Pain and other problems in the hands, wrists and arms can be caused by injury, certain activities or other health problems. Follow this chart for for more information.
Trusted medical advice from the
American Academy of Family Physicians.
American Academy of Family Physicians.
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Trusted medical advice from the
American Academy of Family Physicians.
American Academy of Family Physicians.
Hand/Wrist/Arm Problems
Step 1
Selecting A Symptom
- Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Long-term
- Abdominal Pain (Stomach Pain), Short-term
- Ankle Problems
- Breast Problems in Men
- Breast Problems in Women
- Chest Pain in Infants and Children
- Chest Pain, Acute
- Chest Pain, Chronic
- Cold and Flu
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Ear Problems
- Elimination Problems or Constipation
- Elimination Problems or Constipation in Infants and Children
- Eye Problems
- Facial Swelling
- Feeding Problems in Infants and Children
- Fever
- Fever in Infants and Children
- Foot Problems
- Genital Problems in Infants (Female)
- Genital Problems in Infants (Male)
- Genital Problems in Men
- Genital Problems in Women
- Hair Loss
- Hand/Wrist/Arm Problems
- Headaches
- Hearing Problems
- Hip Problems
- Knee Problems
- Leg Problems
- Lower Back Pain
- Menstrual Cycle Problems
- Mouth Problems
- Mouth Problems in Infants and Children
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Nausea and Vomiting in Infants and Children
- Neck Pain
- Neck Swelling
- Shortness of Breath
- Shortness of Breath in Infants and Children
- Shoulder Problems
- Skin Rashes & Other Skin Problems
- Throat Problems
- Tooth Problems
- Urination Problems
Step 2
Answering Questions
Did you hit, twist, or fall on your arm, hand, or wrist?
Is the affected area deformed or swollen?
Does the pain get worse when you move your arm, hand, or wrist?
Does the pain get worse with repetitive movement (e.g., while working or playing a sport)?”
Is it painful to grip a doorknob, and does the pain start on the outside of your elbow and move down your arm to your wrist?
Do you have numbness or pain in your fingers, hand, wrist, or arm, especially when you flex your wrist (i.e., bend your palm toward your forearm)?
Do you have a firm lump or swelling near your wrist or finger joints?
Do you have redness, swelling, or pain in the skin around a cut or wound, or is there a red streak anywhere on your arm or hand?
Are one or more joints swollen and tender? Do you have a fever?
Does your thumb hurt with gripping, typing, or writing with a pencil or pen?
Step 3
Possible Causes
Diagnosis
You may have a FRACTURED bone.
Self Care
URGENT
See your doctor right away. Apply ice packs to the affected area. Use a sling to help hold the arm still and reduce pain. Use an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as ibuprofen, to relieve pain and reduce swelling.Diagnosis
If there is no fracture, the limb may be SPRAINED.
Self Care
Avoid activities that cause pain. Apply ice and don’t move your arm. Use an over-the-counter medicine such as ibuprofen to relieve pain and reduce swelling. See your doctor if the pain gets worse.
Diagnosis
If there is no fracture, the tendons (a cord of tissue connecting muscle to bone) or ligaments (tissue connecting bones to each another) around the joint may be SPRAINED or STRAINED.
Self Care
Avoid activities that cause pain. Apply ice and a compressive bandage or sleeve. Use an over-the-counter medicine, such as ibuprofen, to relieve pain and reduce swelling. See your doctor if the pain gets worse or does not improve with rest.
Diagnosis
You may have LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS (i.e., tennis elbow).
Self Care
Avoid activities that cause pain. Apply ice and a compressive bandage or sleeve. Use an over-the-counter medicine, such as ibuprofen, to relieve pain and reduce swelling. See your doctor if the pain gets worse or does not improve with rest.
Diagnosis
You may have CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME, a compression of the median nerve in the wrist and hand.
Self Care
Use anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen, to reduce pain and swelling. A wrist splint worn at night may also ease pain and numbness. If your symptoms don’t improve, see your doctor.
Diagnosis
You may have a GANGLION CYST, a common non-cancerous cyst.
Self Care
See your doctor if the cyst causes pain or begins to grow rapidly.
Diagnosis
These are all signs of INFECTION in the hand, wrist, or arm.
Self Care
URGENT
See your doctor right away. Use an antibiotic ointment (like bacitracin) on infected cuts.Diagnosis
You may have RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, an inflammatory joint condition. You may also have GOUT, or an INFECTION (with fever) of the joint or bone.
Self Care
See your doctor right away. Use an anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen, to relieve pain and reduce swelling.
Diagnosis
You may have CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME or de QUERVAIN’S TENOSYNOVITIS.
Self Care
For CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME, use an anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen, to reduce pain and swelling. A wrist splint worn at night may also ease pain and numbness. If your symptoms don’t improve, see your doctor.
For de QUERVAIN’S TENOSYNOVITIS, your doctor may prescribe, or you can purchase an over-the-counter splint that does not allow your thumb to move. See your doctor if the pain worsens or does not improve with rest.
Self Care
For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away.
