Hands
Hand and finger pain
Pain, aching or stiffness in the hands, fingers or thumb — most often from arthritis, a trapped nerve at the wrist, or circulation and inflammatory conditions — which is usually manageable but very occasionally accompanies a stroke when it comes on suddenly with weakness elsewhere.
Education and reference only. This explains the common causes of hand and finger pain and the warning signs that need urgent help, in plain language — it is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a clinician. If you feel very unwell or are worried, seek medical help.
Quick answer
What is hand and finger pain?
The hands are intricate and heavily used, so pain in them is common and has many causes. Aching, stiff finger and thumb joints that are worse with use and may become knobbly point towards wear-and-tear arthritis, while pain, swelling and prolonged morning stiffness across several finger joints suggests an inflammatory arthritis.
- Get urgent help: Call 999 using the FAST check if one hand suddenly becomes weak or numb, especially with face drooping or slurred speech — this may be a stroke. Seek urgent help for a hot, swollen, very painful hand joint with fever, which can mean an infected joint.
- Self-care: For hand pain confirmed as non-urgent, keeping the joints gently moving helps maintain function — simple range-of-movement exercises and squeezing a soft ball can ease stiffness.
About hand and finger pain
The hands are intricate and heavily used, so pain in them is common and has many causes. Aching, stiff finger and thumb joints that are worse with use and may become knobbly point towards wear-and-tear arthritis, while pain, swelling and prolonged morning stiffness across several finger joints suggests an inflammatory arthritis. Tingling, numbness and pain in the thumb, index and middle fingers — often worse at night and relieved by shaking the hand — is the hallmark of a nerve being squeezed at the wrist. Fingers that turn white then blue and become painful in the cold suggest a circulation condition affecting the small blood vessels. While most hand pain develops gradually and is not dangerous, the sudden onset of weakness or numbness in one hand, especially with facial drooping or slurred speech, can be a sign of a stroke and is a medical emergency.
When to get help
Call 999 or go to A&E if hand and finger pain comes with any of these warning signs:
- Call 999 using the FAST check if one hand suddenly becomes weak or numb, especially with face drooping or slurred speech — this may be a stroke.
- Seek urgent help for a hot, swollen, very painful hand joint with fever, which can mean an infected joint.
- Seek urgent help for hand pain after an injury with deformity, severe swelling or inability to move the fingers.
- Seek urgent help if a finger turns persistently white, blue or black and does not recover its colour and warmth.
- Seek urgent help for rapidly spreading redness, swelling and pain in the hand with fever, suggesting a spreading skin infection.
When to see a doctor
Treat the sudden weakness or numbness of one hand with other stroke signs as an emergency and call 999. Seek same-day help for a hot, swollen, feverish joint or a finger that loses its colour and warmth and does not recover. Book a routine appointment for gradually worsening joint pain and stiffness, for night-time hand tingling and numbness, or for hand pain that is limiting your grip and daily activities, so the cause can be confirmed and managed.
Not sure how urgent it is? It is always OK to call NHS 111 for advice, day or night.
What can cause it
Common causes of hand and finger pain
Hand and finger pain has many possible causes. Each links to a full, plain-language guide to that condition — what it is, how it's treated and when to seek help.
What helps
Self-care and what you can do
For hand pain confirmed as non-urgent, keeping the joints gently moving helps maintain function — simple range-of-movement exercises and squeezing a soft ball can ease stiffness. Warmth often soothes arthritis pain, so warm water soaks or heat packs can help, while a cold pack may settle an acutely inflamed joint. Pacing tasks and using both hands or larger grips for awkward jobs reduces strain on painful joints; jar openers, padded handles and other simple aids make daily tasks easier. If a trapped nerve at the wrist is the cause, a resting splint worn at night can ease symptoms. For cold-triggered circulation problems, keeping the whole body and the hands warm with gloves and avoiding sudden temperature changes reduces attacks.
Answers
Hand and finger pain: frequently asked questions
Why do my fingers tingle and go numb at night?
Tingling and numbness in the thumb and first fingers that wakes you at night and eases when you shake the hand is typical of a nerve being squeezed at the wrist. A clinician can confirm it, and a night-time wrist splint often helps.
When is hand weakness an emergency?
If one hand suddenly becomes weak or numb, especially with a drooping face or slurred speech, use the FAST check and call 999. Sudden one-sided weakness can be a sign of a stroke, which needs immediate treatment.
How can I tell wear-and-tear arthritis from inflammatory arthritis?
Wear-and-tear arthritis tends to cause aching that worsens with use and brief morning stiffness, while inflammatory arthritis causes swelling and prolonged morning stiffness across several joints. A clinician uses your pattern and tests to tell them apart.
Why do my fingers turn white in the cold?
Fingers that turn white then blue, become numb and then painful and red in the cold or with stress suggest a condition where the small blood vessels overreact. Keeping warm helps; see a doctor if attacks are frequent or a finger fails to recover.
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- NICE CKS: Carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Versus Arthritis: hand and wrist pain.
Related symptoms
Tell us what you need. We'll route it to the right expert.
Request a proposal, book a scoping call, or speak to our team directly.