Experiencing stiff and sore fingers can affect daily routines and comfort. Many experience these symptoms, ranging from mild to persistent. Causes are diverse, impacting the hand’s intricate structures. Understanding these origins is important for relief and maintaining hand function.
Common Inflammatory Conditions
Osteoarthritis (OA), often called “wear and tear” arthritis, develops as protective cartilage wears down over time. It commonly affects DIP, PIP, and thumb base joints. Symptoms include morning stiffness improving with movement, pain, and bony enlargements (Heberden’s nodes on DIP, Bouchard’s on PIP).
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks joint tissues. Inflammation typically affects small joints of both hands and wrists symmetrically. RA often causes prolonged morning stiffness (over 30 minutes), swelling, tenderness, and fatigue. Inflammation can cause joint damage and deformities.
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory condition linked to psoriasis. PsA can cause swelling and pain in the finger joints, sometimes leading to a characteristic “sausage-like” swelling of an entire finger or toe, known as dactylitis. It can also involve enthesitis, inflammation where tendons or ligaments attach to bone.
Gout results from uric acid crystal accumulation in a joint. Though often affecting the big toe, gout can also affect finger joints, causing sudden, intense pain, swelling, and redness. Attacks come on rapidly and can be debilitating, making movement difficult.
Overuse and Mechanical Issues
Trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) occurs when a tendon sheath in the finger becomes inflamed. Inflammation can cause the tendon to catch or lock when the finger is bent or straightened, producing a popping or clicking sensation.
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is inflammation of tendons on the thumb side of the wrist. It causes pain and tenderness when moving the thumb or wrist, making gripping or pinching difficult. Pain can radiate up the forearm and limit thumb motion, contributing to perceived hand stiffness.
Carpal tunnel syndrome results from pressure on the median nerve within the carpal tunnel in the wrist. It controls sensation to the thumb, index, middle, and part of the ring finger, plus some hand muscles. Compression causes numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain in these fingers, often interpreted as stiffness.
Tendinitis is inflammation of tendons, the fibrous cords connecting muscles to bones. In fingers and hand, it develops from overuse or injury, causing localized pain, swelling, and stiffness, especially during movement. Repetitive gripping or forceful movements often contribute.
Other Contributing Factors
Injuries like sprains, fractures, or dislocations cause immediate pain and stiffness, persisting during healing. Inflammatory response to injury can limit movement and cause discomfort.
Local infections, like cellulitis or paronychia (an infection around the fingernail), cause localized swelling, redness, warmth, and pain, leading to stiffness in the affected digit. The immune response contributes to these symptoms.
Raynaud’s phenomenon is temporary narrowing of blood vessels, often in fingers and toes, due to cold or stress. This causes fingers to feel cold, numb, then painful or stiff as blood flow returns and they rewarm. Color changes from white to blue to red during an episode.
Inadequate hydration or electrolyte imbalances can affect joint lubrication and muscle function, contributing to generalized stiffness, including in fingers. While not a primary cause, it can exacerbate discomfort.
Less common systemic conditions like Lupus or Fibromyalgia can also cause widespread joint pain and stiffness in the fingers.
When to Seek Medical Attention
Consult a healthcare professional if finger pain or stiffness persists for more than a few days or weeks. Seek medical attention if pain is severe, worsens, or impacts daily activities. Significant swelling, redness, or warmth around a joint also warrant a doctor’s visit, indicating inflammation or infection.
Inability to move a finger fully, new numbness or tingling, or symptoms awakening you from sleep require evaluation. If symptoms develop after injury, or if you suspect a fracture or dislocation, prompt medical assessment ensures proper diagnosis and prevents long-term complications. A healthcare provider can determine the cause and recommend treatment.