It’s almost impossible to count how many times your finger joints move every day. You use them to type. They help your fingers curl around the handle of your coffee mug. However, even these normal daily tasks can become tougher if you have painful finger joints.
Hand and finger pain is more common than many people may believe. One study found that nearly 14% of the people surveyed reported having hand pain. There are many issues that can cause painful finger joints. Determining what is specifically causing your painful finger joints is something a physical therapist can help you with. These specialists can help you find effective treatments for your hand and finger pain, too.
What issues could be causing your finger joints to feel painful?
The finger joints are a complex part of the human musculoskeletal system. They include bones, ligaments, cartilage and other structures. Finger joint pain can even be referred pain from a problem in another area of your hand or wrist. A few of the more common causes of finger pain that physical therapists see include:
- Osteoarthritis — The bones that form your finger joints are capped by cartilage. This cartilage helps reduce friction between the bones as they move. However, your finger joint cartilage can wear away over time. The result of this natural wearing can be finger osteoarthritis.
- Ligament sprains — Ligaments help bend and extend your finger joints. They can also be overstretched, which is called a ligament sprain. Often, finger ligament sprains occur while people are playing sports. Falling onto your hands or lifting an object awkwardly can also lead to this injury.
- Misaligned joints — The joints in your fingers can become slightly misaligned. When this happens, it can irritate ligaments or cartilage and cause pain. A serious finger joint misalignment is called a finger dislocation. You will need help from a medical professional to address a dislocated finger joint.
How physical therapists can help treat your painful finger joints
Figuring out what’s causing your finger joints to feel painful is only the beginning of what physical therapists can do to help you. They can also help you treat your pain. Often, treatment plans for finger pain include therapy methods like:
- Therapeutic exercises that can improve joint lubrication and reduce pain.
- Joint mobilization designed to increase joint flexibility and range of motion.
- Ergonomic recommendations intended to help you avoid future finger joint issues.
Find out what’s causing painful finger joints at Panther PT
Not sure where to turn to find out what’s causing your finger joints to feel painful? Our Panther Physical Therapy team is ready to assist you with finding the source of your pain. We can do a free screening of the affected hand that’s designed to pinpoint the cause of your pain. Then, our experienced specialists can create a customized physical therapy plan for you. Even better, we can work with you to treat your pain from home in a virtual therapy or at-home care session.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can help treat your hand and finger pain or to schedule your initial appointment.