop any activity, which you think could have caused the problem. Usually, this should help the condition to subside on its own. Ice and heat therapy can also help.
If it is the ankle or the knee, keep it elevated.
Pain killers may be taken if the pain cannot be tolerated or is affecting daily routine.
After the initial week, mild exercises to strengthen the tendon can be started.
Steroid injections may be required in cases where the joint pain and swelling is significant.
As a last resort, if the above measures do not work, surgery may be recommended. This will again be followed by rest, medications, and physical therapy.

Tendinitis - Ways It Can Be Managed!

The deltoid muscle is situated around the shoulder joint that makes up the shoulder. It is classified into three parts - front, side and rear deltoids. It is one of the most frequently used muscles in the body, its major functions are abduction and forward elevation of the arm.

Causes
A deltoid strain is a condition where you experience pain and tenderness in the shoulder area due to various causes like overuse of the deltoid muscle. It is very common in weightlifting and various sports such as cricket. It may even lead to partial loss of function in the deltoid muscle. Deltoid strain may be caused due to overworking of the muscle without adequate rest. It may also be caused due to lengthening of the deltoid muscle under stress or direct trauma to the muscle.

There are three types of deltoid strains

Grade 1 deltoid strain: It is characterized by tight muscles with some possible swelling. There may be mild pain when you use your shoulders for any activity.
Grade 2 deltoid strain: This strain is a result of a major injury to the deltoid muscle; there may be visible swelling and pain while carrying out activities that require movement of the shoulder. Lifting your arm to the front or the sides becomes difficult and painful.
Grade 3 deltoid strain: This form of deltoid strain is the most severe of the three; it may cause the shoulders to become immobile. You usually will experience excessive pain and severe swelling. You might not be able to move your arm and carry out any activity that requires the shoulders.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of a deltoid strain starts with a physical exam where the doctor will understand the symptoms of the deltoid strain. Various imaging tests such as x-rays may be required for the diagnosis. The basic treatment for shoulder strain comprises of the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression and elevation) which is used to treat grade 1 and grade 2 strains. Grade 3 strains may require surgery in addition to the above treatment methods. In case of excess pain, the doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to ease the pain.

All About Deltoid Strain!

A sprain refers to a break or a tear in any of the ligaments of your body. A ligament is a band consisting of tissues that connect the bones at any given joint in our body.

A strain on the other hand refers to a tear or a break in the entire muscle itself or a tendon (the band of tissues that connect the muscle to the bones).

Occurrence
Sprains usually take place due to unforeseen incidents like falls, accidents, and such other things that forces the body part to go out of its normal position. The most common types of sprains that people suffer from are ankle sprains which affect about 25,000 people every day on a worldwide basis.

Strains usually happen when you twist a whole muscle or a tendon. This condition most commonly occurs in cases of sportspersons who are engaged in contact sports like hockey, football, rugby, and such others.

Symptoms
The identification signs of sprains and strains are mostly very similar, which are listed below:
1. Pain and discomfort in the joints
2. Visible swelling or inflammation seen on the joints
3. Bruising of the affected area
4. Tenderness and softness of the affected joint

The overall intensity of the above mentioned symptoms might differ basis on the severity of the condition that is directly proportional to the nature of injury that you have faced. Some pains are so light that it may not affect your daily routine at all, whereas some pains are so intense, that you might not be able to move your affected joint at all.

Treatment
Some of the common methods to cure a sprain or a strain are listed below:
1. Rest the area which is affected
2. Apply ice bags or cold compress to soothe the pain
3. Compress the affected joint using a compression tape
4. Place the affected joint on an elevated area to speed up the healing process

Sprain Versus Strain

Pain in the joints continues to bug mankind till this very day. There are different types of joint pains, which might occur all of a sudden, with no signs of receding. The most common of them all are arthritis, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, back pain and repetitive muscular strain. These joint pains are sometimes impossible to diagnose properly by the regular modes of diagnosis. In those cases, resorting to the homeopathic mode of medication might be a good idea as it is a medication based on treating the actual cause of the disease and sustained use might result in complete remission of the pain.

Some commonly used homeopathic medications for pain in the joints are as follows:
1. Rhus Tox: This is the most commonly used in homeopathic preparation for severe joint pains, the symptoms of which include severe pain after relaxation, pain triggered by slightly wet weather and pain after walking or running for a long time.

2. Arnica Montana: When the symptoms are pain in every joint of the body resulting in body aches and pertaining injuries due to accidents, Arnica Montana serves as the perfect medication.

3. Actea Spicata: This medicine is primarily used as a remedy for pains in the small joints of the hands. The symptoms for which the medication can be implemented are rheumatoid arthritis in the joints of the finger and swollen wrists after usage of the hand.

4. Colchium: This medicine can be used in case of Rheumatoid Arthritis (inflammatory and chronic form of arthritis).

5. Bryonia Alba: This medication can work wonders if the symptoms include severe pain in the knee joints while walking, severe swollen joints and osteoarthritis (affects the flexible tissues present at the bone ends).

However, it is always advisable to take medication as prescribed by your doctor, as the potency and frequency can only be decided by your doctor.

Homeopathic Treatment for Pain in the Joints

Being flexible is not always about doing splits or doing some random bending. It is about achieving a level of mobility that will not hold you back from doing whatever you are able to do. Most people think that stretching or flexing your muscles and body as the first method to defend you from pain. But if stretching and flexing can be done correctly, it can lengthen one's muscles and give one relief from pains and aches. Stretching is also done to increase the functional range of one's joints and muscles. There are various ways by which one can stretch their muscles. However, the question which looms over here is which is the correct procedure and which is the wrong one.

The Wrong Vs the Right Way: Before discussing about the correct way, let us talk about the various wrong ways in which stretching can be done. The first rule is that if stretching is causing you pain or if it is hurting you, then you are probably taking it too far. A muscle needs to relax as much as possible, if it needs to stretch. If one is stretching so hard that he or she cannot relax then the muscle will not lengthen. Stretching should never be painful.

One should also avoid stretching for an insufficient length of time. Only a few seconds of stretching will not hold the therapeutic effects of stretching.

The following methods are few of the correct ways to stretch:

Always start with the warm muscles. Warm your muscles by doing some aerobic movement or by applying heat with the help of a warm bath.
After warming your muscles, monitor your level of discomfort. Let it go once you feel pain.
Hold any stretch for at least 30 seconds.
Stretching the Correct Muscle: There are muscles, which need to be stretched and there are muscles, which should not be. So getting to know the correct muscles to be stretched is as important as knowing the correct procedure to stretch your muscles. Every muscle, which does not hurt should not be stretched. There are different types of muscles that cause pain like stiff, tight, short muscles and long muscles. Muscles that are tight should only be subjected to stretching. Stretching muscles that are too long is not a good idea.

Using Physiotherapists: Most people who cannot determine which muscle should be stretched and which should not be should consult a physiotherapist. Physiotherapists can quickly and easily diagnose muscular issues. They will also show ways to stretch which are most effective for particular needs.

Stretching should be made a part of one's life. It is a way by which one can become their healthiest self and avoid muscular imbalances.

Stretches for Tight Muscles 

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