Maybe your knuckles ache and burn sometimes. Or your wrists hurt after you’ve been on the computer for too long. Hand and wrist pain is fairly common as you get older. But that doesn’t mean you need to put up with stiff fingers, achy wrists or other types of pain in your hands.  

The truth is that even minor pain and weakness in your hands can interfere with daily tasks.¹ You might find it hard to button a shirt or open a jar. It can even get in the way of things you may love to do, such as cooking, riding a bike or tossing a baseball with your grandkids.  

Hand and wrist pain can also weaken your grip, which doesn’t bode well for long-term health. Research shows that a strong grip is connected to better health and longevity.¹ When you have a strong grip, the muscles in your body are probably also stronger, and you’re less frail. 

So, whether your pain is due to arthritis or another condition, it’s essential to talk to your doctor. “We need to stay active and we need to stay in motion,” says Davis Hurley, MD. He is an orthopedic hand surgeon with Orthopedic Centers of Colorado, an Optum Specialty Practice in Denver. 

Read on to discover common reasons for hand pain. Then learn steps you can take to treat it and get going again. 

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1. Arthritis 

Your hands and fingers are made up of many small bones and joints, all working together so you can do everyday chores and activities. But over time, the cartilage (the tissue that covers the ends of the bones so you can move your hands and fingers) may wear out.²  

When that happens, the joints can become inflamed. They may become stiff and sometimes lose their normal shape. That inflammation in the joints is called arthritis.² 

The most common form of arthritits in older adults is osteoarthritis.² That’s the type that comes from wear and tear after years of using your hands. 

The second most common is rheumatoid arthritis (RA).² It’s a long-term, or chronic, autoimmune disease that causes the joint lining to swell and often starts in the hands. This also damages the cartilage over time. 

Whichever type you have, the pain and stiffness can get worse over time. Often, the pain is most intense after grip-heavy activities such as gardening, cooking, pickleball or tennis, says Dr. Hurley.  

How to ease the pain: There are various over-the-counter (OTC) treatments that your doctor might suggest using:^{2, 3, 4}  

• A hand brace or splint to reduce the strain on your joints and bones
• Heat to relieve stiffness and ice to ease swelling (wrap ice in a towel first) 
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen to relieve pain and swelling 
• Topical creams, gels and rubs to help with inflammation and soreness⁵ 

Other things to discuss with your doctor that may help relieve the pain and reduce damage:^{3, 4} 

• Hand exercises to stretch and strengthen the joints in your hands and fingers. A physical therapist can show you a few that can ease the pain. 
• Steroid injections can help if OTC treatments don’t relieve the pain. 
• Rx medications such biologics, steroids or immunosuppressant drugs can help lower inflammation if you have RA. 

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2. Carpal tunnel syndrome 

People who develop carpal tunnel syndrome are usually doing the same hand and wrist movements over and over again. Especially ones that involve bending or straightening the wrist for a long period of time. That could be holding a phone, typing, driving or sleeping with your hand tucked underneath you.^{6, 7} 

All of those repetitive movements can squeeze one of the major nerves going to the hand (the median nerve) as it travels through the wrist. This pressure can cause numbness, tingling and pain.⁶ 

Carpal tunnel is more common in women. And having diabetes or RA can put you at risk too.⁷ 

The symptoms are often mild at first. You may notice tingling and numbness in the thumb and index finger that eventually travels from the wrist up the arm. You may also start dropping things or being clumsier than usual. This is typically because your hand and wrist are numb or weak.⁷ 

How to ease the pain: Carpal tunnel syndrome usually gets worse over time if left untreated. That’s why it’s important to bring it to your doctor’s attention. Detecting it early and treating it can slow down or stop this progression. 

For mild carpal treatment, your doctor may suggest:^{6, 7} 

• A brace or splint to keep your wrist straight and take pressure off the nerve
• Stretching the wrist, fingers and elbows. Talk to your doctor about specific exercises to keep the nerve more mobile. 
• Taking breaks to relieve the pressure on your wrists and hands. Even a few minutes helps. 
• NSAIDs such as ibuprofen for pain and inflammation
• If you work on a computer or laptop, make sure the keyboard is at a comfortable height, so you don’t bend your wrists too much. 
• Steroid injections  

If those treatments don’t relieve the pain, you may need surgery. In that case, a hand surgeon cuts some ligaments to relieve the pressure on the nerve and increase the blood supply. This is usually an outpatient surgery.  

3. Trigger finger 

Older adults are especially prone to a condition known as trigger finger. That’s when one of your fingers or your thumb gets stuck in a bent position. Then it may suddenly snap into a straight position.⁸ 

Trigger finger can be painful. It happens when the tendon that connects the muscle and bone inside a finger becomes swollen. “There’s a tunnel where the tendons go through in the palm,” explains Dr. Hurley. “And it tends to get a little tight as we get older, while the tendon gets a little bigger, and it creates a mechanical problem with locking and catching for the finger or thumb.” 

The symptoms tend to start off mild and can get worse over time. Usually, your fingers will feel stiff, especially in the morning. Or you might feel like your finger is popping or clicking as it moves.⁸ 

How to ease the pain: You don’t just want to reduce the ache and swelling in your tendon and finger. You also want to keep your finger from locking into place. Your doctor might suggest these treatments:⁸ 

• NSAIDs such ibuprofen, which can lower inflammation 
• A splint  
• Stretching exercises to help keep your finger more mobile 
• Steroid injections  
• Surgery to release the tendon  

Seeing your doctor as soon as you notice any pain in your hands or fingers is important. “It’s good to have an evaluation sooner rather than later to create the fastest, most appropriate rehabilitation program,” Dr. Hurley says. 

Your Optum health care team can pinpoint the pain in your hands and identify the cause. Then they’ll work with you to come up with the right treatment so you can start using your hands again, just as you used to. 

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Check with your doctor before using ice if you have impaired circulation or impaired sensation. 

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